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Leadership and thinking of others

If for some reason you are not willing to lead, leave it to the rest of us; please get out of the way.

If for some reason you are not willing to lead, leave it to the rest of us; please get out of the way.

       Kevin Conrad, representative of Papua New Guinea

 

Conrad’s comment to the United States, made at the final day of the climate conference in Bali last weekend, ranks as one of the best zingers of 2007. Coming at the end of a conference where many of the 190 countries had grown desperately frustrated by the United States’ position — which was supported by Canada and Japan — and after a U.S. representative had earlier asked other countries to “get in line” and follow its lead on climate change, Conrad’s remarks have been credited with triggering an about face by the U.S.

It didn’t exactly lead to universal agreement about how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to sustainable levels. Rather, the conference ended with agreement on a “road map” for negotiations over the next two years for a new and more comprehensive treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol. That, apparently, is reason for hope on the climate change front.

But quite aside from the conference outcome, what little Papua New Guinea showed the rest of the world was leadership. Timely, poignant and deeply relevant, Conrad’s comment rallied the world to a cause that cannot be ignored. And that sort of leadership is particularly important at this time of year.

Leadership, by definition, means thinking of others, usually how to lead them. We often associate leadership with government, industry, military — organizations that have a clear hierarchy. But in any ranking of nations Papua New Guinea would be well below the United States and dozens of other nations. Yet, in one moment Papua New Guinea brought context to a stalemate situation, which led to agreement on a new direction.

Whistler, like the rest of the world, has a stake in climate change — not just in what sort of weather and how much snow we get but in how it affects others around the globe. Most people in this town, and in this corner of the world, recognize they are fortunate to be free to chase their dreams and take on challenges that, in other parts of the world, they probably wouldn’t have the opportunity to pursue. Those opportunities are seldom achieved in isolation, without help from others. Being in one of the richest countries in the world doesn’t hurt either.

But the atmospheric conditions that provide the snow that fuels many Whistler dreams are unquestionably changing. Here, that may affect the number of prime skiing and snowboarding days. In other parts of the world it may affect the habitability of land or the viability of crops.

The holidays are a time for reflection as well as celebration. In recent years many people have considered the state of the world — the growing Third World population, the increasing economic disparity between rich nations and poor, and the interconnectedness of so many things on so many levels — and decided to give Christmas gifts to people they’ve never met. Through Oxfam, World Vision and other similar organizations you can buy a goat for a family in Africa ($58), a bike to allow health workers to reach more villages ($105), or sponsor a child ($40 per month).

Playground Builders ( www.playgroundbuilders.org ) is a B.C.-registered charity that works with Medical Aid for Palestine–Canada in building playgrounds for children in the Middle East.

But if you’re feeling generous, you don’t have to search the world to find people and organizations that could use assistance. The Canada Revenue Agency website lists 31 registered charities in Whistler, from the Association of Whistler Area Residents for the Environment to Whistler Search and Rescue. There are 12 based in Pemberton and two more in Mount Currie. You can review their registered charity information returns on the Canada Revenue Agency website, www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tax/charities/

You could also peruse the list of organizations that received community enrichment grants from the Resort Municipality of Whistler last year. Knowing that the RMOW is likely to cut the amount of money available through those grants this year, you could choose to make a donation to WAG, the Girl Guides or some other organization that shows leadership, such as the Community Foundation of Whistler. The Whistler Health Care Foundation also has a little project that will benefit many people when enough funds are collected to make it a reality, the CT scanner.

If you’re really focused on the mountains, the Canadian Avalanche Foundation is holding a gala evening at the Roundhouse Lodge on Whistler Mountain on Feb. 22. Andrew Brash is the guest speaker. Andrew gave everything for another, fellow climber on a ridge on Mount Everest in 2006. He gave Lincoln Hall life.

Hall had been left for dead by his climbing team after contracting cerebral edema 200 metres from the summit of Everest. As many people around the world now know, Brash and his team were the first to discover Hall — alive. They gave up their chance to reach the peak of Everest in order to rescue Hall.

Tickets for the evening are $175 each. Proceeds support public avalanche safety initiatives, education and research. www.avalanchefoundation.ca