STOP. THINK. FIND THE ROOT.

There are thousands of non-profit organizations in this big, silly, beautiful world.

This means that there are thousands of people vying for human power for their particular cause.

A certain social issue, such as AIDS awareness and action, could be the catalyst to your passion with non-profit work. Maybe you were affected personally by knowing someone with AIDS, you might be battling the disease yourself, or maybe you read a touching account of a person struggling with HIV; whatever the reason may be, you are willing to go head-on into the issue and do your part in solving it.

Before you go all crazy with tweeting, volunteering, and telling all of your friends about the social problem...STOP.

THINK.

EVALUATE.

What is the root of this problem? 

To continue with the AIDS example, what could we say is the root of this issue?

My mind immediately zooms to poverty.

Well then, okay. We're making progress, but what's the root cause(s) of poverty?

Hmmm. We could say that it is lack of resources (education, land, support), corruption, hatred, the list could fall into oblivion and keep going.

So, when we get down the root cause of any social issue, the answer is usually pretty simple.

It's people. It's humans. It's US.

We're the cause & we're the solution.

So, how do we address THAT problem?

The Problem With Charity

It's the holiday season, and you are being bombarded by all sorts of people to give, give, and give some more.
"These children need toys!" They say, "They need shoes! Feed the homeless!"
The list goes on and on.

As a responsible citizen, you might feel like it is your civic duty to buy a child a Christmas present, but stop and think about how that present is going to change the child's life.

Is it going to put a recurring amount of food on their table?
Is it going to consistently motivate their parents to find more stable, higher-paying jobs?
Is it going to teach the child about education?

More than likely, your answer will be no.

It isn't that we should stop giving charitably; it's just that we should know the effects of doing so. It's almost like taking drugs because the effects on the receivers are short-term. 

Upward mobility in America is about self-sufficiency.

By always giving and never educating, how are these recipients going to rise above their current issues and take control of their lives?

We are crippling them.

How can we change the system of charitable giving?

We can attach lessons with giveaways. We can bring speakers to events where charitable donations are being given. We can require courses for families that need charitable donations.

The focus is education, and it is often forgotten in society.

Trust in people. Teach them how to fend for themselves, and they will.

The problem with charity is that it's easy. Giving a $10 present from Target to a child in need gives people warm fuzzies inside, and that's it.

Creating long-lasting effects is difficult, and the people in society that can make change say they don't have the time.

Are we too lazy and too self-absorbed to commit to change like this?

Yuck. There's Lettuce. Let's Sit Somewhere Else.

Yes, those fingers are pointing at lettuce.

I was at Cafe Rio the other day, and I consciously avoided sitting at a table because there was a small piece of lettuce there. I sat near the table and watched as several other people avoided it too. I noticed how not one person, myself included, was willing to just clean it off and sit down. 

Then, I started to think about all of the things in this world that humans avoid which made me think about how humans treat other humans. 

Take bullying for example. When I was in elementary school, I remember seeing a couple of children being teased by classmates. I remember being so grateful that I wasn't the one getting picked on.

Why didn't I do anything about it? Sure, I was young, but I had an obligation to help those kids, and I stood on the playground, indifferently.

This sort of apathy has been going on forever, in small and large scales.

As a college student and a budding social entrepreneur, I learn about all sorts of social problems every day. I hear about awareness projects. I read about and see all of the suffering. I realize that this world is in a big, stupid mess.

I also know that other people know this too, but a large majority aren't doing anything about it. They're walking to the table with the lettuce on it, acknowledging it, and walking away to find a different table. 

They feel like it is not their job to fix the problem in front of them. They tell themselves that it is the employee's problem. 

What would make them take a napkin, clean it off of the table, and sit down?

As a society, we need to be proactive.

What motivates you to be a proactive citizen?