This Year, Public Has Thousand Ways to 'Do It' Together

Giving new meaning to thousand points of light, the community action day in May that started with a countrywide trash cleanup in 2008 is in an especially diverse mode this year.

A year later, people came together in hundreds of brainstorming groups, but this year the civic-minded can head straight to work with over 1,100 events to choose from on May 5.

A total of 12,778 people have signed up for one of the events.

The leader of Let's Do It Estonia, Tarmo Tüür, told ETV that turnout will probably be even greater.

"If we consider that people in Estonia have received 1,000 suggestions as to what to do this Saturday and what could be improved, I believe that many people's conscience will not let them stay within four walls," said Tüür.

The Estonian civic society week also generated additional ideas.

Head of the Tartu-based Domus Dorpatensis foundation Martin Noorkõiv, interviewed by ETV, said one of the most interesting initiatives was to hold countrywide Ida-Viru County days to better the image of the northeastern region.

"If Estonians don't go to Ida-Viru County, then Ida-Viru County will come to them," he said.

He also mentioned an initiative from Tartu where people who have never spoken to their neighbors would get together and become better.organized on a street-by-street level.

"I think one of the main draws of Let's Do It has been the belief that if something has been left neglected, that 'we' can get it done if we tackle the project actively," said Tüür.

Tüür said within such a project, one get-together often ends up planting the seed for the next one. "There's a school in Pärnu County that is heading to help out at an old folks' home for the third time – a kind of lasting cooperation has developed."

http://news.err.ee/society/112b4063-b25e-4458-bf2e-a6ea98bb6360

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