Citizens are an asset to their nation. And when these boundaries dividing the planet into territories are erased, these citizens become world citizens - Humans who are not a resource but are infinite possibilities. There are two main reasons why the majority of Australia's bushfire firefighters are volunteers.

According to Stuart Ellis, a former Chief Officer of the Country Fire Service in South Australia, one of them is, "When volunteers are required, they need to be present in significant numbers and often close to the areas where the fires will occur."

Secondly, Australia has a strong history of volunteerism, and many of the volunteers involved in bushfire firefighting are members of the community protecting their neighbours, their property and their livelihoods,' he told The Feed.

If we carefully consider both these factors, we understand that global issues can only be solved with global concern and global action. Not any handful of world leaders can alone fight what has the potential to destroy the planet!

Another important consideration is in acknowledging the strength of individual action, small organisations, and community-based brigades in solving the problems of global warming that, overtime, become connected, trained and efficient, and also, accredited by the governments. Such strong local connections can play a crucial role in achieving sustainable growth.

Humans are driven by a strong sense of dignity that allows them to achieve the unachievable. ‘Volunteerism’ satiates that pride of an individual and provides them with a sense of inter connectedness and support.

At the same time, volunteers bring the wisdom of local knowledge and familiarity. Volunteers are locals who have complete knowledge about the unique issues of their region, and also have an expertise in the locally available resources that can help.

All of this together facilitate the process of solving global environmental challenges with much ease and increased effectiveness.

"Soldiers are not only needed on borders but also within the nation to wage wars against lifestyle diseases like obesity, diabetes, heart conditions and a good health index paves way for a prosperous and progressing nation", believes Surendra Poonia, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BIP) member and noted Indian sportsman who founded the Soldierathon marathon.

I would just like to add here that they are also needed to raise awareness and help save the Mother Earth from dying a death caused due to reckless acts of humanity.

References:

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/the-feed/why-do-australia-s-bushfire-defences-rely-on-tens-of-thousands-of-volunteers