What is charity?
" To believe in good, you need to start doing it." © Leo Tolstoy.
Everyone answers the question "What is charity?" Differently, because for each person this word has its own meaning, caused by certain life circumstances or emotions. But one thing is for sure, the main components of any charitable activity are compassion, mercy, I see in Artin ie and altruism. All this is characteristic of our heroes , which they will tell in more detail in an interview: Gleb Zagoriy , politician, scientist and philanthropist: Gleb, tell us, please, what does charity mean to you personally ?
Creating good. A businessman creates added value in money, a philanthropist creates added value for good. But there is one important difference. If you give money to someone, you have less. By doing good to someone, you become even more good. Seeing good multiply is a drive, it’s a passion. There is a less emotional but very accurate definition of charity. According to analysts at the John F. Kennedy School of Management at Harvard, they say that modern charity is not just a mental impulse, but a strategic redistribution of capital for the public good. After all, social inequality is a threat to the world in which entrepreneurs make money. Overcoming this inequality is a strategic task for business.
Do you think that if a person is involved in charity, should he advertise it? Will society perceive this as a good example, or as self-publicity?
It’s like asking: if we built a car, is it worth putting an engine on it? Of course! To popularize charity means to move it forward. Therefore, one of the activities of the Zagoriy Family Foundation is called Culture of Charity. There are many people who are willing to help others, but they do not know how to do it. As a result, their efforts do not go beyond alms in the underpass. What do we see from childhood? In the clinic and kindergarten - questionable "charitable contributions", consider - bribes. At the stations - an unpleasant kind of person with boxes and photos of non-existent sick children. In the subway - announcements "carefully, philanthropists can be engaged in charity". The deputy came to the school or hospital with gifts - nothing more than an election campaign.
As a result, charity is on the list of things to stay away from - like an electrical outlet or a pot of boiling water.
Our task is to show that charity is different. That it can really save lives, not cover the enrichment of officials. Therefore - yes, we will personally, as you said, advertise. But not the very fact of having a charity fund, but its specific projects.
For example, we have a project "I can save lives", which teaches schoolchildren and students the basics of pre-medical care. How can we not talk about it if we want to involve as many young people as possible in it? And ideally - to include a course on the basics of pre-medical care in the curriculum of secondary schools and universities. Or how not to advertise the project "Rehabilitation of the Future", when thousands of people in our country need rehabilitation procedures according to modern world standards? Fortunately, there are many people in the country who believe in charity, and their number is constantly growing.
Do you think that people with great wealth, influential people should help in the first place? Or is it a personal choice of each person?
I am a supporter of the three-dimensional model of charity and I am actively implementing it. What model? Someone is ready to help people only with money, because he has a lot of them. Someone donates personal time by voluntarily donating it to charity projects. Someone is creating ideas for these projects. If all three ways of help - financial, volunteer and creative - are combined, there is an amazing synergistic effect.
Charity should become commonplace. To the question "Do you do charity?" sounded as weird as "Do you breathe air?" Here, too, Harvard analysts give a very clear definition of this impulse: "universal charitable instinct."
What personally inspires and motivates you to do charity and philanthropy?
An opportunity to change the world for the better - no matter how pathetic it may sound. This summer, the first graduation of ATO veteran students took place, whom we trained together with the Kyiv School of Economics under the Entrepreneurship Support Program. I saw these people and understood that they will soon start modern businesses, give people new quality services. Over time, others will be taught entrepreneurship. But entrepreneurs are the driving force of the country. It is they who change the world and the relationships between people in this world. It is even more pleasant to realize that you are at the origins. After all, systemic charity is just emerging. Even in developed countries, philanthropists are still not integrated into a single system. And Ukraine is generally a set of projects isolated from each other, some of which, unfortunately, are corrupt.
By analogy with the transport system, Ukrainian charity now looks something like this: there is a train from Lviv to Uzhgorod, taxis can be called in Kiev, and there is a bus stop in Kharkiv where no one has ever seen a bus. And between the cities - impassable forests and fields.
Our goal is to build highways, that is, to establish communications in the field of charity. During my visits to the United States, I studied the American experience of establishing such ties. I especially liked the idea of the #GivingTuesday project. On the last Tuesday of November, members of this movement are holding campaigns around the world in favor of charities and write about it on social media, urging people to do good. 150 countries around the world, $ 60 million a year - and these figures are constantly growing!
In July of this year, Ukraine signed a memorandum of cooperation with the main office #GivingTuesday - now we have a movement #GenerousTuesday. And I am proud that the Zagoriy Family Foundation is one of the initiators of this project. Taisiya Nepokrytova
, Head of the Ukrainian Families NGO: What does charity mean to you ? For me, charity is first and foremost good deeds and activities that bring good to people. It is assistance with actions, projects, dissemination of information, as well as coverage of society’s problems. Do you think it is worth advertising your charity? Can this be an example that inspires other people?
So. It is necessary because the coverage of its activities allows society to see that there are problems in society. That there are people, children, families who need help. Doing good deeds is easy, simple and many need it.
Everyone perceives information in their own way and has the right to do so. But the way my organization works, it does a lot of interesting, useful projects for the families of Ukraine, otherwise people will not learn about the possibility of participating in these projects. Also, thanks to the coverage of the organization, we are joined by new volunteers, or just caring people who want to help others.
Do you think that people with greater wealth should help in the first place?
Of course, it would not be bad for wealthy people to be more supportive of civic initiatives and charitable activities. But more often ordinary boys and girls, ordinary families help, for which we are very grateful.
In your opinion, is it possible to instill in people the desire to engage in charitable activities?
Maybe. Every day more and more people are engaged in charitable and volunteer activities. When people see that their work was not in vain, that through their actions they were able to help someone, it gives the desire to help more. That is why our organization "Ukrainian Families" shows the work of its activities and our volunteers. I think others are also pleased to see how ordinary days turn into a miracle for someone.
Tatiana Litvinova , TV presenter, judge of the Master Chef project :
Tatiana, please tell us about your attitude to such a concept as - charity?
I think that in everyone’s life there comes a moment when the heart softens and compassion and empathy appear. For some, just reading books and watching movies, someone climbs into the thick of it and is at the forefront. Everyone has their own tasks in life. To each his own. Some are touched by a kitten near the front door, the dog is homeless, others help, giving their all, all their lives to help the needy and sick. To each his own. Here, doctor, for example, who saves every day of his life, who is he, a benefactor? In my opinion, yes! And who is the cook who works in the heat of hell, under stress for 10 hours on his feet for pennies, who hardly sees his family, who is he? A benefactor? I will say this, it is difficult for everyone to live his life. There are no easy fates and cloudless lives. It is always easy to judge others from the outside. To each his own!
Do you think it is worth giving the topic of charity to the public?
As much as possible and desire, when the heart responds, I help, I do it quietly. Because such things love silence, in my opinion. My upbringing and moral principles do not allow me to publicize this. My principle is that help should be possible. On the strength of the helper.
In your opinion, should high-income public figures be involved in charity in the first place?
Due to the large shortage of material resources in all areas and the huge number of people in need of help and speculation on this, I, like many, tired. You know this feeling of frustration when you transfer money, and then accidentally find out that these are swindlers speculating on someone else’s grief. Now, when I help, I give personally. I also believe that help, including the fight against ignorance. When the Middle Ages and denseness, in people’s minds, prevents them from helping themselves. This is a state when an adult has grown up and is responsible for his own life. True, not everyone is given the same as Stephen Hawking, but each of us has a purpose and talent. We need to remember this and use this value.
It is also important to take care of others in the first place. My father has been bedridden for 6 years. Stroke. We take care of and take care of him as a family. We do not expect help from the state. This is my first and main task.
Maybe there are some examples that would inspire you to do charity work?
I don’t follow media people who do charity work. Is that for people who are struggling with illiteracy, the denseness of people, inspiring their position. For example - Yaroslava Gres and Inna Sergienko.
Read also : Anna and Maria Opanasyuk , Lyudmila Kravtsova and Viktor Yevpak - What is charity?
Everyone answers the question "What is charity?" Differently, because for each person this word has its own meaning, caused by certain life circumstances or emotions. But one thing is for sure, the main components of any charitable activity are compassion, mercy, I see in Artin ie and altruism. All this is characteristic of our heroes , which they will tell in more detail in an interview: Gleb Zagoriy , politician, scientist and philanthropist: Gleb, tell us, please, what does charity mean to you personally ?
Creating good. A businessman creates added value in money, a philanthropist creates added value for good. But there is one important difference. If you give money to someone, you have less. By doing good to someone, you become even more good. Seeing good multiply is a drive, it’s a passion. There is a less emotional but very accurate definition of charity. According to analysts at the John F. Kennedy School of Management at Harvard, they say that modern charity is not just a mental impulse, but a strategic redistribution of capital for the public good. After all, social inequality is a threat to the world in which entrepreneurs make money. Overcoming this inequality is a strategic task for business.
Do you think that if a person is involved in charity, should he advertise it? Will society perceive this as a good example, or as self-publicity?
It’s like asking: if we built a car, is it worth putting an engine on it? Of course! To popularize charity means to move it forward. Therefore, one of the activities of the Zagoriy Family Foundation is called Culture of Charity. There are many people who are willing to help others, but they do not know how to do it. As a result, their efforts do not go beyond alms in the underpass. What do we see from childhood? In the clinic and kindergarten - questionable "charitable contributions", consider - bribes. At the stations - an unpleasant kind of person with boxes and photos of non-existent sick children. In the subway - announcements "carefully, philanthropists can be engaged in charity". The deputy came to the school or hospital with gifts - nothing more than an election campaign.
As a result, charity is on the list of things to stay away from - like an electrical outlet or a pot of boiling water.
Our task is to show that charity is different. That it can really save lives, not cover the enrichment of officials. Therefore - yes, we will personally, as you said, advertise. But not the very fact of having a charity fund, but its specific projects.
For example, we have a project "I can save lives", which teaches schoolchildren and students the basics of pre-medical care. How can we not talk about it if we want to involve as many young people as possible in it? And ideally - to include a course on the basics of pre-medical care in the curriculum of secondary schools and universities. Or how not to advertise the project "Rehabilitation of the Future", when thousands of people in our country need rehabilitation procedures according to modern world standards? Fortunately, there are many people in the country who believe in charity, and their number is constantly growing.
Do you think that people with great wealth, influential people should help in the first place? Or is it a personal choice of each person?
I am a supporter of the three-dimensional model of charity and I am actively implementing it. What model? Someone is ready to help people only with money, because he has a lot of them. Someone donates personal time by voluntarily donating it to charity projects. Someone is creating ideas for these projects. If all three ways of help - financial, volunteer and creative - are combined, there is an amazing synergistic effect.
Charity should become commonplace. To the question "Do you do charity?" sounded as weird as "Do you breathe air?" Here, too, Harvard analysts give a very clear definition of this impulse: "universal charitable instinct."
What personally inspires and motivates you to do charity and philanthropy?
An opportunity to change the world for the better - no matter how pathetic it may sound. This summer, the first graduation of ATO veteran students took place, whom we trained together with the Kyiv School of Economics under the Entrepreneurship Support Program. I saw these people and understood that they will soon start modern businesses, give people new quality services. Over time, others will be taught entrepreneurship. But entrepreneurs are the driving force of the country. It is they who change the world and the relationships between people in this world. It is even more pleasant to realize that you are at the origins. After all, systemic charity is just emerging. Even in developed countries, philanthropists are still not integrated into a single system. And Ukraine is generally a set of projects isolated from each other, some of which, unfortunately, are corrupt.
By analogy with the transport system, Ukrainian charity now looks something like this: there is a train from Lviv to Uzhgorod, taxis can be called in Kiev, and there is a bus stop in Kharkiv where no one has ever seen a bus. And between the cities - impassable forests and fields.
Our goal is to build highways, that is, to establish communications in the field of charity. During my visits to the United States, I studied the American experience of establishing such ties. I especially liked the idea of the #GivingTuesday project. On the last Tuesday of November, members of this movement are holding campaigns around the world in favor of charities and write about it on social media, urging people to do good. 150 countries around the world, $ 60 million a year - and these figures are constantly growing!
In July of this year, Ukraine signed a memorandum of cooperation with the main office #GivingTuesday - now we have a movement #GenerousTuesday. And I am proud that the Zagoriy Family Foundation is one of the initiators of this project. Taisiya Nepokrytova
, Head of the Ukrainian Families NGO: What does charity mean to you ? For me, charity is first and foremost good deeds and activities that bring good to people. It is assistance with actions, projects, dissemination of information, as well as coverage of society’s problems. Do you think it is worth advertising your charity? Can this be an example that inspires other people?So. It is necessary because the coverage of its activities allows society to see that there are problems in society. That there are people, children, families who need help. Doing good deeds is easy, simple and many need it.
Everyone perceives information in their own way and has the right to do so. But the way my organization works, it does a lot of interesting, useful projects for the families of Ukraine, otherwise people will not learn about the possibility of participating in these projects. Also, thanks to the coverage of the organization, we are joined by new volunteers, or just caring people who want to help others.
Do you think that people with greater wealth should help in the first place?
Of course, it would not be bad for wealthy people to be more supportive of civic initiatives and charitable activities. But more often ordinary boys and girls, ordinary families help, for which we are very grateful.
In your opinion, is it possible to instill in people the desire to engage in charitable activities?
Maybe. Every day more and more people are engaged in charitable and volunteer activities. When people see that their work was not in vain, that through their actions they were able to help someone, it gives the desire to help more. That is why our organization "Ukrainian Families" shows the work of its activities and our volunteers. I think others are also pleased to see how ordinary days turn into a miracle for someone.
Tatiana Litvinova , TV presenter, judge of the Master Chef project :Tatiana, please tell us about your attitude to such a concept as - charity?
I think that in everyone’s life there comes a moment when the heart softens and compassion and empathy appear. For some, just reading books and watching movies, someone climbs into the thick of it and is at the forefront. Everyone has their own tasks in life. To each his own. Some are touched by a kitten near the front door, the dog is homeless, others help, giving their all, all their lives to help the needy and sick. To each his own. Here, doctor, for example, who saves every day of his life, who is he, a benefactor? In my opinion, yes! And who is the cook who works in the heat of hell, under stress for 10 hours on his feet for pennies, who hardly sees his family, who is he? A benefactor? I will say this, it is difficult for everyone to live his life. There are no easy fates and cloudless lives. It is always easy to judge others from the outside. To each his own!
Do you think it is worth giving the topic of charity to the public?
As much as possible and desire, when the heart responds, I help, I do it quietly. Because such things love silence, in my opinion. My upbringing and moral principles do not allow me to publicize this. My principle is that help should be possible. On the strength of the helper.
In your opinion, should high-income public figures be involved in charity in the first place?
Due to the large shortage of material resources in all areas and the huge number of people in need of help and speculation on this, I, like many, tired. You know this feeling of frustration when you transfer money, and then accidentally find out that these are swindlers speculating on someone else’s grief. Now, when I help, I give personally. I also believe that help, including the fight against ignorance. When the Middle Ages and denseness, in people’s minds, prevents them from helping themselves. This is a state when an adult has grown up and is responsible for his own life. True, not everyone is given the same as Stephen Hawking, but each of us has a purpose and talent. We need to remember this and use this value.
It is also important to take care of others in the first place. My father has been bedridden for 6 years. Stroke. We take care of and take care of him as a family. We do not expect help from the state. This is my first and main task.
Maybe there are some examples that would inspire you to do charity work?
I don’t follow media people who do charity work. Is that for people who are struggling with illiteracy, the denseness of people, inspiring their position. For example - Yaroslava Gres and Inna Sergienko.
Read also : Anna and Maria Opanasyuk , Lyudmila Kravtsova and Viktor Yevpak - What is charity?