30th Sept., Day 4

" I will be Mr.Dependable, to those who have nobody to depend on." that is Rahul Dravid on Day 4 of the Joy of Giving Week. This statement embodies the spirit of the week and makes the commitment between the giver and the receiver very clear and categorical, in a sense saying, that this is not a one time relationship, but an ongoing one.

This in essence is what the India Giving Challenge is aiming at, by bringing together corporates with a desire to help and NGOs that need funds to carryout its activities. The Challenge has raised around 20lakhs so far, no small amount, considering that the economic climate is not particularly rosy. A spirit of healthy competition has been infused into the spirit of giving in the India Giving Challenge with prizes announced for the corporate that donates the most and the NGO that raises the most funds. Besides, the whole system is very transparent and all details are made available on the India Giving pages. http://http://www.giveindia.org/t-india-giving-challenge.aspx

In all this joy of giving, there is also a sobering thought that not all the NGOs are able to raise funds. In fact some have not managed to raise a single rupee. One really needs to introspect as to the reasons for this.

Meanwhile The Economic Times today carries an interesting write-up on Style for Smiles, another event to be held tomorrow as a part of the Joy of Giving Week, besides taking a tongue in cheek look at what the Ad agencies and their clients would gift each other as a part of the week. http://http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Brand-Equity/Give-Take/articleshow/5070423.cms

29th Sept., Day 3

Too many problems and it is rather impossible to get rid of all of them, therefore every individual should change themself, No man is perfect, but if from childhood to adulthood, if everyone could change atleast one thing, the world would be a wonderful place.
Who do you think could have said these words? An adult motivational speaker, a spiritual leader, a teacher...? Wrong, wrong, wrong. These are the words used by children who have registered for the Design For Giving Event for schools. These are children from the small state of Uttarakhand (Greenway Seri Secondary School) and this is what they are attempting to change. Children have learnt what we adults have forgotten, that change has to come from within and if each of us changed, the world would surely be a better place.
Going through the website of Design For Giving http://http://www.joyofgivingweek.org/children is a wonderful experience and gives one a lot of hope that with young minds like these, life in our country can only get better. The problems these young minds are attempting to solve, range from cleanliness of the environment, recycling, controlling pollution, to doing what is also of prime importance to them, discipline in schools and changing the behaviour of the significant adults in their lives.
A government school in Bangalore, has found a solution to keeping their school clean while simultaneously indulging in their love for creating with waste. The students approached the community to donate old newspapers which was willingly done. Armed with paper, the students no longer tore pages from their notebooks and learnt to create with the old newspapers. This is the manner in which solutions are to be found: use the resources of the community within the community. It is fascinating to go through the ideas the children have and one hopes that they get all the support they deserve to ensure that they are able to implement them. One hopes that the spirit of change that has been kindled in the children, continues long after the Joy of Giving Week has come to an end. When we adults, decide to support the young, a positive change can be sustained.

28th Sept., Day 2

The second day of the Joy of Giving Week, and it is also Vijay Dasami.. Good has triumphed over evil, the effigy of Ravan will be burnt, Maa durga will return to her home for another year, the display of dolls (Golu), ends today, the Navratri festival will culminate in Mysore today and the Gagra Cholis and dandias will be packed and put away in Gujarat. But in the tiny state of Himachal Pradesh, Dassera begins in Kulu today. In a sense, there is a continuity of the celebration and so it is with the festival of giving, it does not and should not end with the week.
The second day of the Joy of Giving Week, and NDTV has planned to air a special interview with Nandita Das and Imtiaz Ali, who will be talking to Prannoy Roy tonight. Nandita Das has been a vociferous supporter of the Joy of Giving Week and has committed enough of her time already to the cause. As she says: "The JGW is a small pot, and if filled with every drop that we have, it can make a big difference. ........ the festival belongs to each one of us and yet belongs to no one in particular."
The second day of the Joy of Giving Week and the auction on e-bay, for Sachin's coaching skills, Love Aaj Kal's memorablia is hotting up. The auction for Shadow a CEO, has ended and has raked in over 6lakhs, a good amount considering the bidders were all students. Meanwhile, the Vastra Samman project initiated by Goonj, is proving to be very popular amongst the givers and many have come forward to donate clothes for charity. The autodrivers in Chennai, showed the softer side of their character as they did Annadaanam to over 500 people yesterday, contributing their own money for the cause.
Joyfest, the giving festival for youth has over 85 colleges registered and the power of youth to spread the message of giving throughout the week is immense. If colleges are contributing, can schools be far behind! Over a thousand schools from across the country have registered for the Design for Giving Contest. When the young get together for a good cause, then a transformation takes place and the cause prospers. We are looking forward to this happening with the Joy of Giving Week and hope we learn from them to care more. And we end this post with a sense of anticipation as to what Day 3 of the Joy of Giving Week will bring.

27th Sept., Day 1

Day 1, and we rejoice that over 200 events have been registered from all parts of india, from Jammu to Trichinapalli, and from Imphal to Rajkot. The issues that are covered range from conserving and nurturing the environment, to empowering children and adults by focussing on health, education, livelihood, life skills. The methods used to spread the spirit of giving are ingenious; whether it is the Family India Foundation's weekly task list, where the person signing up receives 7 envelopes for each day of the Joy of Giving Week, each with a task to be completed to spread the joy of giving; or the Literary Angels Book Giveaway, where readers are requested to read a blog and answer a question to be able to receive a book which is to be given to a random reader. Many are the ways in which one can give.
Day 1, and we are overwhelmed that modern India's icon, the 'little master' Sachin, has endorsed the Joy of Giving Week all the way from South Africa. Truly a master giver, when he makes time in his hectic schedule to spread the message of giving and has chosen to contribute his time for the cause both now and later. As he says in an article in The Times of india, " People from all walks of life can give. In our country there are so many less privileged, less fortunate, that any small thing we find useless can be like gold to someone else."
Day1, and we are humbled at the passion with which people have taken the message of giving to heart. From Amravati comes a mail that Dr.Avinash Saoji of PRAYAS, has undertaken a fast for the entire week and has exhorted others to fast as much as they can to promote the concept of 'Charity by Fasting'. Not only this, but the organisation has undertaken to spread the message of giving through various initiatives in the Vidarbha region.
Day 1, and we are sobered that even as we rejoice in the spirit of giving, comes the news that farmers in Andhra pradesh are selling or abandoning their new born daughters. This reminds us that we have a long way to go. The way can be made easier when we walk collectively towards a common goal. Let our goal be to spread joy through giving, both in the present and the future.

The Next 7 Days We Will..

The Joy of Giving Week.

Giving Thanks

In speaking about Human Rights, which was then perceived of as an idea, Eleanor Roosevelt said, "Where after all do human rights begin ? In small places close to home; so close and personal that they cannot be seen on any map of the world." And with just a day to go for the Joy of Giving Week, this is where we could start our giving, with our neighbours, with our family, with ourselves. Why ourselves? Simply because unless we can cherish, value and respect ourselves and what we enjoy, we would find it practically impossible to cherish, value and respect others. Without this feeling of being cared for and caring, it is difficult to give with joy. When one gives out of a sense of compulsion, there is no joy in it. All giving, should begin with a Thank you.
Today, let us resolve to : Give thanks for our mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, our children and friends and neighbours, to the bosses and colleagues, to all the people who care for us and who we care for.
Give thanks for the food we eat thrice a day if not more
Give thanks for our peaceful sleep
Give thanks for our good health
Give thanks for our freedom and our rights: political, civil, economic and cultural
Give thanks to the trees that blossom, the birds that chirp
Give thanks to all those anonymous hands that toil to grow our food, make our roads, run our public utility services,
Give thanks to all those protecting us from intruders, giving up their sleep so we can
We could go on for the list of those we need to thank are many and our memories short.
Above all let us give thanks for living in a country that allows us to rant and rave, and curse and bless, a country at once proud and humble, a country that disperses sorrow and joy in full measure, a country that welcomes and assimilates, a country that allows us to be. We will join hands to make this wonderful country proud by joining wholeheartedly in the Joy of Giving Week. Let us spread the word throughout India. Let us spread joy.

The 7 Day Challenge

The 7 day challenge is amongst those innovative ideas that make the Joy of Giving Week, a mass movement. It is all inclusive and holds within itself, the essence of the movement, as it opens the door and gives opportunities for every single individual to participate, in a manner decided by him/ her. The experiences of those who have decided to spread joy through giving for 7 days, has been all positive; whether it is buying toys for an auto driver's son, cooking a meal and sharing it with a toothless vegetable vendor, making it up with a friend or with family,teaching the needy, making sandwiches. to distribute to the needy.... or the many more ways of helping, some of them ingenious that the participants have shared (http://7days7gifts.ning.com/), is a sure way of spreading the culture of giving.

With just 2 days to go before the week officially begins, one could still start to think of ways in which one could contribute, for the causes are many and resources few. If it is difficult to decide the manner of contribution, well help is always available. All one needs to do is check out www.joyofgivingweek.org.

Lets not wait. Lets just go ahead and make the Joy of Giving Week, a week that is truly a joy to have lived.

A Miracle

We have always said giving is instinctive and it is so both in the human as well as in the animal kingdom. What else can one term it, except a miracle when a predator turns protector, in this National Geographic video.

A female leopard hunts a pregnant female baboon. While the leopard was dragging the baboon, the baboon delivers a baby. What would we normally expect to happen; that the baboon would die of neglect or possibly be eaten up. But a miracle takes place, one of those unexplained things that brings out so beautifully the wonders of nature.


http://lists.elistx.com/archives/blank/200906/wmv3fmz2HFc2N.wmv
The maternal instinct? A joy? The joy of Giving.

Hamara Bharat Mahaan

The title does sound trite, but this cliched phrase describes better than any other the wonderful spirit of giving that has taken root in India, slow, but sure and growing stronger by the day.

What can we say except 'Hamara Bharat Mahaan', when we hear of ragpickers in Delhi, contributing for the upkeep of the Mobile Health Clinic that visits their slums. More details on the joy of Giving Week web page.

It is 'Hamara Bharat Mahaan' as over 1000 schools register in the Design for Giving contest inspite of the fact that September and october are usually devoted to the end of the term exams in most schools across the country.

It is 'Hamara Bharat Mahaan' as people from the slumdweller to the billionaire join forces to indulge in the true spirit of giving and sharing. With just 5 days to go for the Joy of Giving Week to officially begin, the number of registered participants is growing by the day and we are sure there are many more just forging ahead with the Joy of Giving.

Enduring Images, Inspiring words

As we march closer to the Joy of Giving Week, we take a detour for some inspiration, from words and images. As an Indian living in the movie capital Mumbai, how can one not be inspired by movies!
Movies are not just magic, but also teach us life's little lessons in an entertaining way. Some movies that come to mind, that inspire one to give and share:
Iqbal: Naseeruddin Shah's life changes completely when he begins to share his time and skills with Iqbal as does Iqbal's.
Fiddler on the Roof: The most cheerful giving movie ever. Poverty does not stop Topol from sharing and offering help to those less fortunate. Even his rantings against his poverty are made with a goodwill, difficult to aquire.
Shwaas: The poignant story of a grandfather who fights to save his grandson's eyes.
The Bucket List : Two terminally ill patients make a list of all the things they wanted to do and never did and the friendship that is a result of their shared illness.
Children's films like Halo, Makdee, Annie, bring about the spirit of giving and sharing and helping in a cheerful and funfilled way.All these movies invoke a wonderful spirit of nurturing, so very essential in order to give.

And for those who have lost touch with the reasons for giving, some words to remind us:
"What do we live for if not to make the world less difficult for each other." (George Eliot)
"It is better to give when asked, but better to give unasked through understanding."
(Gibran)
"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." (Anne Frank)
To Kill a Mocking Bird, is amongst those books that teach without preaching. Respect, tolerance, empathy are beautifully imbibed by the characters in the book and by the readers also, again, all of which is a pre-condition to experience the joy of giving.
Amongst children's literature, there is Charlotte's Web, The Prince and the Swallow, The Selfish Giant, the many folk tales of India, retold by A.K.ramanujam, all of which deal with transformation in individuals through their act of giving.
Images and words endure and reinforce our will and desire to give. If you would like to share your list of books, movies, quotes, please post them here. Sharing ideas and knowledge is one of the best forms of giving and endures for generations long after the edifice we have helped construct has crumbled into dust.

Religion and Giving

"Shraddhaya deyam
Ashraddhaya adeyam,
Shriya deyam,
Bhiya deyam
Hriya deyam,
Samvida deyam,”

Give with faith,
Do not give without faith
Give with a sense of plenty,
Give with sympathy,
Give with humility,
Give with knowledge.

This verse from the ‘Taittariya Upanishad’ speaks about the best way to practice charity. When we are asked to ‘give with faith’, we are basicaally exhorted to think and take individual decisions on our giving and to question the cause we are giving to. The receiver or the cause should be worthy of our gift. This is something that we have been advocating and hence the List of Events link on the home page of the Joy of Giving Week, where those seeking to raise resources, are free to register their own events and donors can excercise their independent judgment and choose.

‘Daan’ (giving/ charity) is mentioned in the ancient texts of Hinduism and it is a part of religion. There is the Zakat which is the third Pillar in Islam, the daan in Hinduism, charity is one of the five Anuvratas of the Jains, the Adhyatmak karma establishes communion between man and god in Sikhism through charitable acts which also has ‘wand kay sakho’(sharing the fruits of one’s labour) as one of its tenets, Judaism speaks of sharing and exhorts one to give 10% of one’s earnings to the needy (the word tithe orginiates from this) and so on.

As India gears up to celebrate Id ul Fitr and Navratri simultaneously, let us all collectively spare a thought for the less fortunate; less fortunate not just in terms of material goods, but also in terms of opporunities denied, love withheld and human rights unexcercised. Let us resolve therefore to give in plenty, not
just money, but our time, our love, our goodwill and our joy. With just a week to go for the Joy of Giving Week, let us start now to give with joy. The Joy of Giving.

Cynicism and Joy of Giving Week

Cynicism and the Joy of Giving Week ? Sounds absurd does’nt it ? But why is it dificult to believe that the JGW will not have critics ? Is it because it is an idea that promotes altruism and so is to be considered universally and unconditionally acceptable? When one really thinks about the concept, there is much to commend. But this does not mean that there is nothing to criticise. Since we have been writing about the commendable features of the JGW concept, we should be fair enough to present the cynical viewpoint also.

In discussions with others about the Joy of Giving Week, one of the main areas of criticism is that the concept is being marketed as a brand. If giving is a part of our lives and is inherent, then why does a week have to be devoted to it, is the common refrain. Is the week more important than the giving, is another. Should we stop giving just because the week is over, is a third. And the ‘unkindest cut of all”, the celebrities need to build on their brand image and increase their ad value so they chip in for these causes, is the fourth. And so on….

It would be very easy for us to ignore these comments, for after all those who are critical are free to choose not to participate. However, since we are calling it a movement where every Indian from a ‘paanwallah to a billionaire’ can participate, it is essential to answer these queries and doubts.

Why is the Joy of Giving Week being marketed so aggressively. Simply because in order to transform the ‘ joy of giving’ into a national movement, in the shortest possible time, one needs to market the idea. What better way of doing this than through celebrities who are devoting their time and skills for the cause without any expectations and are not charging for their time. On the contrary, they are giving what they would be getting to participate in the week. (Shadow a CEO, Sachin auctioning his skills) are just a few of the examples that come to mind in this regard.

Does ‘giving’ have to stop when the week is over? Not at all, in fact we would like the movement to continue. The Joy of Giving Week, we hope, will provide momentum to the act of giving. And that, is its true purpose; to reconnect us with our inherent natue and remind us to share, to appreciate, to pause and thank, to proclaim “this is for you” and watch a smile light up the face. That is joy, the Joy of Giving.

Random Thoughts

On going through the List of Registered Events at the Joy of Giving home page, one is struck by the fact that out of the 109 events listed so far, nearly 70 events look forward to raising funds for a cause. The ratio may change in the days to come and perhaps more volunteering opportunities present themselves. We do hope so, for while fund raising is important and essential to work towards an equitable society, by itself it is not enough to sustain it. To do this, one needs to commit oneself personally, give of one's time as it were. As committing our time is difficult for most of us, we donate funds or other resources. But even when we do so, we could take the extra effort to find out how the organisation is doing, whether the funds are being utilised for the purpose they were meant, does the organisation need help in planning the distribution of funds, more important is the organisation in a position to continue working towards its mission.

Advocacy and awareness campaigns, are other areas that could do with more help. They are important in themselves, for not only do they draw attention to a cause, but they are also pointers of larger inequities or of areas needing attention. It is heartening that at least 30% of the events registered so far are related to one of these twom activities.

One of the amazing aspects of the Joy of Giving Week, is the out of the box thinking shown by most participants. Whether it is an individual event like the 7 day 7 Gift Challenge ( www.7days7gifts.ning.com), or a NGO intitative undertaken by Akanksha Foundation, 'Be the Change Come Alive' (www.akanksha.org), or steps taken by a corporate to impact our environment and create awareness about our carbon footprints by 'Make My Trip', the dominant factor in all these is the ingenuity with which the aim is to be achieved.

All these initiatives truly bring back the 'Joy of Giving'. When we participate in the Joy of Giving Week, we can look forward to a week of fun and joy.

Update and a Story

With less than two weeks to go for the Joy of Giving Week to begin, (it begins on 27th Sept.), there is more clarity amongst the registered participants. Individuals, corporates and NGOs will be a part of the week and the events they would be organising, cover a wide range of issues and areas : environment, education, health, animal rights, to name just a few. All of them are covering various aspects like, creating awareness, prevention, fund raising, call for donations . However, what is admirable is that a majority of the registered participants are not looking for resources. On the contrary, the participants are arranging for their own resources. At the time this is being written, there are a total of 103 events listed on the Joy of Giving Week homepage. It is inspiring that the registered participants come from not just the metros, but from even smaller places like Rajkot. Our message of giving has spread to many areas, and by the time the week begins, we hope all of India will be aware of the week and will work towards spreading joy. When the awareness campaign for the Joy of Giving Week, is telecast, we are sure that participation will increase.

For a complete list of events do visit the home page and see how you can contribute.If you have new ideas on giving, please do share them with us.

We at the Joy of Giving Week team are sure that there are many participants who have perhaps not registered as a participant but are determined to be a part of the week and contribute towards its success. As each one of us decides to spread the joy of giving, it would do us good to remember an incident in giving, related to an old woman and Mahatma Gandhi.
Mahatma Gandhi went from city to city, village to village collecting funds for the Charkha Sangh. During one of his tours he addressed a meeting in Orissa. After his speech a poor old woman got up. She was bent with age, her hair was grey and her clothes were in tatters. The volunteers tried to stop her, but she fought her way to the place where Gandhiji was sitting. “I must see him,” she insisted and going up to Gandhiji touched his feet. Then from the folds of her sari she brought out a copper coin and placed it at his feet. Gandhiji picked up the copper coin and put it away carefully. The Charkha Sangh funds were under the charge of Jamnalal Bajaj. He asked Gandhiji for the coin but Gandhiji refused. “I keep cheques worth thousands of rupees for the Charkha Sangh,” Jamnalal Bajaj said laughingly “yet you won’t trust me with a copper coin.” “This copper coin is worth much more than those thousands,” Gandhiji said. “If a man has several lakhs and he gives away a thousand or two, it doesn’t mean much. But this coin was perhaps all that the poor woman possessed. She gave me all she had. That was very generous of her. What a great sacrifice she made. That is why I value this copper coin more than a crore of rupees"

Inspiring Stories

It is amazing how one comes across so many inspirational stories on giving now. Were these stories not written before or were they dismissed as 'emotional stuff'? In a way, being a part of the Joy of Giving Week, has increased ones awareness about the inspirational potential of these 'joy of giving stories'.

Some days ago, on Teachers' day, we had written a post requesting readers to 'give back' to their school, college, teachers. In our post 'A Giving profession', we had written :
As we ready ourselves for the Joy of Giving week, let us commit ourselves to give to those who have contributed to our being able to think and to learn; are responsible for our success as it were. Visit your old school, meet your teachers, set up an alumni fund, repay the debt in part for it can never be repaid in full. Let your teacher know that what he / she is, is important and has made a difference

Coincidentally, Outlook carries an article on just that; how a teacher of Tamil in a small school, has been gifted a house by his students, because he was struggling to maintain himself in his old age. The story is aptly titled 'To Sir With love'.

And today, in the Inbox was yet another inspirational true story, this time a direct result of a participant registering herself for the 7 day 7 gifts challenge, that we mentioned in our previous post. This is also a little indirectly about teachers and teaching, on the importance of literacy and on the joy of gifting books.

Those who have experienced such 'joy of giving'will not only exhort others to give, but will continue to do so themselves, thus increasing the general happiness quotient. Share your giving stories with us and inspire others to give. Meanwhile here are links to the two stories we have written about.

http://outlookindia.com/article.aspx?261798
http://blog.prathambooks.org/2009/09/literacy-day-true-story.html

The Joy of Giving Week.

How Can We Give ?

How can we give,
Let us count the ways.....
Numerous are the ways by which we can express our solidarity for the Joy of Giving Week. The most important of these is to participate. Most of us will have our own ideas of the ways in which we would like to participate, but to get us started and probably make it easier, we have listed a few of those.

How can you be part of the Week? Here are 10 simple ways to do so...

1.Participate in any of the events in your city listed at www.joyofgivingweek.org.
2.Donate clothes as part of Goonj’s Vastrasamman campaign- see www.goonj.info
3.Donate money through the India Giving Challenge at www.GiveIndia.org/IGC
4.Volunteer during the Week- www.ivolunteer.in for more
5.Sign up for the 7 days 7 gifts challenge at www.7days7gifts.ning.com.
6.Donate one day's salary through your company to a cause of your choice via GiveIndia
7.Tata Indicom subscribers will get a chance to donate Rs30 by SMS- wait for the message that will hit our inbox during the Week. You can donate as many times as you want!
8.Donate books at Oxford Bookstores and get a 15% discount on new purchases or donate books through www.karmayog.org
9.Organise “fun”draising events in your office, neighbourhood, school or college- Housie/tambola, food fests, amateur performances and exhibitions and donate the proceeds!
10.Doctors, Lawyers, Designers, etc. can offer services free to the poor
11.Celebrate Green Week by reducing your carbon footprint
12.Children participate in www.designforgivingcontest.com and youth in www.joyfest.in

So wear your thinking caps, get ideas from www.joyofgivingweek.org, plan what you can do, rope in as many people to join you as you can, and get going!

You can register your event on the website, offer or seek resources from others. You can also write to jgw@giveindia.org or call the Joy of Giving Week Helpline at 022-67876345 for more information

Why Do We Give?

It might seem absurd to ask the question “why do we give?”, now when one has been writing about various aspects of giving for a month. Is it necessary to understand our motive for giving ? Is giving a learnt behaviour or is it an inherent one ? Does motivation for giving stem from a common cause or does it vary across communities and cultures ? Do we need to answer these questions? Is it not more important to continue giving ?

To answer the last question first, it is definitely essential to continue giving. Discovering the answers to the other questions will help us to sustain our giving. We have in other posts presented the view that ‘giving’ is inherent and instinctive. Witness a newborn mother with her child, whether in a 5 star hospital or in a remote village at home, there is a spontaneous joy and an immediate need to protect and nurture. That is ‘giving’. A child grows up with this basic desire to share and the experiences of sharing and giving, when positive, increases this and he / she grows up to be a ‘giving’ person. The positive experience one is talking about is what economist James Andreoni calls the ‘warm-glow theory’., where he argues that internal motives for giving are more important than having a building named after one, or saving on tax by contributing to charity. The feeling that one has contributed towards making the world a better place, is what leads to the glow and so one continues to give.

To get a little personal here, I experienced this ‘warm glow’ last afternoon at school, when I cooked lunch(rajma and rice) for a group of girls. Do these girls not have enough to eat ? Of course they do, 3 proper meals a day. Have they not tasted rajma earlier ? They have, probably tastier rajma at home. Then why were the girls and by extension, I, “feeling so nice” (to use their words), at this simple lunch ? Probably because it made them feel special that their teacher took the trouble of personally cooking lunch for them. It made them feel wanted and cherished and their happiness at such a simple gesture made me feel good, so good that I have rashly promised other classes home cooked lunch as well. ( The warm glow can make us irrational sometimes !!!)

That is why we give : to cherish, to nurture, to protect, to better, circumstances, people, the world. Indigenous cultures have understood this concept very well and not for nothing is it said “It takes a whole village to raise a child” (African proverb). As we move away from the traditional way of life, we have also lost touch with many of our basic instincts of sharing and the Joy of Giving Week is a reminder to us to connect with and reinforce our innate need to give and to share.

Countdown Begins

With just 17 days to go for the Joy of Giving Week, we at the JGW team are amazed and touched by the widespread response to the week. CEOs, actors, sportspersonalities, professionals, dabbawalas, rickshawdrivers; have all confirmed their participation and will work at making a difference in the lives of others. While this is inspiring and encouraging in itself, it is the participation of college and school students that is overwhelming. When the young participate willingly and resolve to make a positive difference, then we can say with conviction that lasting changes are on their way to transform the fabric of Indian society to make it more equitable.

The press coverage and endorsements by the well-known from all walks of life may have made it easier for us to get our message of giving across, but large scale participation can only be possible when the idea of 'a week of giving' catches the imagination of the people. The fact that we have been able to do this, is probably because we have managed to touch a chord in the hearts and minds of most. The desire to give has been dormant in most of us and the idea of the Joy of Giving Week, has seen this desire come alive. What is also heartening is that individuals are coming forth with creative and innovative ideas on how they would be contributing, reaffirming our faith that the 'culture of giving' has spread.

Meanwhile, today's Indian Express carries a story on how a teacher is bringing about remarkable changes in interior Madhya pradesh in a caste ridden village, through the medium of education. (http://www.indianexpress.com/news/colours-of-knowledge-on-walls-of-hope/515163/) Such stories are our inspiration and our hope and reinforce our strong belief that we are a nation of 'givers'. So let us join all those who are a part of the Joy of Giving Week and help make a difference. If you have ideas on how one can participate, please share your comments here or register on our website (www.joyofgivingweek.org) and share your ideas.

Anonymous Givers

"Almost everyone regardless of income, available time, age and skills can do something useful for others and in the process strengthen the fabric of our shared humanity." Bill Clinton

There are many unknown, unsung people in India and abroad who have been giving of their time and skills to society and in the process have passed on their collective wisdom and knowledge that sustains society. One such organisation is the Explorers and Adventurers in Mumbai. Establised more than four decades ago, the members of the club not only share a common passion for the mountains, but also share a common desire to kindle this passion in the younger generation. The members, most of whom are working full time, or are older students or have other responsibilities, give freely and ungrudgingly of their time and skills, to accompany school children on treks, on adventure camps, teach them rock climbing and organise other adventure related activities, and see to it that not only do the children enjoy themselves, but that they also simultaneously learn valuable lessons for life : sharing, mutual respect, team work, responsibility and most important learn to respect our environment. The members ensure that the camps they organise are enjoyable, non-threatening experiences and often go out of their way to organise birthday celebrations for children in out of the way locations, complete with cake, candles and wafers and their reward is the look of disbelief and happiness on the face of the child. The Explorers and Adventurers has truly understood the Joy of Giving.

These are the people and organisations that we need to remind ourselves about as we prepare for the Joy of Giving Week. Let us resolve to give not just for today, but for all the days to come; not just to the known, but to all the unknown. Let giving be our passion....

A Giving Profession

When you teach your son, you teach your son's son. ~The Talmud

That is what a teacher does, pass down to us and to ours, wisdom and knowledge, values and inspiration. Today, as India celebrates Teachers' Day, this post is dedicated to teachers. Much is written about bad teachers, but unfortunately not much about the good. Teaching is a profession where the rewards percolate down after years, not to the teacher but to society. Long after the teacher is dead and gone, his/ her values remain, imbibed and lived by others. Is it any wonder then that we call teaching one of the most 'giving' professions.

"If a doctor, lawyer, or dentist had 40 people in his office at one time, all of whom had different needs, and some of whom didn't want to be there and were causing trouble, and the doctor, lawyer, or dentist, without assistance, had to treat them all with professional excellence for nine months, then he might have some conception of the classroom teacher's job." ~Donald D. Quinn

Yet teaching is demeaned by many and it is often said of teaching that "Those who can do, and those who can't teach." To say this is to negate the immense influence a teacher has on us. The power and influence of a teacher is often underestimated. Most of us remember our teachers, both those who evoked dread and scorn and those who inspired and motivated. But we remember that teacher the best who invoked in us a love for learning, aroused our curiosity and really taught us the principles of 'learning to learn', something that we need to do for the rest of our lives to be successful in whatever profession we choose to follow.

While teachers help sustain the values in society to a large extent, the Special Educator besides this, also helps to sustain the family of a child with special needs. He /she plays many roles : teacher, parent, counsellor, therapist, friend.. Those who deal with children/ adults with special needs measure success in the small steps taken by those they teach. Has the child sat in one place for 5 mins, stopped flapping his hand long enough to copy 2 lines, has learnt to jump, to control unexplained outbursts of anger? There are days when the teacher and the child are equally frustrated, the parents are in tears, all effort seems to have literally gone down the drain and then suddenly a miracle takes place and like the blossoming of a tree, changes happen and the child begins to learn, slowly at first and then with increased confidence, more rapidly. These are the moments that make all the effort and the frustration worthwhile for hope prevails.

As we ready ourselves for the Joy of Giving week, let us commit ourselves to give to those who have contributed to our being able to think and to learn; are responsible for our success as it were. Visit your old school, meet your teachers, set up an alumni fund, repay the debt in part for it can never be repaid in full. Let your teacher know that what he / she is, is important and has made a difference.

The Power of Giving

Giving impacts our lives in many ways, all of it positive, the most important being that it adds value both to our life and to the one who receives from us. But this positive impact happens only when we give selflessly, without any expectation. Quite often, we carry the burden of expectation even in our giving. We often feel terrible when a friend to whom we have given a gift, forgets our birthday. We expect to be remembered because we have given. This expectation negates the effect of giving, and affects our future relationship with this friend. This is not practcing 'giving' in the way it should be practiced.

An incident Subroto Bagchi (CEO Mindtree) writes about his mother illustrates wholehearted giving beautifully. Bagchi writes of how his mother after finishing her household chores for her big family, would, equipped only with kitchen implements, work very hard to create a garden in the small patch of land in the government quarters where they were housed. It did not bother her that she would not be around to enjoy the benefit of her hard labour or see the flowering plants, for by then they would have moved house. For her the joy was in creating a beautiful environment and giving of herself with zero expectation.

Such joyous giving does not come easy to most of us and has to be practiced. Giving has to become a way of life and those who don't recognise its inherent presence in their lives, must learn to do so. One of the ways to do this is to think less about our feelings and ourselves and more about others: praise your co-worker, give up a seat for the tired person in the bus, smile at the man selling pens in the local train, share a cup of tea with the household help, help the kids kick a ball, leave the public toilet clean for the next person, cook your partner's favourite meal. Numerous are the ways in which we learn to give and the result would be the same : to enrich our lives and to turn us into more contented individuals. When we practice 'giving' consciously and constantly, we will reach that stage of giving where we give totally of ourselves with no expectations and like Subroto Bagchi's mother we would be able to embrace death courageously in the satisfaction of having lived a full and fulfilled life. Let us "Go Kiss the World".

Charity and Philantropy

Some introspection is necessary as we set out on a quest, to discover joy in giving. One often associates 'giving' with charity. In India, we focus a lot on the 'charitable acts' of an individual. A 'charitable individual' according to us, is one who gives freely to the needy, often gives freely to religious causes, can be called upon to help generously during times of disaster and usually contributes at an individual level. Could we also say such a person is philantrophic? Not necessarily, for there is a marked difference between philantropy and charity.

Charity is often impulsive and humane, like giving alms to a beggar, clothes to those who need it, helping a victim of an accident, to give a few examples. Charity is usually not associated with commitment. We do not give the same beggar alms everyday and neither do we wonder what happened to him after we have given the alms. It is associated with generosity and gifting, much of it instinctive, basically with giving those who need it, a helping hand. To use a much used analogy, charity is like giving a hungry man a fish.

Philantropy on the other hand, is more humanitarian in its vision. It is more institutional, and operates on a larger canvas than charity and hence is more organised. There is more altruism associated with philantropy than with charity and a sense of justice that is lacking in charity. There is also a commitment in this that is not always present in charity. In contrast to charity, philantropy is like teaching a hungry man to fish and the focus here is on moving towards a more equitable society.

Does this mean we are demeaning or negating acts performed with charitable intent ? Not at all, for such acts are necessary to spread the message of giving and quite often are the points of departure to bigger philantropic acts. Mother Teresa began by helping one homeless man die with dignity, Vandana of The Banyan began by helping a single destitute mentally ill woman move out of the streets. Both of them moved on to establish philantropic institutions funded by individual and institutional contributions, made possible by tapping the inherent impulse to give, present in most of us. When people contribute collectively to a cause, a philantropist or a philantropic institution is born, and that should be our goal for the Joy of Giving Week, to give collectively and generously in order to bring about lasting change in individuals and through them in society