High winds fanned a spark that erupted into a wildfire that spread into the forests on Signal Hill that overlooks Cape 
Town yesterday. This happens occassionally though summer in our beautiful mountain- and forest-encircled city. As always, it was high drama with the sky looking like a helicopter highway swinging big buckets of water in their wake, firetrucks wailing as the blaze devoured trees and flirted with a line of houses. Through the night the fire carefully subdued & by morning was out thanks to the emergency crews who stepped up to help – MOST of them volunteers.
Who does this? Who the hell jumps into a full jumpsuit on a blazing summer’s day to battle towering flames or flies into a blinding wall of heat and choking acrid smoke – without being paid to do something so insane?
Bright brave people whose jobs clearly don’t give them their daily dose of purpose they crave – some of the local crew are accountants, MBA students, attorneys, CFO’s, a lot of techheads – not your average burly fireman/paramedic archetype. I think that what drives a lot of these heroic men & women is the privilege of being in the company of other brave people. Among them you won’t find too many that are parking off and sharpening their pointy perfection pencil to prod those in the public eye while whining about how kak stuff is.
Even without a superhero alter.ego & no eagerness to stand at the flaming frontline it’s possible to put out the destructive fires that destroy hope in our neighbourhood.
The world is undergoing a massive social shift as all the systems and infrastructure built for urban humans reaches global capacity, goverments and large organisations are cracking with age and weight. Increasingly social entrepreneurs are moving in to fill the gaps. It’s not about charity anymore; it’s about realising that we aren’t going to be rescued by government, no matter how much we bellyache about it, so it’s time to change the power:
What do you give a damn about? What do you think really sucks?
..frustratingly outdated education that squashes brilliance, little ones living on the street, animals bearing the brunt of badly-behaved humans?
Do you want to support courageous new entrepreneurs? Help rescue scared people after accidents? Build a safe home for a family?
Whatever you think sucks, someone has probably thought so too & done something about it. Odds are they would LOVE your help!
One of the things I discovered from working with organisations across sectors, is that your best skill – the stuff you really love doing – is exactly what they need.
If you are a geek – can you help build or tweak their site with some sweet SEO so they get more exposure?
If you’re good with money can you help sort out their capital flow & money management so they can get better ratings?
Fiercely creative, but don’t get free rein at work – crank up the voice of a good cause with a great campaign.
Passionate marketer – help them define their value proposition so they move from charitable handouts to a great corporate social responsibility partner.
Brilliant networker – connect them to people in your circle who would love to contribute to a great cause with time money or talent.
You get the idea..
[just because you join the volunteer paramedics it doesn't mean you ever have to scoop broken people off the road. If you join Greenpeace you probably won't be asked to stand in the way of a whaler's harpoon-gun. Making it so that people brave enough to do these harrowing volunteer jobs can get some love & appreciation is equally powerful]
We have so much scary stuff and bad news bombarded at us, that we can do nothing about, that it’s no wonder we’ve become a hyperstressed society particularly in ZA. Come up with an idea and crowdsource the help.. if it’s good enough you’ll soon be overwhelmed with support (ask SA Rock’s Nic)
Sadly, it’s been verified historically that there’s little use in complaining impotently about something that aggravates. The bitch around the braai till we’re bursting with rage is energy lost forever. The only recourse is to get creative, do something if you don’t like
the world the way it is: create a potent viral video – with a link to how to make a difference to your issue. A podcast that creates both awareness, and support opportunities to swing it around (and preferably have some fun en route as you reshape the world). Blog it, get a party together, share your skills.. meet fiercecool people, change the world. We have the tools, we are the media, let’s start using our powers for good.
So to those heroes I know, and those I’m yet to meet : love and thanks to those who dare to do the inconvenient & make a difference, those who get out & do >> you make my heart pound
Wishes for a week of outrageous creativity and daring SA Rocksters
x x
PS. please let me know about your campaigns/party with a purpose/podcast & we’ll give the shout out and rally support if it’s a goodie!
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