(Note: This is not a criticism-post although it might sound like it.)
What can an engaged citizen do to contribute to the world?
Sure, we can vote, we can protest (at least in North America), but what else can we do to help steer our society forward? What are some things that we, as ordinary people with bills to pay and mouths to feed, can do in our daily lives to contribute constructively towards positive social change?
Write a book? Make art? Make music?
Study science? Study culture? Research the world's problems? Innovate solutions?
Be a better parent, spouse, family member? A better boss, employee, colleague? A better friend, neighbor, stranger?
Listen more? Understand more? Love more? Take better care of yourself so you can be more present to the world and all the people in it?
These all sound great of course, but the key question is, of the ones that we can do, how do we make it significant and concrete enough to matter?
For example, how do we make actions like reading books and exchanging ideas on the internet non-trivial?
