What can an engaged citizen do to contribute to the world?

Electoral Reform. There is so much waste and hardship caused by our First-Past-The-Post electoral system, or any system delivers 100% power to a minority of votes. Most people living under this system don't even understand how problematic it is. Policy lurch, caused by alternating majority governments leads the undoing of policies, and that leads to further climate stalling. Find your local group working towards electoral reform. In Canada we have groups like Fair Vote Canada, and Unlock Democracy. Both amazing groups to support. This is where I put my efforts as it is the underpinning of longer lasting sustainable policy.

Wherever you are, that's where the world is. Do what you think increases harmony while giving you some kind of flow. It's likely there are people right in your back yard who could use some help. All there is to remember to make sure you are increasing harmony (to a good approximation) is that people are ends in themselves, and not means to ends.

First up, study 80_000 Hours[1,2].

1. https://80000hours.org/

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/80%2C000_Hours

what about just directly helping people in your local area, your neighborhood, your city? it may not change the world, but for these people it would mean a lot. i am living in Europe, currently there are refugees from the Ukraine coming to my country, so I help them to get registered, to find housing, to get some basic stuff, and just feel welcome in the new country. that may not sound like a lot, but if you're fleeing from the war and have lost everything, even a little bit counts.

All those things sound great and wholesome!

Our continued destruction of the natural world is going to end our civilization sooner than expected. If you contribute one thing, make it revolution:

https://www.salon.com/2022/04/08/scientists-arrested-for-pea...

Great question. İ think first we should agree on a definition of better. I'll give the classical anti example of Nazi definition of "better" or good.

What i know that good or bad is up to our Creator, Lord.

Sure we can figure out few things by our own but our minds have a limit and we need an outside guide -- a manual for humans. Who can prescribe a better guide than our creator?

İ suggest that you read some Quran verses mentioning good and bad. Once you have solid guide, whatever good you do will be appreciated no matter big or small.

When people say there are problems with the world, they almost always really mean problems with the human world, i.e., bad behavior and suffering within the human realm. Well, the bricks of the human realm are made of humans. So if you want to make the human world better, you have to make humans better. And the one human you have the most control over is you. But it's rare to find an activist who has put in significant effort on themselves. We have a tendency to want to go out and fix things out there when really the most beneficial thing we could do is stop going out and start going in, fixing the problems within, stopping serving as a repeater and amplifier for harm and suffering.

If you want to work on yourself, this is the way I advocate: https://library.dhammasukha.org/uploads/1/2/8/6/12865490/the...