This week, EGR launched the Give it for Good campaign to" urge people to contribute to MDG programs the money the US Government is about to send out to folks to stimulate the economy. This is worthwhile because it will raise money for the MDGs. But equally, if not more importantly it focuses on the fact that we in the richer countries need to look at how we spend our resources.
Working for a better world is not an abstract concept. And it does not just require money. It requires our own personal transformation. Every day we spend money; every day we make decisions about what to buy, what to support with our dollars. Do we buy fair traded goods? Do we buy clothes that are made in sweat shops? Do we purchase fuel efficient, energy efficient goods—from cars to light bulbs? Yes, change has to take place also at the national and international level. But it starts with us and what we do.
I am co-authoring a book about to be published called Practical Idealists: Changing the World and Getting Paid. The book tracks how over forty young people in our country have chosen to live out their values in their work. We found that it is first important to know what your values are. What do you believe in? In the case of Christians—do these values come from the Gospel? How would you articulate these? And then it is good to be in tune with your passion—what makes you tick, or get up in the morning.
“The interplay between your passions and your values will be the foundation for your practical idealism. For example, if you hold economic fairness as a value and are passionate about the environment, you might work for good air quality in economically disadvantaged regions. On the other hand, if you are excited by politics and its processes, you might work for equity by lobbying local governments to provide low-income housing for their citizens or work in government to enact legislation for school improvement. Thinking seriously about your values and your passions allows you to shape the form your practical idealism will take.”The EGR campaign Give it for Good reminds us that it is all too easy to be sucked into a way of life that precludes mindfulness and doing good for society. What we do with our money matters; the choices we make every day matter. It is part of our discernment of how to be open to personal transformation in all aspects of our lives.
Values and passion are important. But crucial is also asking yourself how much is enough? What do you want/need in terms of money, time, and/or recognition (success/prestige)? And can you live your life—including your spending habits—within these?
“Like it or not, one of the thorniest dilemmas facing those who wish to be practical idealists is how to have enough money to live well, but also have a job that allows them to have meaning in life. John often hears students say that they cannot take a practical idealist job and live well. There may be some truth to this; it depends on your definition of living well. It is possible in today’s world to live well and do good with a job in education, nonprofits, government, public service, farming or small-scale businesses. Likewise, practical idealists can be attorneys, physicians, mutual fund managers, or corporate executives-- they just need to avoid being sucked into a way of life that precludes mindfulness and doing good for society.”
Editor's note: Find out more about Give It For Good at www.giveit4good.org. Take the pledge to give 100%, 10% or 0.7% of your "economic stimulus check" (or, if you don't qualify for a check, what you would be getting if you did qualify) to organizations of your choice supporting the MDGs. There are also advocacy actions and resources for personal and congregational study of the issues of consumption, consumerism and Christianity.
Dr. John Hammock is Associate Professor of Public Policy at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy & The Fletcher School, Tufts University. Currently on leave until September, 2008 and working for Sabina Alkire as a senior research associate at the Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative. John was Executive Director at Oxfam America from 1984-1995 and Executive Director at ACCION International from 1973-1980. John is the president of the board of Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation.
