More than 1000 Dunedin people recently heard the inspirational talk by Hugh Evans, of the Global Poverty Project.
That day, Cadbury had announced it was changing to Fairtrade cocoa for its chocolate bars.
As a result, a huge amount of money will go into community projects in Ghana.
Hugh Evans suggested that people join him the next morning outside Cadbury, bringing flowers as a gesture of support to Cadbury for taking that decision.
There was a very large turnout of both people and flowers. I took along some camellias from my garden.
It was such a simple thing to do but it felt very powerful.
Here was a big business behaving, for whatever reason, in an ethical manner.
And there we were, people of all ages, supporting and thanking that business.
We vote once every three years and the politicians we elect often seem to make decisions based on getting re-elected rather than what is good for the Earth and its people.
But our power does not end with that vote.
The business world probably has as much influence on our future as the politicians.
Surely we can shape corporate decision-making by raising our voices in support of ethical practice.
Climate change and poverty are immediate and frightening challenges.
They will not be solved just by giving flowers to Cadbury or by sending congratulatory emails to supermarkets that ban plastic bags. But we could make a difference.
If enough of us find such simple ways of making our voices heard, who knows what we can achieve?
Carolyne Smith
Vauxhall
This week's winner, Carolyne Smith, of Vauxhall, receives a copy of Lorraine Moller's On the Wings of Mercury, Longacre Press, $39.99.
