Service from the heart, not from the pocket

Amelia Linsky
April 16, 2009
Filed under Editorials

Awareness, compassion, and action are necessary for us all to be good citizens of the USA and of the world.

Here at ‘Iolani, we are supposed to be developing into “liberally educated, well-rounded individuals who are well prepared for higher education and for responsible, moral citizenship,” according to the unfailingly useful School Philosophy. Moreover, we are supposed to learn to balance a “commitment to personal growth with concern for others” and exercise “active, informed, productive citizenship in the local, national and global communities.”

That’s a tall order, like an extra inch of foam on the highly caffeinated coffee blend of late nights of academic labor, sports, and extra-curriculars. Perhaps there’s no room for more—or perhaps we need to adapt our traditional focus on academic and athletic excellence so that we may better realize the ideals of this modern age. Human-environment interaction, international cooperation, and community service are just beginning to develop into their fullest potentials; with the advent of technology, we are much more informed and have much more power to effect change. The Internet has made news and communication immediate and universal.

The problem is, we students have a tendency to fulfill our personal senses of obligation (or guilt) by joining Facebook groups of doubtful efficacy or by shelling out one-dollar bills for baked goods, as at the annual eighth-grade bake sale that benefited the Hawaii Children’s Cancer Foundation.

“Oh, a bake sale! Let’s buy some goodies!” many students say, caring little for the higher purpose of those delightful munchies. Or, “That’s a cool shirt. I’ll buy one,” carelessly removing the informational packet detailing the plight of victims of Janjaweed militants in Darfur.

Money is very useful, and compassion alone won’t buy food for refugees. However, by focusing on fundraising activities such as the bake sale, T-shirt sales, and toiletry drives, our ‘Iolani community has overemphasized money. Many of us suffer from the illusion that money by itself is all we need to give to discharge our responsibility to our fellow humans—and, let’s face it, with great privilege (and $15,600 tuition) comes great responsibility.

Fundraising is not enough to fulfill ‘Iolani’s goal of producing compassionate citizens of the world. Other schools have service requirements and dedicated service learning programs. Punahou boasts a three-person staff at its Luke Center for Public Service, which coordinates “schoolwide service initiatives,” in addition to its service requirement for graduation. Perhaps ‘Iolani does not need to improve its own structure; after all, many dedicated students volunteer in clubs such as Key Club, Leo Club, Interact Club, I-Club, Red Cross, Good 2B Green, and Project Hope, to name a few. However, there is no official school-wide initiative to examine and coordinate community outreach. The Young Leaders club, a groundbreaking alliance of ‘Iolani and Punahou students, folded a few years ago due to lack of adult chaperones for the immense number of students—more than 275—who were attracted to the frequent, accessible volunteer opportunities. A specific, dedicated program would have averted that problem.

Meanwhile, I am experiencing the nagging, awkward feeling of burnout. So many wonderful causes, so many dedicated people, so many products to buy! It seems that commercialization is necessary to sell even the best causes to today’s generation of students. The slick “Invisible Children” video shown earlier this year exemplifies the new, marketable face of charity. I should not have been surprised that it took such a professional presentation to make an impression on students.

I’m proud of the compassionate, motivated individuals who organize the fundraisers, and of our generous community for supporting them. However, we should seriously contemplate the disconnect between our donors and the causes they support. Good citizens of the world engage in well-informed charitable giving of both money and time; and although charities will gratefully accept whatever help is given, I wish that each dollar given by our community demonstrated our sincere empathy and our sense of moral obligation.