Let's do it 2008 (Estonian: Teeme ära 2008) is the largest campaign to activate civic society in Estonia since the Singing Revolution in 1988. The international campaign for cleaning all countries, that grow out of it, is called Let's Do It! World.
Over 50,000 people, or approximately 4% of the population of 1.3 million, participated in the cleanup of the forests and countryside, which would proportionality equal 15.3 million people in the United States, or 57 million people in India. Momentum for the event was built up with a media campaign from October 2007 to April 2008. The action was carried out during one day on 3 May 2008. More than 10,000 tons of garbage were removed from the country's forest in about 5 hours for less than 500,000 euros. Under normal circumstances it would have taken the government 3 years and 22.5 million euros to accomplish a similar feat.
The initial team was:
Rainer Nõlvak
Toomas Trapido
Kadri Allikmäe
Henri Laupmaa
The group met at 29 August 2007 as recorded in the first protocol.
Other people of the main team:
Ahti Heinla
Eva Truuverk
Tiina Urm
Anneli Ohvril
Jüri-Ott Salm
Since then Latvia has copied the event in September 2008 with 40,000 volunteers. Lithuania and Latvia did larger scale actions in April 2009 with 150,000 volunteers.
The international cleanup action was announced in March 2009 and the city of Bengaluru (Bangalore) in India did similar action on 16 August 2009.
On April 17, 2010 a similar event was organized in Slovenia - Let's Clean Slovenia in One Day! (Očistimo slovenijo v enem dnevu) with 12% of population participating (250.000 volunteers).
In 2010 it is planned by Portugal (March 20), Romania (September), Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Moldova, Italy, France, Indian city of Delhi, capital of Ukraine Kyiv and some other Ukrainian towns.
This has led to the international action "Let's Do It! World"
Portugal
Lithuania
Latvia
Estonia
Romania
Moldova
Italy
Slovenia
Delhi
Bangalore
Ukraine
Lebanon
Netherlands
News and videos
Youtube video: Country clean-up project "Lets Do It 2008" / Teeme Ära 2008
Campaigners organize mass cleanup via internet
Tigerprises: Innovation award goes to Let's do it
AFP: Software gurus launch cleanup of Estonia
Video about the action in Vimeo done by team members
