Robin Hood Was Right!

In the late 1970’s  I read “Robin Hood Was Right” (A Guide to Giving Your Money for Social Change) by the Vanguard Public Foundation.   Former Presidents Carter and Clinton, along with Bill Gates and others of wealth, believing Robin Hood WAS right, have set up foundations which not only seek to remedy health and poverty issues,  but  to also foster social change.  Without social change, the health and poverty issues will continue ad infinitum.

President Carter recently wrote “A Call to Action,” (Women, Religion, Violence and Power) addressing the need for social change around the world.  Addressing the health and poverty needs of the world is an immense task.  Attempting social change in the midst of that work is an even greater task.  (These issues, health and poverty needs, along with social change are not limited to poverty-stricken areas of the world, they apply to every nation, including our own).

Yesterday I wrote about the philosophy of  sufficiency (having enough) as opposed to the philosophy of “more and more.”  “Enough” means not only that we have sufficiency for ourselves but also enough to be given to one’s brothers and sisters.  Many people are willing to do this, but how?  Many feel guilty, having more than enough, but not knowing how or where to give (in a way that will make a real difference). And there are many who are not willing to give a single penny.  This is the way it is!

The Banyan Tree suggests how our world must
come together.

So the first necessity is to develop the WILLINGNESS to share.  The second necessity is to  form an international coalition to carry out the mission  (if we can form one for war, we can form one for a better purpose). Abraham Lincoln’s definition of government was that governments should do for the people what the people cannot do for themselves.   We do not not how or where to give out of our sufficiency.  We do not know how to bring about social change.  We do not know how to lift up our neighbor here, there, and everywhere.  Private Foundations can’t do it alone—only a coalition of governments, dedicated to this purpose can begin to tackle the problems.

Our day requires a new direction in life-style—a move toward simplification.  Our day requires a new philosophy—the philosophy of sufficiency.  There is a “cry” (Kazantzakis) or “call” to meet the needs of brothers and sisters everywhere in all areas of living (social change, health, poverty, women, violence, an endless list).  An international coalition might help—or not, since governments are part of the problem too.

[October 17, 2015]