Teach a Man to Fish: Respecting the Dignity of the Individual

One of my favorite hobbies is to watch TED talks on Youtube.  Briefly, TED is an academic forum for people, typically experts in their fields, to give short talks to an audience about whatever it is they're working on, and those talks are videotaped and posted to Youtube.  I watched a video by Josette Sheeran, who heads the UN's World Food Program, entitled "Ending Hunger Now."  I found this video to be rather fascinating because Mrs. Sheeran suggested that world hunger could be ended now if we are willing to take the collective steps to make that happen.  One idea she shared that I especially found relevant is the idea that, rather than just giving away food to those victims of hunger, we empower them to be the solution of their own problem, thus feeding them and stimulating their local economy.

This is an idea I think we should take to heart with every occasion of service.  When we serve others, we run the risk of degrading people, or patronizing them, which can violate their dignity as a person.  What Sheeran suggests is a brillian idea in service work, and its not new.  The old adage "Give a man a fish, and he'll eat for a day.  Teach a man to fish, and he'll eat for a lifetime." holds true, and is closely related to the Franciscan Value of Dignity of the Individual.  We, as servants, should always be on the watch for these opportunities, and really strive to help others help themselves.

My favorite site, Rebuilding the Wall, does this quite well.  For those of you who don't know much about RTW, it is similar to Habitat for Humanity in that it provides housing for unfortunate families with the expectation of them returning the favor.  Now, RTW could just give houses away, but in having people rebuild their own community, it empowers them and makes them realize how valuable they really are.  People need to see that they are able and powerful, that they are not helpless or hopeless, but with a little help, they can determine their own fate. 

Service hinges on this sort of interaction, and we will be successful to the extent that we see those we serve as equal to us in dignity and value.  We cannot look down on them, nor can we look at them in pity.  Service is not about the powerful helping the powerless, its about the realization that there is no difference between myself and the person I serve, nor is there any reason why I shouldn't support them as I would my own brother or sister.  Christ, being God, became man, being one with us in the greatest act of charity ever known.  We call him our elder brother, making all of us siblings, from the wealthiest man to the poorest soul.  To see those we serve as brother and sister and give them that respect, that is the heart of service.