There are a number of things about this world that are just straight up bass-ackwards, and chances are we’ll never fix all of them. If our goal is to save the whole world, we’re setting ourselves up for disappointment and what psychologists refer to as “compassion fatigue” - an emotional burn out that leaves us feeling both empty and powerless.
But the answer is not to stop trying. We need to re-define our goals as humanitarians. So instead of trying to save the world, think of compassionate aid this way - each new day is a new opportunity for us, both individually and as a society, to make the world around us a little bit more like the world as we think it should be.
There’s a story about a woman walking on a beach at low tide the day after a large storm has passed. Stranded on the beach after the storm are thousands of starfish, as far as they eye can see in both directions. The woman is picking up the starfish one by one, and throwing them back into their ocean habitat. A man walks by and notices what the woman is doing, and he cannot help but pause to ask her:
“Why do you trouble to throw the starfish back? There are thousands of them, as you can see; you cannot possibly make a difference.”
The woman simply smiled at him, picked up another starfish, and tossed it back to the sea. When she saw the confused look on the man’s face, she replied to him:
“I made a difference to that one.”
You did not create all the problems in this world; you cannot solve them alone. But you can make a choice, a very powerful choice, to leave the world around you a little better than you found it.
If you don’t know where to start, here’s a list of links we think can help. Please feel free to send us new ones, and let us know if you have a specific experience with any of these organizations that you would like to share. After all, we’re all in this thing together whether we like it or not. Best find someone whose life gives them lemons, hook ‘em up with someone whose life gives them vodka, add a blender and throw a global block party. That’s the Basement way.
LINKS:
idealist.org - “From Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, and everywhere in between, people are coming together to change the world by connecting people, ideas, and resources in every possible way. Right now, 181,935 of us are involved in this project, and we invite you to make it 181,935+1.”
oxfam.org - “Oxfam International is a confederation of 13 organizations working together with over 3,000 partners in more than 100 countries to find lasting solutions to poverty and injustice. With many of the causes of poverty global in nature, the 13 affiliate members of Oxfam International believe they can achieve greater impact through their collective efforts. Oxfam International seeks increased worldwide public understanding that economic and social justice are crucial to sustainable development. We strive to be a global campaigning force promoting the awareness and motivation that comes with global citizenship while seeking to shift public opinion in order to make equity the same priority as economic growth.”
volunteermatch.org - “VolunteerMatch is a leader in the nonprofit world dedicated to helping everyone find a great place to volunteer. The organization offers a variety of online services to support a community of nonprofit, volunteer and business leaders committed to civic engagement. Our popular service welcomes millions of visitors a year and has become the preferred internet recruiting tool for more than 40,000 nonprofit organizations.”
Help the City of New Orleans -Want to help New Orleans? Sadly the more high profile relief programs have fallen far short of their objectives. Both FEMA and the Red Cross have failed to provide even some of the most basic forms of relief for the city and Katrina survivors. Want to do something good for the city? My advice is to forget donating to relief agencies for now - there are too many to wade through all the scams and useless charities to find the good. If you must donate, the best bet is to find a local grassroots organization that specializes in one particular kind of relief. But the easier, far more fun and likely best way to help New Orleans is to support the city’s devastated economy - come visit and spend some of your vacation dollars in the French Quarter, at Mardi Gras, or for Jazz Fest. Buy from local New Orleans merchants. Cruise to the exotic Caribbean or other worldwide destinations from the Port of New Orleans. Hold or attend your next conference in the most popular conference destination in the U.S. The American people can help make up for the failures of the governmental agencies by doing what we do best - being avid consumers. Point your wallet toward the New Orleans and ask your friends to do the same. We need, and will very much appreciate, your business.
