The American poet Emily Dickinson said, “Take care of the little things and the big things will take care of themselves.” The words seem timid in a time that urges big ideas, big conglomerates and policies that are applied with a broad brush on a global canvas.

Individual acts can grow into movements. Abdul Sattar Edhi, Pakistan’s award-winning social worker, would be seen trundling a wheelbarrow through markets collecting funds for healthcare, Rs 10 at a time, or standing with arms outstretched for donations in the middle of the traffic. The Edhi Foundation singlehandedly gave hope to a whole generation and established a methodology that others now emulate.

A.K. Khan, a horticulturist from Allahabad who migrated to Karachi, not only transformed a dusty city into a green oasis, but introduced the concept of landscaping domestic gardens in the city, establishing it as a profession for others to follow.

Societies focus on human achievements, seeing nature only as a space to occupy and a resource to support human needs. But nature is a blueprint for resilience, adaptation, resource management and regeneration. Its design complexity is not........

© Dawn (Magazines)