May the Beach Bunch multiply

News of the volunteer group Beach Bunch's objective to make Brunei beaches the first to get the Blue Flag in Asia is a sign that volunteerism is alive in the Sultanate. They are indeed a bunch of people with a worthy cause and they deserve to be emulated. Theirs is an ambitious plan that involves millions of dollars to implement. The Blue Flag is a voluntary "eco-label" for beaches and marinas and awarded by a United Nations body called the Foundation for Environmental Education.

We can surmise that countries with so-called Blue-Flagged beaches get that added advantage in marketing themselves as ideal destinations for holidaymakers who want to visit places that adhere to rigorous quality and environmental standards. It will help to set us apart from other destinations in the region where the battle for tourists continues to rage.

The Blue Flag may not be the one prominent yardstick that vacationers google when they plan their travels, but the Beach Bunch's initiative sits well with the Brunei Tourism Board's intention to veer away from the mass tourism approach employed by many countries in Southeast Asia. Architects have already responded positively to the group's mobilisation drive to get strategic bodies both in the government and the private sector to contribute to making this dream come true.

If realised, obtaining the Blue Flag will help to distinguish the Sultanate in a crowded marketplace, primarily because not one of the 2,949 Blue Flag beaches in the world is in Asia.

What grabs our attention, however, is the group's remarkable display of enthusiasm in pushing for an objective that we usually see emanating from government officials. Theirs is a brand of enthusiasm that we as a people need. The spirit of volunteerism finds its concrete example in the Beach Bunch, and they provide a real example for young people who have that freshly minted idealism to contribute to nation-building.

It is refreshing to hear of such an initiative coming from a volunteer group. It rekindles our hope that there is much that we can expect from the younger generation. It shows us that positive traits can be nurtured in people despite the fact that we grow up knowing there are many things made available to us with price tags that do not reflect production costs.

This is volunteerism that we have to celebrate in what little way we can think of. Modern times have impressed on young people the need to equip themselves with the skills to succeed in the job market. Education has become a ticket to a life of comfort and even excess.

As we grow up in a world where ideas flow easily across borders, we pick up concepts that threaten to mould us into individuals who care less for causes that do not seem to fatten our pockets. The obsession to become a success is likely to leave no room to offer, to volunteer, one's time and effort to noble causes that matter to us as a nation.

There's more in our country that stand to benefit from volunteerism. There are many other causes waiting to be taken. We recall, for example, the many young people who had fun in taking part in Brunei's activities for the Earth Hour.

We tip our hats off to the Beach Bunch. May their bunch multiply and their optimism infect others who want to help society, free of charge.