giving old donated items of personal use or house hold good
even an old car or bicycle
(things are in good shape and useable, but old for the wealthy owners)
educating as a volunteer
planting tress
cleaning up a living space, a community
helping through psychological support in giving advice, counseling, hope, and
possibly helping with monetary support with an understanding that it is used for the purpose of improving the lives of the people
being alert to an oncoming need for redistribution of resources so that every body can have, a bit rather than the poor remaining poorer and the rich becoming far deeply stuck in their own heavens of material wealths, which they do not even know how to put to good use.
what great sense of personal, spirtual and human gratutude would on feel, for the good works of this nature?
why our community is not so active in this?
if it is, why dont’e we extend it to the most needy within the community and then the needy from outside of the community?
Re: are we generous in making charitable contributions to public good?
our community in general is suffering from passive apathy. I hate to say it but we are not organized in general and the motivaton to make a difference is severly lacking, I guess that if part of the baggage that comes from back home..ist the same there.
As far as giving goes, there is a book on charity habits of Pakistanis coming out soon I forget the name of it..heck mayeb it is already out, but you may want to read that.
Re: are we generous in making charitable contributions to public good?
do u think that the little bit of charity work our community members do do... that does not show because we don’t think about the societal benefits of it all? & such efforts are not recognized and shared in open?
Edhi foundation is a great example. Imran Khan made the trust hospital after his Mother passed away.
Ibabar-ul-Haq's foundation is an other good example.
but, look at the 1000s of people, families in karachi and lahore, and islamabad or Peshawar, who have more than they can have, but there are hardly endowments, trusts and donations or charities foundations named after even a part of wealthy, affluent families’ inherited wealth s.
i am sure that if we willed, we can do projects on talent search and award such people fro their works who have invested so much original social good, but have not been recognized. such a program will initiate a sense of community, and support system for self-sufficiency.
Re: are we generous in making charitable contributions to public good?
if there was a will. My sister helped set up PWA, patients welfare association at civil hospital in kaarchi, which was basically staffed by med students, collected blood and funds for treatment of people who could nto afford it etc. But that to me indicates a minority, we are really nto dong much. I mean forget social work for the needy..the youth dont even have it in them to do a community cleanup project..apathy, selfishness etc rule.
I see high school kids do car washes here to raise funds for charities, fraternities and sororities lead student poulation in charitable efforts, and we have little to show in Pakistan, and that relects in the Pakistani community here as well.
does recognition need to be a motivator or does an innate sympathy and will to make an impact more of a motivator. There is tons of recongition in Pakistan, and tons here..ever been to a desi event 50 ppl have to get on teh stage to do their bakwaas...publicity hogs.
Re: are we generous in making charitable contributions to public good?
fraudia, i wonder not why u are so disgruntled. ur observation is correct.
i think we need leading people who help shape people's mindsets into taking ownership of what is theirs... needs to be minded by themselves, also.
same process of slow and steady, i guess.
thanks for sharing ur sister's effort.
best,
dushi
Re: are we generous in making charitable contributions to public good?
dushi
while I agree with you that leading figures would draw some people to be more civic minded and charitable by effortor by funds, I do believe that more focus needs to be on it in our schools, in homes and in places of worship. easier to teach a child than to an adult who is set in his ways. In the former you just have to ave them learn, in the latter case it is unlearn all that has become acceptable and relearn some social responsibility.
Re: are we generous in making charitable contributions to public good?
fraudia,
absoluetly, i agree that we need to mobilize the schools and community centers .
i am in education and behavioral sciences field.
so will hopefully do what i can to make up for the apathy of others as effectively as i possibly could.
best,
dushi
while I agree with you that leading figures would draw some people to be more civic minded and charitable by effortor by funds, I do believe that more focus needs to be on it in our schools, in homes and in places of worship. easier to teach a child than to an adult who is set in his ways. In the former you just have to ave them learn, in the latter case it is unlearn all that has become acceptable and relearn some social responsibility.
Re: are we generous in making charitable contributions to public good?
lusi,
u are right.
i do accept that this is the issue.
i feel that works are done, but in a manner and at a level that does not meet the true type of social good work.
mismanagement is clearly an obstacle so is the absence of committment on the part of every body.
that indeed has to be addressed.
my hope is that we, in our generation can do what we can about this.
dushi
Materialism
Prestige
Lack of organization
Lack of comitment
when there is a will then there is a way; we lack the initial step... will
Re: are we generous in making charitable contributions to public good?
It's because people are taught to look out for themselves and their family's interest only from childhood. Don't give charity to that person, we don't know him, instead, give it to your fifth cousin who doesn't have a job because he's lazy. Don't worry about the trash that is lying on the road, it's not your responsibility to do it. Don't volunteer at your child's school - it takes time that you should be doing khidmat for your in-laws and husband.
In desi society it is always someone else's responsibility to do it, whether it be the government, school, or whoever. Kids are never told "this weekend we are going to the river to help pick up trash, because it's community clean-up day", or "mom is participating in a mini-marathon to raise money for breast cancer research".