This is a message to the JGI global family — staff, boards, donors, volunteers and everyone else. A message to wish you a wonderful holiday season, whether it is Christmas, Hanukkah, or any other religious festival — or just a year end celebration of all the amazing things you have all been doing to make this a better world.
I am just back from the most exhausting tour ever — including, most recently, six Asian countries in about five weeks. The usual — lectures, meetings, conferences — and getting together with FRIENDS.
Exhausting — yes. But productive, successful — also yes. Money raised for funding the programs of the different chapters. New donors, new projects endorsed, new Roots & Shoots groups formed. New members. Lots of inspired people, more volunteers, more people wanting to contribute their talents.
I shall put together a short account of this tour for the New Year.
In the meantime, from me, the warmest good wishes for your celebrations at the end of 2024. Above all, have FUN.
With wishes also for the end of fighting, for the end of hate, for the spread of love and forgiveness. These may seem unattainable goals right now but, as I always say, if we lose hope we are doomed for then we shall give up and fall into apathy. For the sake of our children, all children and the natural world we love, we cannot lose hope and must go on fighting to make our dreams become reality.
I am so proud of you all.
With my love,
Jane
Photo credits, in order of appearance: JGI Chile, Asahi Nishida, Antoine Duhamel Photography, ED RITGER, Chris Valle Photography, Praha Zoo, Nayan Khanolkar.