Time Bank Idaho

I recently signed up to become a member of Timebank Idaho. This is a non profit organization that facilitates barter arrangements to mutually benefit its members.

One of the basic premises of Time Bank Idaho is that everyone's time is valued equally. You give an hour. You get an hour. It's that simple. The strength of the program is built on people developing relationships and empowering communities to find non-cash solutions to their needs.

For example, one lady baked an elaborate birthday cake for a kid's party. That took her 3 hours. In exchange she tapped into the available hours of a family law attorney who was a member to get her legal needs met.

Somebody might spend their giving time running errands or driving some older person to doctor appointments. In exchange they might receive the services of good car mechanic or house painter or massage therapist or language instruction.

The basic premise is that we all have needs. We all have skills and abilities that can benefit others. Time Bank Idaho provides the coordination so that we can help one another. The person who I teach how to garden may not have anything I need. But maybe the person I help will have EXACTLY the skills someone else I've never met needs and THAT person may have the skills I need.

In theory it sounds like a fantastic way of bringing people together. It remains to be seen how well this will work out for me. But I'm definitely intrigued by the premise and ready to give it a try. From time to time I'll post some of my experiences to track how it's going.

Time Bank USA, the parent organization, has been going for nearly 20 years and there are various Time Banks set up in 22 countries. Time Bank Idaho is just beginning to get off the ground. I'm interested in helping this idea to take root and grow here in Boise.

I am incredibly intrigued by the rather radical notion that everyone's time be valued equally.

In the sociology courses I teach I spend a lot of time discussing social stratification, the ways in which societies rank the comparative levels of prestige, power, and wealth that are given to various individuals. Age, gender, race, body size, and education level are just some of the factors that determine how "important" or "valuable" someone's time is in our culture.

But does it really make sense to say time of the man who picks up my garbage each week is less valuable that that of the guy who compiled my tax return??

I'm looking forward to learning more about Time Bank Idaho and the people who choose to become affiliated with it. MAYBE I'll find a cool new way to meet some of my needs without costing me any of my limited discretionary dollars. Or MAYBE I'll find a way to change the way I and others view the value of ourselves and everyone around us, whether they happen to be members or not.

Because really, no matter how much money you have (or don't have), or how many books you've read (or have not read) or how much influence you may have in the world...we ALL need each other in this big, crazy world. That's an idea I believe I can take to the bank. The Time Bank, that is.

LANDMINES

Up to my usual insomnia tricks, tonight I stayed up to watch the movie "Beyond Borders" with Angelina Jolie and and Clive Owen. I'm familiar with the reviews that call this flick a dog. Still, for me, it was very powerful on so many levels. If you are not familiar with the movie - the basic premise is summed up HERE.

As I watched the movie I thought about a lot of different things. But what got to me the most was not the scenes of famine and war in Ethiopia. It was not the horror of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. It was not the brutality of Chechnya.

It was the landmines.

I first became aware of the seriousness of the problem of landmines back in the early 90's when I participated in a Michigan International Development Outreach Network (MIDEON) conference at Michigan State University.

MIDEON was formed by faculty members from Michigan universities and community colleges who were concerned with teaching international development issues. Rather than present information to the regular student population, they focused on teaching other teachers. They provided a forum to exchange ideas and experiences, sponsor workshops, and promote the idea of development education. The idea was that by planting seeds of awareness into the minds and hearts of educators the impact would be far reaching as those teachers would go on to teach differently from there on.

It worked. The summer institute that I attended had a very powerful affect on how I think and how I teach.

One of the issues we talked about A LOT at that conference was the problem of landmines.

The average American does not usually think a whole lot about landmines. I do. But what have I actually DONE between that long ago training and now? Not nearly enough.

There are so many issues in the world today clamouring for our time, our attention, our money. Save the whales, recycle, stop global warming, plant a tree, the list goes on and on. From the old posters of Smokey the Bear saying "Only YOU can Prevent Forest Fires" to the fight against AIDS to the war on drugs...there are so many social problems it can make a person's head spin.

It's easy to see why some people get to overwhelmed by it all they numb out, become immobilized.

I am reminded of the time my father took all us kids to see Ringling Brother's and Barnum & Baily Three Ring Circus when I was a child. Most of my siblings had a fabulous time. Not me. I was so terribly frustrated. To me, it was awful. If I watched the clowns I missed the bears. If I watched the bears I missed the trapeze lady. If I watched the trapeze lady I missed the dancing horses. If I watched the ...oh, you get the idea. No matter what I focused on, the sense that I was missing out on something truly spectacular just ate away at me. I finally just cried and went to sleep to avoid the total sense of overwhelm and anxiety.

Sometimes, when I try to support worthy causes, I feel much the same way. I believe in microfincance, so I share dollars with Kiva. Every month I also donate dollars to Humanitarian Aid and the Perpetual Education Fund. I give blood to the Red Cross. I help pick up litter along our local highway. I also volunteer my time to help specific individuals in need.

But no matter how much I do, there is so much more that goes undone. Sometimes that truly haunts me.

The idealist in me wants to make a difference, remembering the words of Margaret Mead who said: "Never doubt that a few committed individuals can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has."

The more pragmatic side of me says to remember the Starfish story, and to take solace in the fact that I DO make a difference to those particular people whose lives I touch.

But sometimes when I remember the burning desire I once had to get involved in the issue of Landmines (or other social causes that caught my passion in my youth) and then face up to how little I've really done I can't help but hang my head in chagrin.

We grow older. Our priorities shift. That's natural, I suppose. Or maybe it's just a cop out.

I guess for me, the challenge is to stay AWAKE and present to the problems around me and continue to reach out and take action in whatever ways I can, instead of going numb with frustration or overwhelm and turning my back on it all as I did at the circus as a child. It's so much more pleasant to focus on pretty things. There is a time and place for that. But it's all a question of balance. And if I'm not willing to give some of my focus, my time, my resources, to the ugly things of this world, then I become part of the problem. How much is enough? That's something each person answers for them self, I suppose. For me...I need to do more.

I just need to remember the words I have posted on my Kiva Lender page - a quote from Edward Everett Hale who said: “I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do the something I can do.”

SHIFT HAPPENS

I simply love this little film.

The Shift Movie

Making a Difference

For some time now one of the ways I have been working to fight poverty has been to make monthly contribution to the Humanitarian Aid and the Perpetual Education Fund of the LDS Church. I happen to be active LDS. As such, I routinely give back 10% of my net income in "tithing". I believe that to be a basic commandment. Beyond that, however, I have the option to donate to other funds if and when I choose. Both the Humanitarian Aid Fund and the Perpetual Education funds have been important ways for me to help my brothers and sisters in need throughout the world.

That's all well and good, but the more I think about it, the more I've come to believe that chronic poverty is much about ATTITUDES as it is about lack of resources. The feelings and beliefs people have about what it means to have "enough" contribute to the social structures and policies we create.

It helps when I share my money. But I think it may be even more important to be willing to examine my values, behavior, and interactions with others at all levels of the economic spectrum in terms of what I have, what I use, what I share in order to come to terms in new ways with what it means to be a brother and a sister in this world.

For nearly three years I worked as the Executive Director of an organization called HELPLINE, an emergency intervention non-profit agency in Walla Walla WA. The mission of that organization is to: Affirm the Worth of Every Person, Address the Needs of Individuals, Families & our community; and Advocate for Positive Life Transformation.

I helped craft that mission statement and design the programs that carried it out. I've changed jobs twice since then. That doesn't mean I've changed my desire to make a difference in the world.

While reading Christina's Blog (one of Pappa Herman's links)I found info on the ONE campaign to end poverty.

I was appalled by my initial reaction...my mind closed down at the idea of ENDING poverty - wishing longingly that were possible, but mostly believing "for the poor always ye have with you" (John 12:8)

I think that when we start with the assumption that poverty is an inevitable part of life, like gravity, it serves to get us off the hook for taking any serious action. We may talk about it, act concerned, do some little project here and there to make ourselves feel better. But to really step out of our comfort zones and get SERIOUS about ENDING POVERTY we have to begin with the belief that it is possible to do so.

So today I'm doing lots of thinking about my assumptions, opinions and attitudes regarding poverty. I am considering ways that I can change my heart and my mind to become more ready to be used as a catalyst for positive change.

This isn't about donating to charity. Charities do a lot of good work. But this is about working to shake up the social structure as we know it. This is about pouring out more DIGNITY to my homeless brothers and sisters and reshaping what meaning we give to having a lot or having less.

I don't think ENDING POVERTY means everyone has the same kind of house or equal amounts of money in the bank. I think ending poverty means NO ONE is treated with derision or contempt for having less and EVERYONE has access to clean water, sufficient food, and a safe place to sleep. There will still be differences. But I believe we CAN change what it means and in so doing how we act towards others.

I will get involved in causes, to be sure. But I start with me. I start with my own heart. That may take the biggest leap of all.

Cairo Memories

My only regret about supporting KIVA loans is that there are not currently any businesses in Egypt which I could choose to fund. It has been a few weeks now since we returned, and I find I am STILL processing the experience emotionally and spiritually. The monuments and museums were fantastic. But it was the PEOPLE of Egypt that stole my heart. Beyond that, the exposure to extreme poverty of a developing nation really forced me to re-evaluate my own views on abundance and how I can more responsibly live in a state of stewardship over all I have been blessed with.

By American standards I am far from rich. But I also am not poor. There are things that I have wished for that are beyond my reach economically...but all my needs are most definitely met along with a whole heck of a lot of my mere wants.

In a culture that puts so much emphasis on material goods and consumerism it is a definite challenge to remain in a state of gratitude rather than keep reaching for one more thing that media says is good to have, especially when friends/family/neighbors get those things and extoll how wonderful they are. However, choosing to live simply is such a powerful way to experience GREATER abundance. I hope with all my heart that I will continue to remember these lessons in the weeks, months and years to come... I hope I will always carry a taste of Cairo in my heart.

Some bandwagons are worth jumping on

I have been interested in the development of micro-credit ever since I first learned about the principle over a year ago, watching the documentary "Small Fortunes" on BYU TV. The concept seemed deceptively simple. By providing small, unsecured loans to people living in poverty, individuals and families could improve their circumstances through sound business ventures. The ripple effect was felt throughout the communities as goods and services were made available, children were able to go to school, and industry and thrift were modeled as positive ways to live. I supported the idea whole heartedly in principle, but up until now did not know how I could get involved personally. Now I do.

KIVA lets you connect with and loan money to unique businesses in the developing world. For as little as $25 up to as much as you want, you can help provide an individual or group of your choice the funds needed to advance their dreams. There are all sorts of businesses from many different countries to choose from. I decided to support the following: AGRICULTURE in SENEGAL - a motorized irrigation pump will allow a group of people there to expand their farming interests. TEXTILES in KENYA - a woman there embroiders seat covers and tablecloths for sale, her loan will help her move her business to a better location and to buy needed supplies; CLOTHING SALES in TANZANIA - Loan for the purchase of materials for making Batik.

For the price of a nice dinner out with friends I am able to participate in helping these individuals improve their lives. Also, since this is a loan rather than a handout, it will be repaid over time so. My plan is to continue to re-loan this money over and over again to help as many people as I can.

Why do this? As I stated on my Loaner Page: I believe in the words of Edward Everett Hale who said: “I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do the something I can do.”

Many thanks to the Pondering Pig for his own efforts at supporting this good cause and providing the information and challenge for others to share the blessings.

Corporate Conglomerates

I was out doing some Christmas shopping yesterday. Found some cool stuff. But along the way I had a conversation with my sweetie about why I would prefer to do business at store A even if it cost me a bit more for the same merchandise available at store B. One of the considerations I listed was the way employees were treated and another was whether or not products came from "third world sweatshops".

Now, I'm very confused about this, as I recently toured a place I would consider to be one of those "third world sweatshops"... a carpet factory in Egypt that people were PROUD to have available to give children from poverty striken families meaningful work. I thought of those young kids sitting at their looms day after day after day and it gave me the shudders, so much so that I could not bring myself to buy any of their very nice carpets. But if that carpet factory was not there, these kids would NOT necesarily be better off...they might just be hungry. So am I right or wrong to pass judgement on their child labor practices??

Dunno.

And there is the whole issue of local vs. large corporate.... is local inherently better?

We vote everytime we spend our dollars, saying what is important to us. I'm questioning some of my spending lately, wondering if I am happy with my vote.

Needless Hunger

I've been doing some more blog exploring, checking out sites by linking backwards from the comments or side links on other people's blogs that I regularly read. Sort of like playing the game six degrees of Kevin Bacon.

All that meandering took me to The Pondering Pig which I found to be pretty interesting. Then that took me over to Russ Kirby's site, Preaching Poetic which had some really good info on issues related to world hunger.

I do not mean to minimize the very real and legitimate issue of doing battle to fight hunger. I know that hundreds of thousands of people are starving in a world where there is so much obscene waste.

But reading all this reminded me of another kind of hunger.... The hunger of our souls. Far too many of us overindulged, fat Americans have more than enough food to put on our tables, but we have forgotten how to love, how to listen, how to be present with one another. I recently heard about some study that found a quarter of the population of this country said they had no one in their lives with whom the could have meaningful, intimate conversation.

We are too disconnected from ourselves, from our communities and from our creator.

Yes, the issue of not enough food for too many bodies matters a lot, and should be addressed with vigor.

But in my mind, the issue of not enough love for ourselves, our planet and each other is of equal importance.