Archbishop Desmond Tutu, an Honorary Board member of Global Dignity, defines dignity as the perception of worth in another.
I’ve been looking at the world through a dignity lens: At an interracial same-sex wedding this weekend, I witnessed the grooms’ and guests’ pride that their state finally perceived them as worthy of marriage. Later, I heard a question of dignity as a retired teacher perceives the value of spending her time and searching for meaningful ways to contribute outside the workplace. Team Tassy, a social enterprise operating in Haiti, references the dignity their families express on their first day of work. One of their clients said to his family, "We eat today. Your father worked."
Every year on October 15th, volunteers in 68 countries recognize Global Dignity Day by going into schools (this year reaching 400,000 students) to “instill a new, positive, inclusive, and interconnected sense of value in young people that will guide them as they grow."
Coinciding with the Philanthropy +SocialGood Summit, what does it look like for Millennials to infuse dignity principals into philanthropy? What values will drive this generation’s decisions for changing the face of philanthropy?
Global Dignity’s principals are:
- 1. Every human being has a right to lead a dignified life.
- 2. A dignified life means an opportunity to fulfill one’s potential, which is based on having a human level of health care, education, income and security.
- 3. Dignity means having the freedom to make decisions on one’s life and to be met with respect for this right.
- 4. Dignity should be the basic guiding principle for all actions.
- 5. Ultimately, our own dignity is interdependent with the dignity of others.
Who decides what most fosters dignity for different people? Is it philanthropists, the people philanthropists are serving, or our collective everyday interactions? Who am I to decide whether donating to Reggie, the homeless man outside the CVS on P Street, contributes to restoring his basic human care based on his requests for deodorant or hummus? Do my dollars, or my listening, add to his dignity?
Whether the dignity of being chosen for the kickball team, having your first pay check, or being able to contribute meaningfully at all stages of life, dignity is at once universal and relative.
Two approaches you can take to incorporate dignity in philanthropy:
Track your #dignity actions here.
Amy Lazarus is Executive Director of the Sustained Dialogue Institute, Founder and CEO of InclusionVentures, and a Global Shaper with the World Economic Forum, and tweets @JustHumanity.
Historical photo by Jacob Riis.
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The Currency of Dignity
October 15, 2014
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, an Honorary Board member of Global Dignity, defines dignity as the perception of worth in another.
I’ve been looking at the world through a dignity lens: At an interracial same-sex wedding this weekend, I witnessed the grooms’ and guests’ pride that their state finally perceived them as worthy of marriage. Later, I heard a question of dignity as a retired teacher perceives the value of spending her time and searching for meaningful ways to contribute outside the workplace. Team Tassy, a social enterprise operating in Haiti, references the dignity their families express on their first day of work. One of their clients said to his family, "We eat today. Your father worked."
Every year on October 15th, volunteers in 68 countries recognize Global Dignity Day by going into schools (this year reaching 400,000 students) to “instill a new, positive, inclusive, and interconnected sense of value in young people that will guide them as they grow."
Coinciding with the Philanthropy +SocialGood Summit, what does it look like for Millennials to infuse dignity principals into philanthropy? What values will drive this generation’s decisions for changing the face of philanthropy?
Global Dignity’s principals are:
- 1. Every human being has a right to lead a dignified life.
- 2. A dignified life means an opportunity to fulfill one’s potential, which is based on having a human level of health care, education, income and security.
- 3. Dignity means having the freedom to make decisions on one’s life and to be met with respect for this right.
- 4. Dignity should be the basic guiding principle for all actions.
- 5. Ultimately, our own dignity is interdependent with the dignity of others.
Who decides what most fosters dignity for different people? Is it philanthropists, the people philanthropists are serving, or our collective everyday interactions? Who am I to decide whether donating to Reggie, the homeless man outside the CVS on P Street, contributes to restoring his basic human care based on his requests for deodorant or hummus? Do my dollars, or my listening, add to his dignity?
Whether the dignity of being chosen for the kickball team, having your first pay check, or being able to contribute meaningfully at all stages of life, dignity is at once universal and relative.
Two approaches you can take to incorporate dignity in philanthropy:
Track your #dignity actions here.
Amy Lazarus is Executive Director of the Sustained Dialogue Institute, Founder and CEO of InclusionVentures, and a Global Shaper with the World Economic Forum, and tweets @JustHumanity.
Historical photo by Jacob Riis.
