EVERYTHING culture
ONE The Power of
17-year-old environmental activist. At 15, she started
protesting for stronger action on global warming
outside Swedish Parliament. She started a movement
named Fridays for Future, which was a school climate
strike, which led to her addressing the 2018 United
Nations Climate Change Conference and the 2019
UN Climate Action Summit.
Laxmi Agarwal of India was attacked by a 32-year-old
man throwing acid on her. It mobilized her to start
Stop Acid Attacks and speak out for the rights of acid
It can be the simple act
of recycling, making time
to volunteer for charities,
kindness you show to
strangers, or other things
you do to make the world
a better place.
Think of Time
Magazine’s Person of the
Year, Greta Thunberg, a
attack victims. India
had about 300 recorded
acid attacks in 2016 and
they continue to be an
issue. Stop Acid Attacks
also runs a chain of cafes
called “Sheroes Hangout
Café,” managed by acid
attack survivors.
Malala Yousafzai became
a Pakistani activist for
female education when
the Taliban was banning
girls from attending
school. She won a Nobel
Peace Prize in 2014 for
her activism for the right
to education. She spoke
out and wrote a blog
detailing her life during
the Taliban occupation.
How sad that her
activism prompted an
assassination attempt
against her. But she
survived and co-founded
the Malala Fund, a nonprofit
that fights for girls’
education.
Locally, Betsy Farmer
and Kim Frodge have
greatly impacted Brevard
County. Betsy’s desire to
have a place for her then
young son, Luke, to learn
and be integrated in a
supportive environment
motivated her to start
the Space Coast Early
Intervention Center.
Once he was grown, her
desire to know he would
be safe and able to live on
his own led her to start
Promise in Brevard.
Kim Frodge wanted
abused and neglected
children to be taken care
of in a home for as long
as they needed. Now,
Nana’s House has six
new buildings in a gated
community and a new
thrift store location.
The power of one does
not mean you have to
do everything alone. It
means one person with
a passion for a cause or
idea can mobilize others
through their vision
and mission to become
involved and make an
impact. When we think
about our place in the
world, being mindful
of what we can do to
impact society will make
us all champions for
positive change.
March is Women’s History Month, when we recognize
the accomplishments of women. I have always said one
determined woman with a mission and vision can change the
world. All of us can make a difference. It does not have to be a
huge grand gesture, but being mindful of decisions we make
and how they affect others makes a difference.
Nancy Peltonen serves as President/CEO with The
Greater Palm Bay Chamber of Commerce. She
currently serves on committees for the Economic
Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast,
Palm Bay Maker Faire Committee, and State Small
Business Expo Partner, and still finds time to volunteer
with many local organizations and travel the world.
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