Are you considering a donation to the PSAA, but you don’t have any discretionary money at the moment? Have no fear - when your budget is small (or if it was just blown on beer and fireworks), there are still ways to help out. Of course, I hope that before October 30, 2011, you’ll consider sacrificing a beer for $5 or more toward the PSAA, but in the meantime, here some non-monetary ways to help fulfill the Periclean mission:
Practice your democratic rights. All non-criminal US citizens over 18 have the right to vote, and therefore, we have a duty to be informed. Read your tax receipt and learn where your tax money goes. Read the local, national, and international news - from at least three sources with different “slants”. Engage in debate about pressing issues with friends and colleagues, and don’t be afraid to question your own assumptions. Write your congressperson about overlooked issues that mean a lot to you (especially Periclean issues of focus). Appreciate these rights, and don't take them for granted.
Give blood. The Pericleans’ work saves lives. Donating blood in your local community can save up to three lives per donation. Since I am training for the marathon, I cannot give right now, so this would be a huge help to me, too. If you are not able to donate blood, help to organize a blood drive. A small prick is all it takes to save lives instantly.
Volunteer. For organizations that rely on volunteers, time literally is money - if volunteers do not help out, they need to pay staff and incur extra costs. Volunteer regularly (more than just a one-time event) at a place with a cause that stirs your soul. For example, I volunteer at a safehouse because I cannot stand still and accept the epidemic of intimate partner violence in our society. Use your professional skills for the benefit of an organization that can use them. As an example, if you are a web designer, offer your services to a non-profit that desperately needs a webpage overhaul. Match your services with an organization’s greatest needs. Active volunteerism is one of the foundations of a democratic society, and it requires many people to do their small part.
Share your expertise. Are you a guru in one or many areas? Don’t hesitate to share your expertise with those who are willing to learn. If you are an expert in a Periclean area of focus (issue or country), you could serve as a Periclean Scholar-In-Residence. Even if your expertise doesn’t reach the level of Scholar-In-Residence, still take the opportunity to share it with those who may benefit from it. It’s a net win and a stride toward a better informed and educated society.
Choose a career in line with the Periclean values. One of the most important ways that our society can contribute to the Periclean mission is by choosing a career in line with the Periclean values. On that note, it is important to have a career in line with your own personal values - or else I believe you are living a lie, and the stress of doing so will eat you alive. I would not consider this to be a sacrifice, unless you take the Mother Teresa route and devote your life to something completely out of the mainstream (though undeniably having a huge impact). It could be a small change that, over the course of a career, has a massive impact. For instance, you want to go into pharmaceutical research. Rather than choosing to develop drugs like Viagra, you choose to work on antiretrovirals that are accessible to everyone. Another example is with working with energy. You want to develop new ways to obtain energy, so you choose to use your skills (let’s say engineering) for wind farm development over oil exploration. That’s the kind of small change I am talking about.
Offer your contacts in areas of Periclean focus. Do you know someone working toward the Periclean mission in a future area of focus, Appalachia or Haiti? If so, please do not hesitate to share your contacts with the Periclean program. Doing so would make you a valuable liaison as the classes lay their foundations.
Be a better spouse, roommate, child, etc. I believe that world peace starts in the home. Live the Periclean ideals in your interactions with those you live with. If you are the head of household, do not run your house as an authoritarian dictatorship. Treat each of your “citizens” as valued members of society. Never solve problems with violence; explore different ways to resolve conflict, such as collaboration and active listening. The person who gives money to the PSAA but lives as a tyrant at home is a walking contradiction and should strive toward becoming a better household member.
Stay positive. Sometimes, the easiest way to make a difference is to carry an infectiously positive attitude. Be thankful for the opportunities you have and where you will go in life. Offer someone (friend or stranger) a genuine compliment. Overcome apathy by showing people how great it is for you and them to stay positive.
Pray. If you are a person of faith, offer a prayer toward the Periclean Scholars’ work to help the world. While you’re at it, pray for me on the trails so that I don’t get hurt or encounter any bears.
Spread the word. Send the link to this blog to a handful of your friends. One-third of this blog is to thank donors, but two-thirds of it is to educate, both on the Periclean works and on running and training for the marathon. The only way to educate through this blog is to share access to it.
Donations help to advance the mission of the PSAA, but so do all of the suggestions above. The organization aims to transform lives by working to create an actively involved democratic (lowercase “d”) citizenry. By doing one of the items above, you are “donating” your time and effort to our cause, and for that I thank you.
This is reason #20 to support Periclean scholars: there are many ways to support its mission.
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