Good Intentions are Simply Not Enough

There are a number of different angles from which civic engagement can be looked at.  What I have personally found most interesting to discuss so far this year involves looking at civic engagement through a service-oriented lens.  I believe that an overwhelming problem our society faces in regards to volunteering, donating, serving, etc., is the lack of research that people are willing to put into the time/money they are so “graciously” donating to certain causes.  The article To Hell With Good Intentions, though provocative, brings about a number of valid points regarding the serious controversies that surround the concept of service and forces people to face them head on. 

I believe that an inherent problem with the overwhelming majority of society in regards to service is that we tend to rely on our “good intentions” alone when walking into a service project or signing a check off to a cause in a third world country, and walk away feeling assured that we have made a positive impact.  Not enough people are willing to research or listen to what issues are prevalent at that time in a particular society from the people that actually live in the society, or even if they want to be helped at all.  More often than not, outsiders walk onto a service site with their own preconceived notions about exactly what the population that they are helping needs, as opposed to working with that group of people to find out what would actually be the most valuable for them.  Who are we, acting as a group of ignorant strangers, to walk in to a society and define their biggest problems and decide the best way to fix them?   It is essential to understand that we do not have to advertise and flaunt our own “superiority” and predetermined role of making a definable difference in peoples’ lives.  We too often need some type of affirmation that we are in fact making that “difference” that is so heavily emphasized in service work.  I believe that it can be a bigger testament to how committed you are to serving others when you are willing to admit that you were merely a set of hands in a process, or accept that a certain population may truly not want your help.   

Though I believe the article spoke in too severe a tone and that service is certainly an important aspect of our society, I also believe that it is important for us to step back and be willing to address our own inability and helplessness in certain situations.  I believe that more service learning efforts should be put into play, putting a greater emphasis on the exchange that can occur between cultures and the solidarity that can be fostered to create lasting, meaningful relationships.  We should make greater efforts to work with as opposed to exert power over the people we are attempting to aid.  Let go of your own pride, build relationships, and work to bridge instead of widen gaps between communities.   Good intentions are necessary to perform service; however, good intentions alone are simply not enough. 

Here is a TED Talk  reviewing more of I have talked about –

http://www.ted.com/talks/ernesto_sirolli_want_to_help_someone_shut_up_and_listen