Posted by Elaine on: 05.08.2007 /
You know how you can start searching for something on the internet and then wind up someplace else? Recently, I discovered this video of Bill Clinton annoucing his “wish” at the TED awards. It was on someone’s blog (http://www.matchmine.com/blog/2007/05/03/the-ted-prize).
From the blog,
Bill Clinton won the prize this year, and elected to speak about his attempts to right the non-deeds of his administration in Rwanda.
I was so moved by that statement and Bill’s speech, I had to share it wth others. I ask as you listen and watch the video that you set aside any of your preconceived notions of who Bill Clinton is.
Bill seems to be following in Jimmy Carter’s footsteps. They are both working to inspire and engage others to make the world a better place. Near the end of Bill’s speech, you hear him admit his failings to Rwanda during his Presidency.
Take a look at the whole TED website. www.ted.com. I focused on the global category. The winners are doing amazing things. It encourages me to see so many amazingly gifted, talented, and passionate people serving the world.
It is the people whose names I don’t recognize that stand out for me.
Check out prior winners: Jacqueline Novogratz: Investing in Africa’s own solutions and Majora Carter: Activist for environmental justice (greening the ghetto - South Bronx)
Did Jacqueline or Majora know when they started their “work” where it would lead them? I want to be inspired with that kind of “com”passion. Am I getting close?
Is there something stirring in you that fills you with “com”passion so strong that you can’t NOT do it?
I hope you are inspired by the stories. I believe each of us can make a difference - move the world closer to peace, reconciliation, save our planet, and more.
What are you willing to commit to without expectation of reward or recognition? You may not have an answer now, but let the question begin to work on you.
Leave a Reply
Comment by: Benjamin Ady
1 05/8/07 11:59 PM | Comment Link |Elaine,
thankyou *so* much for directing our attention to Bill’s acceptance speech. I found it moving. Thankyou also for the link to TED. I’ve poked around over there a little and shall be quite a bit more.
Your question is provocative. A while ago I heard Dan Allender say that part of figuring out our own story is finding both our NO and our YES. I’ve got a fairly good handle on my NO, but haven’t quite figured out the YES yet, although I have the sense that I am … closing in on it.
Comment by: Elaine
2 05/9/07 7:55 AM | Comment Link |Benjamin,
I’m glad you found the question provocative. It came from the volunteer work I am doing with Peter Block’s group A Small Group, here in Cincinnati.
Powerful questions don’t have a right or wrong answer - they are powerful because they cause us to think and discuss them. They create a space for real conversation and help us (me) discover what we really value and believe.
I like hearing that Dan Allender invites people to discover their No’s and Yes’s. To put it as a powerful question
What is the yes I no longer mean?
Answering this last question, I hope, will free me to explore “what am I willing to commit to….? or is it vice versa?
It would appear the TED award winners have figured this out.
Comment by: Helen
3 05/9/07 8:35 PM | Comment Link |Thanks Elaine - I love the idea of being so filled with compassion you can’t not do something - as I recall that happened to Jesus a few times.
Comment by: Rachel
4 05/10/07 10:01 AM | Comment Link |That was an excellent video, Elaine! Thanks for bringing it to our attention. I really appreciated the practicality of Clinton’s proposals - not just grand idealistic big picture concepts, but real tangible concrete practices that have been proven to be effective and replicable. A few things that stood out to me…
Clinton talked about the need for “shared responsibility for the success of the common enterprise.” I think this is a very important concept. Jim Wallis always talks about how we need to reclaim the concept of the “common good.” With the dominance of conservative political philosophy over the last few decades, this idea seems to have fallen out of favor. But I see the tides shifting in the US.
Clinton also referred to a “predictable connection between the effort you exerted and the result you achieved” and talked about how the average individual in the developed world takes this for granted. But this is not true in the context of most people in extreme poverty.
It reminded me of a quote from a book I read recently: God of the Empty-Handed by the Indian author Jayakumar Christian. I found the last sentence of this excerpt to be particularly haunting:
The relationship between marred history and hopelessness causes further powerlessness, powerlessness further destroys hope, binding the poor within a vicious cycle of deprivation. And “without a minimum of hope, we cannot so much as start the struggle” (Freire, 1994). Gradually the powerless poor lose even the inner energy to hope.
Comment by: Elaine
5 05/15/07 2:57 PM | Comment Link |Rachel - I would say yes to everything you pointed out. It was powerful to me that Clinton has partnered with those who have already found a way to reach the 3rd world countries. I’m wondering if this is a model we could apply to our country. A way to help the poor out of the vicious cycle of poverty.
Your quote, “The relationship between marred history and hopelessness causes further powerlessness, powerlessness further destroys hope, binding the poor within a vicious cycle of deprivation. And “without a minimum of hope, we cannot so much as start the struggle” (Freire, 1994). Gradually the powerless poor lose even the inner energy to hope.”
When ever I am involved with a group and the discussion turns to why the poor don’t better themselves - I’m struck by how naive and in some cases, arrogant, and removed most of us are from the reality of the daily lives of many poor people. This quote captures that well.