RE: Still Is: More on advocacy and voluntarism:
P. Myers (mpwr@u.washington.edu)
Mon, 19 Jan 1998 11:07:00 -0800 (PST)
On Mon, 19 Jan 1998, George J.P. Perry wrote:
> Substitute "corresponding on <hpn@aspin.asu.edu>" for "volunteerism".
George...why? What is the connection? hpn correspondence is an exchange
of ideas/beliefs/hopes/experiences...an equal and equivalent exchange...
voluntarism is expressly and always to_help_or_change_another.
I just wanna discuss...what's your damage?
> Substitute any potential means to an intended end.
>
substitute the above for what?
> Put a warning-label on the medicine-cabinet: "The Virtues contained
> within must be taken with Humility. Humility cannot be found in this
> cabinet, but must be found within the User. Pursuit of any Virtue herein,
> without Humility, will lead to Unintended Side-Effects".
>
no, not Taken, if you're referring to the post I made below. Not *Taken
with Humility, George...***Dispensed*** with self-knowledge and Humility.
Big difference.
> And, after all that, humility isn't enough.
>
> There's danger everywhere.
>
Well, no one can be perfect...but where're you going with this?
> Even in being safe.
>
depends...in one context...that safety we find in sameness and the refusal
to look at the possibility of the need to change ourselves...you bet I
agree with you!
> George Perry... compost-attendant
>
> p.s... I'm so confident that I've missed P's point, that I quote her post
> in full
I'm sorry you missed it...I'll surely try again soon...but if the above
was a serious attempt at sarcasm, life, and this discussion, would be much
easier if we could just talk to each other...about advocacy...when it's
right to pay for it, when it's not; when it works, when it doesn't...yada
yada yada...
How about it? PatM
> On Mon, 19 Jan 1998, P. Myers wrote:
>
> > Date: Mon, 19 Jan 1998 07:59:25 -0800 (PST)
> > From: "P. Myers" <mpwr@u.washington.edu>
> > To: hpn@aspin.asu.edu
> > Subject: More on advocacy and voluntarism:
> >
> >
> >
> > In a previous post, I was trying to say that voluntarism can
> > be as subversive to the well-being of the poor, homeless and marginalized,
> > through mindsets that buy into victim-blaming and labelling, and use the
> > perceived power structure (vertical) as proof of their betterness, as
> > could the receipt of money for doing empty "advocacy."
> >
> > Volunteering is not prima facie a good thing...the person doing the
> > advocacy *has to have a notion of what they are up to...what needs and
> > lacunae *they bring to the situation, or they're likely to demand behavior
> > from the people they want to help, behavior that validates the volunteers'
> > need to be perceived as good: lady or lord bountiful, etc.
> >
> > Also dangerous is the possibility that, by doing an hour or two a week at
> > something, the volunteer absolves her/himself from the *really hard work
> > of self-reflection/reflexivity: looking at one's behavior and needs, and
> > getting to work on understanding how those actions and mindsets result in
> > the denigration of those whom one believes one wants to help. To
> > substitute an hour of voluntarism for self reflection doesn't do the self
> > change that might re in even greater benefit for those s/he is saying s/he
> > wants to help, and *may allow one to justify having "given at the agency"
> > (instead of "I gave at the office")...with holding funds/donation that
> > might better be used *by homeless and poor and disenfranchised, and more
> > in the best interest of the poorest of the poor.
> >
> > (And I lied...I think a discussion of this is worth 'way more than $.02!)
> >
> > PatM
> >
> > ************************************
> > "Find out just what any people will quietly submit to
> > and you have found out the exact measure of
> > injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them...
> > Frederick Douglass
> >
> >
>
>
************************************
"Find out just what any people will quietly submit to
and you have found out the exact measure of
injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them...
Frederick Douglass