文艺青年爱说，生活不只是苟且，还有诗和远方。言辞固然矫情，然而它隐含了一种应当被倡导的社会观：除了财富和名望，身边的花园和共同的家园也值得被好好经营。

Pockets of change and sustainability, in China and around the globe

By Simina Mistreanu

At the foothills of the Great Wall at Mutianyu, two mixed American and Chinese couples built their version of anideal business.

慕田峪长城脚下，两对跨国情侣做起了他们理想中的生意。

They turned an abandoned schoolhouse into arestaurant and art gallery. They opened a hotel in an abandoned tile factory and a noodle shop in an old stone farmhouse.

They’re leasing several villagers’homes and renting them to tourists. The food served at all of these places isorganic-grown and comes from the couples’ or the villagers’ gardens.

他们把废弃的校舍改造成餐馆和画廊，把当地村民的房子租来提供给游客，把村民菜园里的有机蔬菜引进到餐馆的餐桌上。

The business is built around supportingvillagers, by paying them fair wages, rent and service fees, but also aroundmaking a profit, the partners told me.

这条商业链是在村民的支持下实现的。他们支付村民合理的工资、租金和服务费，同时预留出利润的空间。

Sustainable businesses and organizationsthat are focused on supporting the community and solving social problems arevery common in the U.S. and Europe.

In Portland, Oregon, which is consideredone of the most liberal American cities, sustainable, hand-made, locally grownand socially responsible products and companies are almost the norm.

In Missouri, I met people who had built a community garden in the city and otherswho had started organizations to help disabled people get jobs and fix oldpeople’s homes.

在欧美国家，专注于社区发展和满足社会公益的可持续商业已经非常普及。俄勒冈的波特兰市被认为是全美最自由的城市，所有商品都是当地自产的可持续的手工产品。在密苏里州，我曾亲眼见到市民在亲手建造社区花园、帮残障人士找工作、为老人修缮房屋……

In my home country of Romania, I worked at two small organizations – one that had launched an independent magazine andpromoted quality storytelling, and another that worked to build modern treatment centers for cancer patients.

在我的家乡罗马尼亚，我曾在两个社会组织做事：一份专注于讲好故事的独立杂志和一个专供癌症病人的现代治疗中心。

American researcher Rich Harwood talksabout the “pockets of change” – small groups of people who come together to solve an issue in their community.

They create a space for people to work together and help build their confidence; they act as connectors among thepublic, businesses and the government; they promote a positive narrative; theyinspire others and restore hope.

美国学者Rich Harwood曾经探讨过“pockets of change”这一概念——小范围内的人们聚集在一起，解决公共社区面临的问题。他们协同合作，在行动中建立自信。他们是公众、商业、政府的联结者，也是积极生活方式的倡导者。

The pockets of change are built by a society that has lost faith in institutions and has decided to take matters into its own hands. Together, they create a pattern and a narrative that people must choose to see, Harwood said.

他们把改造世界的权利掌握在自己手里。

（Photos by Beijing Today and the Columbia Missourian）

The pockets of change are formed similarly across the globe, but I think China, as an environment, poses uniquechallenges. The first, from what I’ve read and experienced so far, is people’srush to climb the economic ladder.

In a national competition to get rich first,I think people don’t often stop and think about how they could help theircommunity along the way.

“Pockets of change”正在全世界以类似的方式兴起。然而在中国，它所面临的阻碍并不少。

首先，从我来华这段时间的所见所闻，我感觉这里的人们都太急于财富积累了。全民竞富的时候，很少有人会停下来考虑大众利益。

Another factor I think is people’s apprehension to disturb the status-quo. People tend to mind their own business and avoid takingrisks.

另一重阻碍则源于人们对打破身份地位的恐惧。他们专注于自己的一亩田地，不愿意做任何冒险。

At the same time, I think China is brimmingwith opportunities for people to work together on socially conscious projects,and I look forward to discovering more.

尽管如此，这里仍然隐藏着许许多多为社会公益努力的行动机会。我期待着发现更多。