Puppets for social change

 

Children are our future, but what sort of future are we creating for them, or for us, for that matter? Populations are booming, cities are growing, forests are falling, and every time you turn on the TV there’s another story of ecological disaster and human suffering. You might sit there and ask “so what can I do about it?”, but some grrls are out on the front lines fighting to make a difference. We caught up with “Devi”, a twenty something grrl on the go, at a Zero Population Growth (ZPG) “puppet show” in Seattle, and here’s what she had to say about life in the trenches of social change!

grrl-e-grrl (g-e-g): So Devi, what’s going on here? I see giant puppets, people in costumes, and some really interesting chalk art.

Devi (DV): We’re trying to make people aware of what’s going on around them in a non-threatening and fun way. We use the puppets to attract attention, but they’re also used in skits that teach the people walking by about the need to reduce the burden humanity is placing on the world.

g-e-g: What do you mean by “burden”?

DV: Most people here in the states take a lot of things for granted. Things like clean drinking water, or a tree to sit under. But USAID just released a report showing that 31 countries don’t have enough water for their populations right now, and that if population growth remains steady, by 2025 35% of the world’s population wont have access to adequate water! Overpopulation is causing huge problems around the world, and if people don’t start changing the way they do things, the problem can only get worse.

g-e-g: So what can people do?

DV: Plenty! The first step is to pay attention to how much “stuff” you use. Do you leave the tap running while you brush your teeth? Turn it off! Do you leave your lights on? Turn them off when you leave a room. You’ve heard it before, but reduce and reuse before you recycle. Before you buy something ask yourself what it really costs, and that means how much energy does it use, was it made with child labor in a third world sweatshop, how long will it last? Just pay attention and remember that small changes can add up to a big difference!

g-e-g: You seem really excited about this...how did you get involved in the ZPG movement?

DV: Well, it was sort of my mom’s fault. When I was little the two of us would plant a garden each year and spend a little time together each day working on it. I loved being outside with her, and I loved seeing my plants grow and thrive. I guess I learned the whole cause and effect thing early on...you need space, water, and commitment to make things grow. As I got older I realized that the whole world is a garden, but we’re not taking care of it. We’re watering too much in some places and not enough in others, we’re cutting down the plants that should have been left to grow and we’re encouraging the weeds instead. Humanity has forgotten how to take care of themselves, and how to take care of our garden. I guess I wanted to set an example and teach people how to pay attention.

g-e-g: Wow. All that in a puppet show?

DV: *laughs* Yeah, it’s a bit much sometimes even for me!

g-e-g: So do a lot of people stop to ask about the puppets?

DV: They’re our biggest draw. We take them to schools and do puppet shows for the kids, showing them how they can help...and we do performances like this in local parks. If we can get people thinking about population growth and the need to take action now...and if we can do that in a fun way with 15 foot tall puppets, well, why not?

g-e-g: Thanks for your time...and good luck with the show!

DV: Good luck with the zine, and thanks for stopping to learn more!

 

Leslie Clay grrl-e-grrl.com contributor