My article in SMH about volunteering

I had an article published in SMH yesterday.

http://www.smh.com.au/comment/volunteering-doesnt-make-the-world-a-better-place-20180104-h0dd25.html

I didn't write the headline - it is a little less nuanced than I would have written.

Following up on my article regarding volunteering, fundraising and charities I’ve created flowlines to help think through these ideas.

The ideas are about how volunteering, fundraising and charities work in interaction with connecting systems.

Q. Is this my personal responsibility?

Eg. Raising money for Legacy, public schools, hospitals, medical research, the homeless, surf lifesaving, Careflight, international aid

Action. No - write to a politician. It is a collective responsibility.

Yes - keep thinking

Q. Is my action causing harm?

Eg. Making waste, unhealthy food, imposing on people, everything sold is ethically made

Action. Yes - do something else

No - keep thinking

Q. Is my action effective when considering all costs?

Eg. People’s time, investment, consequences, the money going to the most needy.

Action. No - find something else

Yes - keep thinking

Q. Will it need to be repeated next year?

Action. Yes - find another solution

No - keep thinking

Q. Should this be a paid job?

Eg. Managing a group of workers, helping with reading at school, Meals on Wheels

Action. Yes - write to a politician

No - keep thinking

Q. Is this fair and does it build a fairer society?
Eg. Fundraising for a wealthy group of school students to go overseas.
Action. Yes - keep thinking
No - find another solution

Q. Am I volunteering to build skills?
Action. Make sure you are not being exploited and your skills are recognised and rewarded by moving into paid work

Q. Am I supporting a church run charity?
Q. Do I support everything about this group?
Action. Yes - keep thinking
No - find another solution

Q. Does this group have enough assets and money that they could solve a problem tomorrow if they sold some assets?

Action. Yes - find another solution
No - keep thinking

Q. Should I help in an emergency?

Action. Yes - just do it

Q. Should I give blood?
Action. Yes - just do it.

Q. How should I be involved in my community?

Eg. Community garden, choir, sport, political group, local events that aren’t fundraisers, parties, being kind, helping people in any way that doesn’t damage a system (may include bush regeneration, WIRES), organise Soup and Submissions evenings (writing to politicians together), mentoring, any club that shares resources

Action. Yes - do it

I am also including a link to The Story of Solutions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpkRvc-sOKk

and Naomi Klein at the Sydney Peace Prize

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20T46qub4VI

From 25 mins to 104 mins.

And Naomi Klein - This Changes Everything

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rqw99rJYq8Q

2017 wrap up

It has been the year of overworking. I won’t talk about my paid job except to say that people make the difference, and that it is over. I’m looking for something else. Outside of my regular job I have done an enormous amount of work this year - reading, thinking, writing and making resources. I feel like I have learnt as much this year as I did studying full time.

This has been the year I have re-engaged with classics (Ancient Greek and Roman Literature). 2017 has been a big year for classics and I want to be part of what happens next.

2017 has been a year of funerals. I have lost two friends, one to blood cancer (we had the same specialist) and one to violence. I have lost my mother’s only surviving sister.

I have been fairly well. I still have check ups and need to look after myself.

It has been the year of yoga. There will be more. And swimming.

I didn’t put on weight this year - something I now need to monitor.

It has been a year of dancing (going out grooving with middle aged women - so freeing to be invisible!), musicals, theatre.

Our campaign to get scripture out of public schools has had a good year. We are nearly at a point where it can roll on by itself, because the main stakeholders with power are now on board, and partly because church leaders have had enough of a platform to destroy their own brand.

I took the family to Cairns and we swam with the fishes at the Great Barrier Reef. I went to Melbourne to a feminist conference, and went to Canberra. I can recommend the All the better to see you with: Fairy tales Transformed exhibition at the Ian Potter Centre in Melbourne, until 4 March 2018, and the Songlines: Tracking the Seven Sisters exhibition at the National Museum in Canberra until 25 Feb 2018.

Anyhoo - back to work. I'm writing longer pieces and hope to publish some things in the new year.