With everything going on around the world right now it can
be easy to lose touch with our humanity. If our world leaders are failing to
bring peace to our world or take the climate emergency seriously it can be easy
to become cynical. We all know that if we spent the trillions on addressing
climate change, cost of living crisis, homelessness and poverty instead of on
endless wars then we would give hope to our civilisation? But we can do more
than hope. We, the people, can demand. Ah yes – but you vote for us they tell
you. But I don’t think we ever voted to go to war? I don’t think we voted to
not take meaningful action on climate. But we do. We elect the same people and
vote for the same parties. Not all of us – I give you that but enough of us. It
is 90 seconds to midnight and so many on our planet do not even know what that
means. It is worth visiting and having a read on this site Doomsday Clock - Bulletin of the
Atomic Scientists (thebulletin.org)
So what can we do to stay in touch with our humanity? It has
to start with you.
We can be kind to ourselves. Do the things that help our own
mental health and others. If you are reading this, I hope that deep down you can
feel that kindness within yourself for you. Leading volunteers, whatever your
title is, plays a significant role in bettering our society in multifaceted
ways. I value you for that. I feel value for you if the costs of living crisis
are impacting you and volunteers.
Change starts with you and volunteers will change this
world. They already have. Don’t think that we can’t sort our problems. We can.
But it may not be with the leaders of yesterday and today. It will take a new
kind of authentic, mindful and compassionate leadership.
And yes – there can be anger. For we are human. I know my
privilege by writing this while sitting on stolen land. And I know that many
people can’t volunteer because of costs, having to work so many hours just to
make ends meet or can’t because they don’t even have the freedom to do so.
When I’ve worked with volunteer youth advisory groups I keep
asking where the young unemployed guy is. Where’s the girl who didn’t get to go
to college or any higher education after school? Where’s the young person that
left school early or the young homeless person?
If we say there is something for everyone in volunteering –
do we really mean it?
