I'm currently reading (and not for the first time) a great book called ‘Toxic Charity’ by Robert D. Lupton. If you are in any way involved in charity work, missions/ministry or serving others, or are serious about how your giving is spent, this is a highly recommended read.
The author feels that charities and churches should operate much like doctors, who take the Hippocratic Oath. Lupton offers an interesting suggestion for those in compassionate service:
"Drawn from the collective wisdom and experience of veteran servants who have spent good portions of their lives among the less fortunate, these principals provide a starting point for service. Just as the Hippocratic Oath provoked vigorous and sometimes heated debate among physicians and has required repeated modification to remain contemporary, this Oath for Compassionate Service will likely stimulate healthy discussion and adaptation for particular settings.”
· Never do for the poor what they have (or could have) the capacity to do for themselves
· Limit one way giving to emergency situations (chronic need and crisis should be responded to differently)
· Strive to empower the poor through employment, lending, and investing, using grants sparingly to reinforce achievements
· Subordinate self-interests to the needs of those being served
· Listen closely to those you seek to help
· Above all, do no harm
The heart of what Lupton is saying really resonates with us as a team and is something we fully believe in.
We continually examine how Beyond Ourselves operates here in Zambia, checking that we are not being ‘toxic’ in the way we partner. When we were forming the Strategic Plan for 2016 we deliberately spent time viewing all projects and practices we’re involved in through the filter of “Is this empowering?”.
As we’ve always said, Beyond Ourselves is no hand-out, no quick fix. It’s about journeying with these churches and schools to see them empowered and their communities transformed.
By no means do we think we’ve got everything right but we know that to see true community transformation, that brings sustainable and long lasting change, we need to listen to the wisdom of Lupton and live and work by the oath for compassionate service.
And above all, do no harm.
The Oath for Compassionate Service
· Never do for the poor what they have (or could have) the capacity to do for themselves
· Limit one way giving to emergency situations (chronic need and crisis should be responded to differently)
· Strive to empower the poor through employment, lending, and investing, using grants sparingly to reinforce achievements
· Subordinate self-interests to the needs of those being served
· Listen closely to those you seek to help
· Above all, do no harm
The heart of what Lupton is saying really resonates with us as a team and is something we fully believe in.
We continually examine how Beyond Ourselves operates here in Zambia, checking that we are not being ‘toxic’ in the way we partner. When we were forming the Strategic Plan for 2016 we deliberately spent time viewing all projects and practices we’re involved in through the filter of “Is this empowering?”.
As we’ve always said, Beyond Ourselves is no hand-out, no quick fix. It’s about journeying with these churches and schools to see them empowered and their communities transformed.
By no means do we think we’ve got everything right but we know that to see true community transformation, that brings sustainable and long lasting change, we need to listen to the wisdom of Lupton and live and work by the oath for compassionate service.
And above all, do no harm.
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