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Good morning, all:<br><br>
Thank you so much, Toke, for your amazing summary of learnings in Pro
Bono Work. The same learnings have also been mine during more than
forty-five years of offering "Robin-Hood prices".
<br><br>
The negative outcomes of becoming enamored with a great "cause"
is a very real challenge and one that affects all of us that work as or
with volunteers. It is so-o-o easy to get hooked into a prolonged
and castrating paternalism when we feel like using phrases like "I
will be here for you as long as you need me.", or "Call me
anytime.", or "How else can I help you?".<br><br>
One issue that in my opinion is of major importance is the motivation of
the "volunteer". Through the Pro Bono work is (s)he
fulfilling a personal desire for transcendence or, as in too many cases,
a neurotic need for feeling important, loved or superior? Here in
the Two-Thirds World we constantly receive offers from both types of
"volunteers". <br><br>
The other issue of great importance, in my opinion, is
sustainability. My personal caveat is that if I am not in
some way contributing to sustainable (continuable without me)
capacity-building in a community, I am probably doing more harm than
good. I have seen too many well-intentioned OS facilitators step
into a crisis situation and do an amazing job of textbook space-opening,
only to end up creating expectations with no strategies or means of
fulfilling them. <br><br>
I had the pleasure of meeting (and learning from) many of you both at
OSONOS and online and would like to invite you to visit the website
of the Global Facilitators Service Corps (GFSC)
<<a href="http://globalfacilitators.org/" eudora="autourl">http://globalfacilitators.org</a>>.
GFSC <font size=2>is a not-for-profit, worldwide organization linking
professional volunteer facilitators with service opportunities in their
local communities. We are dedicated to helping groups and institutions
address societal needs, helping people learn how to resolve conflicts,
solve problems and work collaboratively to strengthen and support their
own communities.</font> <font size=2>By linking people, processes
and resources worldwide, GFSC unleashes the collaborative potential of
communities to create solutions to their challenges.
<br><br>
Our Guiding Principles address this subject and may be of use to
you. And we would love to have you as GFSC Field Volunteers and/or
mentors and SMEs in OS.<br><br>
</font>Warm regards,<br><br>
Gil<br><br>
<br>
At 01:00 a.m. 16/08/2004, you wrote:<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">----------------------------------------------------------------------<br><br>
Date: Sun, 15 Aug 2004 11:48:38 +0200<br>
From: toke <toke@interchange.dk><br>
Subject: Re: Pro bono work<br>
I have done pro bono work for a long time - here are a few
learnings<br>
that I can offer, many are similar to what others have already
shared....</blockquote>
<x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
<br>
<div align="center"> ********************* <br>
<img src="cid:.0" width=105 height=105 alt="Resize of Resize of Resize of Amauta.jpg"><br>
<b>Dr. Gilbert Brenson-Lazán<br>
Presidente Ejecutivo - Amauta International, LLC<br>
E-Mail: <<a href="mailto:gbl@amauta.org">gbl@amauta.org</a>><br>
Website: <<a href="http://amauta.org/">http://amauta.org</a>><br>
*************************************<br><br>
</b></div>
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