The foundation of society is relationship. Volunteering can create real relationships, so can saying good morning every day. Relationship is hard work, and to be effective it is ongoing over many years. To be real, it is a two way relationship where both parties benefit. This is often lost in progressive circles as charity can easily become an act of "virtue signaling". If volunteering is one way where one person gives and the other receives it will be less effective.
A good way to have a real long term relationship is to give them a job. I have two formerly homeless people who have worked several years for me. This is real give & take, and can involve a lot of mentoring / coaching but that is part of any relationship. Truth is they also end up coaching me, & holding me accountable for what I do.
Myself and my family lived, worked, and had rental property in Watts and Compton for over 50 years.
Mentored kids to read, sent them to private school, made loans to people in need, paid utilities to keep their lights on and the gas flowing. Found them employment, took them to cultural events, provided them cars, repaired their cars. Paid for funerals. We paid for the funerals of two girls, 9 and 11 years old, shot to pieces in a drive by.
Whole thing was a waste of time, effort and money. The entire experience was like trying to pick up a turd by the clean end.
Today, I don't let my grandkids close to these savages.
I'm glad you tried to help. I'm sorry it didn't turn out the way you hoped. I'm even more sorry that it has left you bitter and angry.
I wonder if maybe your charity and generosity, even though it could never be enough to solve a problem on the scale of Watts and Compton, didn't touch the hearts and lives of many, many individuals. I wonder if maybe you didn't do more good than you know, and though it might be less visible than the ongoing social disaster that remains, it is no less real, no less important.
I'll leave with this thought, if I may: I love the quote "I don't fight fascists because I'll win; I fight them because they're fascists." In your context this might become "I don't fight poverty and injustice because they can be eradicated, I fight them because they are painful and unfair."
Perhaps. After all, I am, sadly, often the author of my own misfortune. But I wonder about the inherent injustice of a child born poor, who struggles mightily to escape that circumstance, without success. Especially in comparison to a rich person whose only contribution to their wealth was the lucky accident of their birth.
I agree, people often make poor choices and I would neither remove from the right to make their own choices nor shield them entirely from the consequences of their choices. But that isn't the whole story of how people become trapped in poverty, and so I don't think it appropriate to just shrug our shoulders and ignore their plight. After all, there, but for the grace of God, go I.
Yikes. That was a poorly written rambling piece in Vox. After reading it I am not even sure the point being made.
I think the key to everything is understanding that almost everything that anybody is motivated to do is in pursuit of their own self-interest. There is not a thing wrong with that, but to assign complete altruism to charity is generally proof of a lack of self awareness, or at worst a lie.
But understanding this is key.
I run a non-profit that is a complex lending operation that has donated most of our business net excess to charities. My board of directors grew addicted to the good feelings for this, and they also benefitted from the love given them from the community in receipt of the cash. Then our business model changed due to regulations and other factors, and we stopped having near the same level of excess cash. Many board member grew irritated and demanded I do things like cut staff benefits and marketing budgets... thus hurting our ability to stay competitive in the market... only because they craved those good feelings and love that they used to get.
Then there is the Shirky Principle... "institutions will try to preserve the problem to which they are the solution” Non-profits need the mission they are charged to address as being perpetual or else their purpose for existing disappears. In the worse case people that are rewarded in some way for being advocates over a problem, will actually work to make the problem worse to justify their existence.
I hate to get partisan, but I see a lot of that behavior in Democrats to justify a larger government. I see some in Republicans but less... as Republicans would prefer a smaller government.
The problem with activism of any kind... regardless if volunteering, protesting or donating cash to political causes... is that it really corrupts the intended democratic process that should be focused on serving the human condition of constituents. This outside human resources and cash being spent to address something that is really a fundamental defect of the system (homelessness for example) relieves the pressure off policy-makers to do something.
The design of our democratic system has always been to expect people to take time off from their normal working life to serve in some government or political capacity to help encourage and influence good governance policy that best serves the overall human condition. Activism, volunteerism and charitable giving... especially when long-running and even a career, becomes a new normal for what society expects. That is fine if the help is really outside of what government should do (for example, donations to religious organizations to help them operate), but not fine if it supplants what government is supposed to be fixing (like hunger and homelessness).
It is also not good becoming a professional activist because of the Shirky Principle. Activism should always be temporary... a detour from a normal life and after the political decision or votes... the activist stops and goes back to normal life.
I have never defined myself by a political leaning. I have never taken an interest in politics until these last few years of hell. I have voted for every single political party throughout my eligible 65 years on this planet, not out of an affiliation, but out of a belief that they may make life better for people based on their promises to do so. Who would do otherwise? This podcast has educated me. I know now why this current Liberal government under Trudeau has not accomplished anything of lasting value for individual Canadians. The Liberals are a party of intellectuals: they don't do anything, they just think about it, talk about it, promise it and magically assume that someone else (the doers) will take action and make things happen. Wow! I didn't get this. I'm a doer. How can someone say something and NOT do it? All my volunteer activities have involved my 'doing something' tangible: baking, building, educating, teaching, emotionally supporting, delivering, being available...and on it goes. I am a changed person now, but likely not in the way you intended through this interview. I want no part of the Liberals ever again. I had recently already decided this, but now I know WHY. Transformation!
As I listened to this episode, I was appalled that choosing not to volunteer is a political decision - Liberal - for some people. I have been volunteering since I was around eight years old soon after moving from Ireland to Toronto with my family. I used to bake tiny cakes in my Easy Bake oven and deliver them to the elderly folks in our building. No one told me to do this. It just made me feel good. Since then I have volunteered on a house-build for Habitat for Humanity, peer-counselled students on healthy sexuality at the Univeristy of Waterloo and at Planned Parenthood, assisted in the production of a radio show at a university station, taught English to new immigrants in Montreal, as well as having volunteered at three housing co-operatives. This is not an exhaustive list. I have been employed as a Volunteer Coordinator at various organizations. I prefer volunteering to paid employment, even though I need paid employment. However, I rarely get the same satisfaction from paid employment that I do from volunteering. I think this is because I'm not motivated by money, and I dislike the competitive dynamic in the world of paid work. There are so many opportunities to volunteer. Just choose one of your passions and offer to put in a couple of hours a week. You will learn new skills, meet new people and enlarge your sense of self.
I recently joined my local Rotary club which does excellent community service. I've wondered why the membership is predominantly conservative or moderate with few leftists other than me. Now I see!
Tara, between this interview and your previous one, I wonder if you're pulling on a thread regarding an ill in modern liberal society. What I see in common in these two interviews is the tendency for the current culture to value signals over virtues. That is to say, the culture encourages saying certain things or offering talking points with little opportunity cost. Acting on prohuman virtues, meeting people where they are, and struggling with the messiness of the human condition, is daunting and overwhelming. The expense of resource, whether time, money, or empathy, is what is largely missing as modern people prioritize convenience.
The foundation of society is relationship. Volunteering can create real relationships, so can saying good morning every day. Relationship is hard work, and to be effective it is ongoing over many years. To be real, it is a two way relationship where both parties benefit. This is often lost in progressive circles as charity can easily become an act of "virtue signaling". If volunteering is one way where one person gives and the other receives it will be less effective.
A good way to have a real long term relationship is to give them a job. I have two formerly homeless people who have worked several years for me. This is real give & take, and can involve a lot of mentoring / coaching but that is part of any relationship. Truth is they also end up coaching me, & holding me accountable for what I do.
Myself and my family lived, worked, and had rental property in Watts and Compton for over 50 years.
Mentored kids to read, sent them to private school, made loans to people in need, paid utilities to keep their lights on and the gas flowing. Found them employment, took them to cultural events, provided them cars, repaired their cars. Paid for funerals. We paid for the funerals of two girls, 9 and 11 years old, shot to pieces in a drive by.
Whole thing was a waste of time, effort and money. The entire experience was like trying to pick up a turd by the clean end.
Today, I don't let my grandkids close to these savages.
I'm glad you tried to help. I'm sorry it didn't turn out the way you hoped. I'm even more sorry that it has left you bitter and angry.
I wonder if maybe your charity and generosity, even though it could never be enough to solve a problem on the scale of Watts and Compton, didn't touch the hearts and lives of many, many individuals. I wonder if maybe you didn't do more good than you know, and though it might be less visible than the ongoing social disaster that remains, it is no less real, no less important.
I'll leave with this thought, if I may: I love the quote "I don't fight fascists because I'll win; I fight them because they're fascists." In your context this might become "I don't fight poverty and injustice because they can be eradicated, I fight them because they are painful and unfair."
There is a very good reason many people are in poverty, and it's no one else's fault but their own.
Perhaps. After all, I am, sadly, often the author of my own misfortune. But I wonder about the inherent injustice of a child born poor, who struggles mightily to escape that circumstance, without success. Especially in comparison to a rich person whose only contribution to their wealth was the lucky accident of their birth.
I agree, people often make poor choices and I would neither remove from the right to make their own choices nor shield them entirely from the consequences of their choices. But that isn't the whole story of how people become trapped in poverty, and so I don't think it appropriate to just shrug our shoulders and ignore their plight. After all, there, but for the grace of God, go I.
I volunteer for a local animal rescue here in Vancouver about once a month. Simple work but It gives me tremendous satisfaction.
Yikes. That was a poorly written rambling piece in Vox. After reading it I am not even sure the point being made.
I think the key to everything is understanding that almost everything that anybody is motivated to do is in pursuit of their own self-interest. There is not a thing wrong with that, but to assign complete altruism to charity is generally proof of a lack of self awareness, or at worst a lie.
But understanding this is key.
I run a non-profit that is a complex lending operation that has donated most of our business net excess to charities. My board of directors grew addicted to the good feelings for this, and they also benefitted from the love given them from the community in receipt of the cash. Then our business model changed due to regulations and other factors, and we stopped having near the same level of excess cash. Many board member grew irritated and demanded I do things like cut staff benefits and marketing budgets... thus hurting our ability to stay competitive in the market... only because they craved those good feelings and love that they used to get.
Then there is the Shirky Principle... "institutions will try to preserve the problem to which they are the solution” Non-profits need the mission they are charged to address as being perpetual or else their purpose for existing disappears. In the worse case people that are rewarded in some way for being advocates over a problem, will actually work to make the problem worse to justify their existence.
I hate to get partisan, but I see a lot of that behavior in Democrats to justify a larger government. I see some in Republicans but less... as Republicans would prefer a smaller government.
The problem with activism of any kind... regardless if volunteering, protesting or donating cash to political causes... is that it really corrupts the intended democratic process that should be focused on serving the human condition of constituents. This outside human resources and cash being spent to address something that is really a fundamental defect of the system (homelessness for example) relieves the pressure off policy-makers to do something.
The design of our democratic system has always been to expect people to take time off from their normal working life to serve in some government or political capacity to help encourage and influence good governance policy that best serves the overall human condition. Activism, volunteerism and charitable giving... especially when long-running and even a career, becomes a new normal for what society expects. That is fine if the help is really outside of what government should do (for example, donations to religious organizations to help them operate), but not fine if it supplants what government is supposed to be fixing (like hunger and homelessness).
It is also not good becoming a professional activist because of the Shirky Principle. Activism should always be temporary... a detour from a normal life and after the political decision or votes... the activist stops and goes back to normal life.
I have never defined myself by a political leaning. I have never taken an interest in politics until these last few years of hell. I have voted for every single political party throughout my eligible 65 years on this planet, not out of an affiliation, but out of a belief that they may make life better for people based on their promises to do so. Who would do otherwise? This podcast has educated me. I know now why this current Liberal government under Trudeau has not accomplished anything of lasting value for individual Canadians. The Liberals are a party of intellectuals: they don't do anything, they just think about it, talk about it, promise it and magically assume that someone else (the doers) will take action and make things happen. Wow! I didn't get this. I'm a doer. How can someone say something and NOT do it? All my volunteer activities have involved my 'doing something' tangible: baking, building, educating, teaching, emotionally supporting, delivering, being available...and on it goes. I am a changed person now, but likely not in the way you intended through this interview. I want no part of the Liberals ever again. I had recently already decided this, but now I know WHY. Transformation!
As I listened to this episode, I was appalled that choosing not to volunteer is a political decision - Liberal - for some people. I have been volunteering since I was around eight years old soon after moving from Ireland to Toronto with my family. I used to bake tiny cakes in my Easy Bake oven and deliver them to the elderly folks in our building. No one told me to do this. It just made me feel good. Since then I have volunteered on a house-build for Habitat for Humanity, peer-counselled students on healthy sexuality at the Univeristy of Waterloo and at Planned Parenthood, assisted in the production of a radio show at a university station, taught English to new immigrants in Montreal, as well as having volunteered at three housing co-operatives. This is not an exhaustive list. I have been employed as a Volunteer Coordinator at various organizations. I prefer volunteering to paid employment, even though I need paid employment. However, I rarely get the same satisfaction from paid employment that I do from volunteering. I think this is because I'm not motivated by money, and I dislike the competitive dynamic in the world of paid work. There are so many opportunities to volunteer. Just choose one of your passions and offer to put in a couple of hours a week. You will learn new skills, meet new people and enlarge your sense of self.
I recently joined my local Rotary club which does excellent community service. I've wondered why the membership is predominantly conservative or moderate with few leftists other than me. Now I see!
Tara, between this interview and your previous one, I wonder if you're pulling on a thread regarding an ill in modern liberal society. What I see in common in these two interviews is the tendency for the current culture to value signals over virtues. That is to say, the culture encourages saying certain things or offering talking points with little opportunity cost. Acting on prohuman virtues, meeting people where they are, and struggling with the messiness of the human condition, is daunting and overwhelming. The expense of resource, whether time, money, or empathy, is what is largely missing as modern people prioritize convenience.