The Sensitization Challenge

One keeps on questioning one's motives...

For example, does it really make much of a difference writing about "poverty", "invisible India", "income divide" etc., in a forum that consists of a few handful million people in country of 1bn - who have access to the internet, and who read/write blogs...

To be more specific, does it change anything really?

I stumbled upon this interesting observation/ taxonomy - about Educating the Educated - from someone, who is "really" involved in these issues.

Here are the excerpts from the The Sensitization Challenge:

...."Voluntarism can also be termed as a study of attitudes. While there is much ado about the need of volunteering people's time and efforts towards social causes and societal development, we have in the past seen the percentage of responsiveness, indicating scope for change.

"25% aren?t even interested to know anything beyond their nose. For example - any person untouched by happenings beside him/her!

Out of the balance 75%,

- 40% are information seekers to wet their souls. They are overwhelmed listening to social issues and talk a lot about them, nothing beyond. For example, retired persons, especially from the Government, housewives and some academicians!

- another 30% would like to involve in " known" organizations, have elements of doubt and limitations of thought beyond "feeding" or helping ORPHANS! They eulogize the Sacrificers of Lives (demigods who run "charitable" organizations), visit these places and are satisfied with the beaming smiles from the "beneficiaries" and go back, hearts full. For example, individual donors.

- 20% progress to give time due to internally driven or externally driven motives, and study projects and their progress and support organizations and causes that fall in line with their thoughts. For example, funding organizations, Lions, Rotarians and their likes).

- 5 to 8 % are more keen, they start organizations themselves - a group of them, for instance, to promote and advocate a cause. They involve greater time, but in isolation work independently to cause pockets of change, with replicable programs and very little interfacing with Governmental or other Service Providing Agencies. For example youth groups, bank employees, corporate staff groups)

- Less than 2% feel the need for interdependency and networking. They understand the dynamics of social change and the possibility to work in tandem with existing systems. They are motivated when they hear about problems, and work within their area of control and influence to bring about model systems of interdependency in their community, tapping local resources, and utilizing it to develop their community with an idea of sustaining the growth, without "patronizing" and increasing the dependency factor. For example local leaders, Facilitating Organizations and individuals).

Yes, I can figure out that I belong to the "40% of the 75%"...

What about you!!??