What a week it's been for me and the anti-GMO movement! This is my first year in high school and I am noticing that my life as an activist is a bit different than when I was in elementary school. There is so much more homework and exams, so with all the things I do for the organization Kids Right To Know, it definitely gets harder to schedule everything in. Sometimes I have to leave school early to show up for interviews or do public speaking.
Just last Thursday, I was on an American TV show on MSNBC called The Ed Show. Things got a bit stressful because the interview was rescheduled many times, plus, I had a huge exam and tons of homework all happening the same week! Although it was difficult to get everything done, it was totally worth it because I not only got to spread awareness about GMOs and hopefully make a change in some people's lives, but I also got an 80 per cent on my exam!
Even though it was quite different than my interview on the Lang and O'Leary Exchange on CBC, I still prepared for it the same way. I always review my facts and make sure everything is accurate. Also for this interview, I wanted to talk about I-522, the Initiative in Washington to label GMOs, so I also had to do my research on that topic.
I only got to speak with Ed Schultz for about three minutes I think. He seems like a kind and genuine person. I'm so glad I got the opportunity to be on air with him, even if it was for a short amount of time. I feel that being on his show will definitely help my cause because it will continue to create awareness about GMOs and their many risks, and that's really what this is all about.
The more people who know about GMOs, the more our movement will grow, and the more people can continue to make a positive change in the world. In fact, I got a lot of Twitter messages congratulating me on my interview, and quite a few people saying "You go girl"! Some had never heard of GMOs and thanked me for bringing it to their attention. Someone on Facebook said after watching my interview, she went to the grocery store and bought all organic food. It's so amazing the impact you can make by speaking up.
Here's my interview on The Ed Show.
There are so many things I have going on and even more coming up. Ever since the latest March Against Monsanto event in October, I have been selling these cool t-shirts that my mom helped me put together. It's to raise funds for my organization and help spread the word in a fun way. The front says "I'm not a Science Experiment" and the back says, "GMOs Just label it!" with a cute bee next to it.
I chose the bee because pesticides have already killed 52 per cent of the bees in the United States and they are the most important part of our natural food supply since they're the ones who pollinate most of our plants and flowers. Did you know that two out of every three bites of food we eat rely on bees? It's been so great seeing all the profile pics of people wearing my t-shirt. You really get a sense of people coming together fighting for the same cause. That's what I love about this movement.
The most exciting news I have to report right now though is that George Stroumboulopoulos asked me to be on his show!!! I found out on the way back from school, and I was soooooo happy that I cried... tears of joy, of course! LOL.
It'll be an amazing opportunity to wake up Canadians and Americans, who have been left in the dark on this huge issue. George is so aware of these important issues and appreciates activists like my hero, Vandana Shiva who he's had on the show before. I'm so thankful to George and his crew for giving me this opportunity. I am super excited!
