Volunteerism is more than a pastime. People involved in service for the benefit of others usually have a commitment to something bigger than themselves; something that requires stamina & strategy. Of note, people committed to helping others for meager or no compensation are sometimes viewed as impractical idealists, or worse, misrepresented as self seekers. Further, it is often challenging to engage the general public to take volunteerism & social activism seriously; serious enough to recognize that the issues that community development practitioners contend with, are for the most part, the central issues that lie at the root of many of our social & economic ills. In the face of these ills, effective social activists are not always the best administrators, but their ability to effect social change is next to none. They are often keen on substance & less on form, with an undying belief that people matter more than paper, especially the least among us. Yet I submit that it is still more than that. There is an ideal, not fully appreciated, but worth fighting to preserve – we call it Democracy. It is fraught with challenges, but provides the platform for us to improve it.
Democracy is not merely an exercise of franchise at the polls. It doesn't end there. Democracy is not only freedom to speak & protest or to assemble. It is all that & more. Democracy is not just an act, but an attitude. It is a healthy habit of inclusion & participation in the collective destiny of societies & nations. It must manifest in social institutions & arrangements that enable the opulent & humble alike to actively pursue mutually benefiting goals in furtherance of the common good, where all parties can engage & be engaged in self interest while considering the impact of one’s interest on the other, whether the other be a person, an idea or the physical environment. Democracy necessitates an attitude of awareness of one’s ability to shape one’s times & circumstances, rather than an attitude of one merely been shaped by times & circumstances. It implies that anyone can make a difference. In spite of the social and economic ills that beset a people, democracy implies that people's voices and actions matter. Yet, so many of us, do not believe that we matter, understandably, owing to real manifestations of injustice, disenfranchisement and abuse of human rights. But, without a good sense of what the ideal of democracy envisages, one would not fully appreciate the power of civic action, nongovernmental organizations, & yes, ultimately, the power of the vote.
While there are genuine points of debate on aspects of US history both domestic & foreign, their democratic systems both in principle & in practice remain, deservedly so, the envy of the modern world. To be called ‘leader of the free world’ is not only a corollary of military might & economic power, but confirmation of the strength of democratic institutions including the federal system of government (partially self-governing states, separation of powers etc) & vibrant non government institutions with a citizenry convinced that they have the power to shape their society. It is in the latter that we see social institutions, private voluntary organizations, faith based groups & businesses alike, actively engaging in social, economic and political processes that assures a strong & vibrant civil society. It is also this that drives the dream of the underdog to be audacious enough to do simple things that can have profound consequences.
Hence, while I consider my own role in pursuing networks & partnerships to advance Social Capital formation during my time at the Stella Maris Foundation in Grants Pen and moving forward, I am challenging myself, colleagues & fellow practitioners to re-commit to the core values & deeper implications of democracy & the value of civic action. I am encouraging the wider society & the many stakeholders to examine our attitudes toward social activism & revisit the ideal of democracy & its benefits. Trail blazers in the private sector like the Digicel Foundation, Jamaica National Building Society Foundation, ProCommunications Ltd., among others; International agencies & diplomatic partners like USAID & the US Embassy; NGOs like Stella Maris Foundation, Hear the Children Cry & Children First, among others; Volunteers like Laurell Demercado & Christine Parkinson among others & community activists like Rose-Marie Francis & Etmour Williams are in pursuit of this ideal. There are many more unsung heroes, but much more than heroism is needed. Without an intimate embrace of this ideal called democracy, the practice of partnership and mutual cooperation will not be fully realized. I am also challenging us to understand that the power of citizenship is fully manifest in active, informed participation by ballot & through community involvement. In pursuit of democracy, we will not have it given to us on a platter, we must reach for it and work to preserve it.
In The Handbook, ‘Democracy is a Discussion, Civic Engagement in Old and New Democracies’, William M. Sullivan (Democratic Imperatives: Trust, Goodwill, Idealism) puts it beautifully; ‘… the civic virtues of trust, goodwill and idealism are essential sources of social and political power. In today’s increasingly interdependent world, the resilience & strength of both individuals & societies depend upon their ability to cooperate for a common purpose. Without the civic virtues of trust, goodwill among citizens, & a strong dedication to the ideals of democracy, individuals & societies lose the capacity to attain their goals…. From social conflict to … environmental degradation … all parties would be better off if they could cooperate, but … lack of mutual trust & goodwill makes common action impossible…. The consequence of this lack of goodwill is that everybody suffers victims of a self-imposed inability to act together for a common good.’
