If only… (then our world will look better)
July 23, 2010
1.) We engage in Sustainable social enterprises rather than give dole outs
It is easy to give a few centavos and loose change. It is easy to spoon-feed everything and at the end of the day think that “I did something” or “I did a random act of kindness”. While a few centavos and some loose change can get someone through an hour or perhaps a day, it would be so much more life-changing if we engage in sustainable ways of enriching people and enriching the world.
2.) We discourage breeding grounds for entitlement
It is quite sad when I encounter communities selling products that I would only buy out of pity. Not only is the project not sustainable, it is also quite demoralizing in the long term. Giving an undeserved “pat on the back” (all the time) is a disservice to the people we want to uplift and empower. It breeds entitlement rather than empowerment.
3.) We change the mind set that it is not moral to make a career and a living out of social entrepreneurship
It is accepted to build a career and earn a living out of making the rich even richer. It would be great if building a career and earning a living out of making the poor empowered and richer, would also be as accepted (if not even more accepted).
Going into social work is still usually identified as with being “one with the poor”, quite literally. If only it is as viable as a normal corporate career, more talented and competent people will engage in it. It does not have to be lucrative. It just has to be quite competitive and it has to make sense.
4.) We minimize Copying and Pasting
While it is really cool to copy and paste something that works. It would be even more amazing if we can come up with ORIGINAL, revolutionary things that would make the world a better place. =) Original and innovative ideas could move us forward faster.
