A World Growing Through Volunteering and Civil Society: Alternative Tomorrows

A World Growing Through Volunteering and Civil Society: Alternative Tomorrows

I am speaking to you from tomorrow. In fact, from two different tomorrows. Because the decisions you make today — or the ones you choose not to make — have divided us into two separate futures. Two alternative tomorrows have emerged.

The First Tomorrow:

In this tomorrow, volunteering and civil society never truly existed. People were only trying to keep up with their own lives, focused solely on themselves. No one lifted their head to look around. No one made time for the word “together.” Parks and green spaces slowly disappeared, because there was no one left to defend them. When trees were cut down, no one objected. When the seas were polluted, no one spoke up. There was simply no one left to raise their voice.

People expected solutions only from the state or from others. No one was willing to take responsibility. Solidarity became a forgotten word.

In this world, children grew up between gray buildings, with no open spaces where they could play freely. Clean water became a privilege, and clean air nothing more than a memory. No one was thinking about the future, because everyone was busy trying to survive the present. No one wondered what tomorrow might become — or what it might fail to be.

The Second Tomorrow:

But there is another tomorrow. In this one, people learned to care even about the things that may sometimes seem small or insignificant. They made more time for one another; the sense of togetherness overflowed. This strengthened people both mentally and physically. Giving value was no longer merely material — it came from the heart.

Volunteering was not something done only in spare time; it became a natural part of life itself. Young people, elders, children — whether strangers or familiar faces — everyone made an effort for one another. Everyone, in some way, took responsibility.

As a result, civil society grew stronger. People understood that when they came together, strength emerged from unity; they realized their voices became more powerful in those moments. There were those who signed petitions to protect a park, those who volunteered to clean a river, those who supported a child’s education. No one said, “What difference would my contribution make?” and simply moved on.

In this world, sustainability was not just a concept but a human habit. Thinking of future generations while consuming, respecting nature, acting with tomorrow in mind… With sustainability, tomorrow became more livable than today.

The trees were still lush and green. The seas were still deep blue. People were able to leave behind a world as beautiful and livable as the one they had known.

And now I ask you — I am the future. But which future I become depends on you; it depends on your actions. The small steps you take today, an hour you dedicate to volunteering, the support you give to a civil society initiative… All of it shapes tomorrow.

So tell me — which tomorrow do you want to belong to?