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If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am not for others, what am I? And if not now, when?—Rabbi Hillel
I’m just one person, I can’t possibly make a difference in the world. Big companies only care about profits, not about giving back. There are too many problems, we can’t tackle them all. Right? Um…actually, no. Everyone can play a part, and in this month’s issue we look at different ways to bring about change regardless of who you are and where you are from.
First up, Making a Difference chronicles the life of a volunteer who has stared into the face of darkness—war, famine, poverty—but stood his ground and found joy in helping others. The growth he underwent through this process transformed him into a completely different person.
But it’s not only individuals who are pitching in. In Google’s Guru of Giving, one of the world’s biggest companies sheds light on its efforts to spread the love. As a highly profitable corporation, Google acknowledges their social responsibility to pursue philanthropy and combat the planet’s most imminent problems. And Google is not alone in adopting a for-profit/non-profit business structure. In fact, in this new age, combining profit and charity seems to be the way to go. The changes of philanthropy, the new philanthropist and what the future holds are explored further in Wealth and Philanthropy: The Birth of Philanthrocapitalism.
While it’s okay for some, for others, giving up cash is just not possible; let’s face it, we are not all Bill Gates. But that shouldn’t hold us back from contributing our time. Volunteering to help the homeless or the elderly or simply donating goods; the possibilities for giving back are endless, but different for everyone. Deciding what is right for you is discussed in Your Money or Your Time?
Sadly, we are often so quick to say “no”, to think of reasons not to do something, or to think of an excuse. The truth is, when it comes to charity, there are no excuses. People are starving, diseases are spreading, children are dying. Whether it’s giving money or giving time, everyone can help. So, what are you going to do? No more excuses. The time is now.
我只是一个个体,这世界不可能因我有什么改变。大公司只关心利润,而不注重回报社会。世界上有太多难题,我们并不能一一解决。是这样吗? 嗯……其实,并非如此。每个人都能发挥部分作用。在这个月的“主题故事”里,我们一起来看看改变世界的不同方式,不论你是谁,也不论你来自哪里。
首先,《生命因“志愿”而精彩》一文讲述了一位志愿者的生活:从事志愿工作让他目睹了世界黑暗的一面——战争、饥荒、贫穷——但他坚守自己的立场,并从帮助他人的行为中找到了快乐。在这个过程中,他成长了,他的精神面貌焕然一新。
然而,努力投入慈善事业的不仅仅是个人。在《谷歌:企业参与慈善的先锋》一文中,谷歌,这家世界上最大的公司之一,清楚地展示了其在传播爱心方面做出的努力。作为一家盈利非常可观的公司,谷歌通过从事慈善事业和致力于解决地球上最紧迫的问题来履行其社会责任。而在组织架构上,采用一种盈利性/非盈利性混合模式的并非只有谷歌一家公司。事实上,在这个新时代,把盈利和慈善相结合似乎才是大势所趋。慈善事业的变化,新一代慈善家以及慈善事业的未来在《财富与慈善:慈善资本主义的诞生》一文里得到了进一步的探究。
对一些人而言,拿出现金来做善事是可行的,但对有些人来说则是不可能的。让我们正视这一 点——并非所有人都是比尔·盖茨。但是这个不应妨碍我们贡献自己的时间。做志愿者为无家可归者或老人提供帮助,或者只是捐献出一些物品;获得的回报其潜在价值是无穷的,不过这种价值因人而异。《做善事:付出金钱还是时间?》一文就探讨了如何选择适合自己的行善方式。
令人难过的是,我们常常不假思索就说“不”,为了不做某事而想出各种理由或是找借口。事实是,提到做慈善,我们责无旁贷。有人在挨饿,疾病在蔓延,孩子们正在垂死边缘挣扎。无论是付出金钱还是时间,人人都可以伸出援手。那你又打算怎样做呢?不要再诸多借口了,现在就行动吧!
I’m just one person, I can’t possibly make a difference in the world. Big companies only care about profits, not about giving back. There are too many problems, we can’t tackle them all. Right? Um…actually, no. Everyone can play a part, and in this month’s issue we look at different ways to bring about change regardless of who you are and where you are from.
First up, Making a Difference chronicles the life of a volunteer who has stared into the face of darkness—war, famine, poverty—but stood his ground and found joy in helping others. The growth he underwent through this process transformed him into a completely different person.
But it’s not only individuals who are pitching in. In Google’s Guru of Giving, one of the world’s biggest companies sheds light on its efforts to spread the love. As a highly profitable corporation, Google acknowledges their social responsibility to pursue philanthropy and combat the planet’s most imminent problems. And Google is not alone in adopting a for-profit/non-profit business structure. In fact, in this new age, combining profit and charity seems to be the way to go. The changes of philanthropy, the new philanthropist and what the future holds are explored further in Wealth and Philanthropy: The Birth of Philanthrocapitalism.
While it’s okay for some, for others, giving up cash is just not possible; let’s face it, we are not all Bill Gates. But that shouldn’t hold us back from contributing our time. Volunteering to help the homeless or the elderly or simply donating goods; the possibilities for giving back are endless, but different for everyone. Deciding what is right for you is discussed in Your Money or Your Time?
Sadly, we are often so quick to say “no”, to think of reasons not to do something, or to think of an excuse. The truth is, when it comes to charity, there are no excuses. People are starving, diseases are spreading, children are dying. Whether it’s giving money or giving time, everyone can help. So, what are you going to do? No more excuses. The time is now.
我只是一个个体,这世界不可能因我有什么改变。大公司只关心利润,而不注重回报社会。世界上有太多难题,我们并不能一一解决。是这样吗? 嗯……其实,并非如此。每个人都能发挥部分作用。在这个月的“主题故事”里,我们一起来看看改变世界的不同方式,不论你是谁,也不论你来自哪里。
首先,《生命因“志愿”而精彩》一文讲述了一位志愿者的生活:从事志愿工作让他目睹了世界黑暗的一面——战争、饥荒、贫穷——但他坚守自己的立场,并从帮助他人的行为中找到了快乐。在这个过程中,他成长了,他的精神面貌焕然一新。
然而,努力投入慈善事业的不仅仅是个人。在《谷歌:企业参与慈善的先锋》一文中,谷歌,这家世界上最大的公司之一,清楚地展示了其在传播爱心方面做出的努力。作为一家盈利非常可观的公司,谷歌通过从事慈善事业和致力于解决地球上最紧迫的问题来履行其社会责任。而在组织架构上,采用一种盈利性/非盈利性混合模式的并非只有谷歌一家公司。事实上,在这个新时代,把盈利和慈善相结合似乎才是大势所趋。慈善事业的变化,新一代慈善家以及慈善事业的未来在《财富与慈善:慈善资本主义的诞生》一文里得到了进一步的探究。
对一些人而言,拿出现金来做善事是可行的,但对有些人来说则是不可能的。让我们正视这一 点——并非所有人都是比尔·盖茨。但是这个不应妨碍我们贡献自己的时间。做志愿者为无家可归者或老人提供帮助,或者只是捐献出一些物品;获得的回报其潜在价值是无穷的,不过这种价值因人而异。《做善事:付出金钱还是时间?》一文就探讨了如何选择适合自己的行善方式。
令人难过的是,我们常常不假思索就说“不”,为了不做某事而想出各种理由或是找借口。事实是,提到做慈善,我们责无旁贷。有人在挨饿,疾病在蔓延,孩子们正在垂死边缘挣扎。无论是付出金钱还是时间,人人都可以伸出援手。那你又打算怎样做呢?不要再诸多借口了,现在就行动吧!