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'A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity'. ~The Buddha~
‘There is no higher religion than human service. To work for the common good is the greatest creed.'-Woodrow Wilson
'What is the essence of a good life?' Aristotle tells us that it is ‘to serve others and to do good.’
It was, for sure, the volunteering spirit of London Olympics that made the event so special and so memorable
Photo: The Independent
It was a fitting finale to the greatest Olympic Games the world has ever seen, so said many commentators and newspapers’ headlines yesterday (Monday 13 August 2012). Indeed, without a doubt, London 2012 was a dream come true for everybody.
A pertinent question at this time is:
What made the London Olympics such a great success? Was it money? Was it IT, engineering, design, the Olympic village, good public transport, sponsorship, and more? For sure they all helped. But, for many, including myself, the main answer lies somewhere else. Where, you may ask?
It was ordinary British people who turned London 2012 into an unprecedented spectacle with their passion and generosity of spirit, kindness, hospitality, and volunteerism.
International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge said the London 2012 Games were “absolutely fabulous” and will “long be remembered as a benchmark for sporting excellence”.
He said: “London has been a gracious host and the Games will unquestionably leave a long and lasting legacy for the city, country and Olympic movement.”
The "spirit of generosity" demonstrated by British people during the London 2012 Olympics has also been hailed by Lord Coe, Chairman of Games organising committee.
He thanked the athletes for creating "moments of heroism and heartbreak", the spectators for their "spirit of generosity" and the volunteers for being the "best ever".
"Our volunteers have been sensational. They've had boundless enthusiasm, goodwill, humour - they've done it with grace. And they have in large part been the face of these Games," he said.
In short, for me, it was the people and their values that made the London Olympics great. This, for sure has a very significant lesson for everybody, everywhere, here in the UK and elsewhere:
The Spirit of Generosity is what matters most. Given the significance of this, let us see what this spirit is, and what it is all about:
Generosity of Spirit
As it has been observed, “The concept of generosity has many meanings, most often connoting giving of money or gifts to charities or other people. Other definitions of the word include:
*Showing a readiness to give more of something, as money or time, than is strictly necessary or expected.
*Showing kindness toward others.
*Liberal in giving or sharing; unselfish; free from meanness or smallness of mind or character; magnanimous.
These are the three I want to focus on in this post. When put together, I refer to this definition as “generosity of spirit.”
The concept suggests that one engages others with an open heart and mind. It presumes a non-judgmental attitude along with a tolerance for ideas and behaviors that may not comport with one’s own. It requires a high level of tolerance for different beliefs, values, and behavior. Generosity of spirit requires that one spend more energy looking at what it good and positive in someone than at what one thinks is bad or negative. Generosity of spirit embraces differences with acceptance.
People who are generous of spirit are genuinely happy for others good fortune irrespective of their own circumstances. They are devoid of envy, seldom have disparaging thoughts about others and never make disparaging comments. They tend to look for and assume the best in people and treat all people with the same degree of respect and acceptance. They go beyond mere tolerance; they tend to be more magnanimous and are able to include greater differences from their own beliefs or values.
We have a choice as to how we will orient ourselves in the world and how we will act. We can choose to view the world through the eyes of a positivist who sees the world as filled with possibility and potential, and thereby approaches life with enthusiasm, wonder, and joy. Or we can view the world through the eyes of the cynic, who sees nothing but corruption, and therefor approaches the world with distrust, suspicion, sarcasm, and scorn.
Similarly, we can engage the world with a generosity of spirit where we greet people with trust, openness, and compassion or we can choose to engage from the position of self-pity, envy, and disdain. Should we choose the former, we increase the probability of experiencing happiness in our lives; if we choose the latter, we increase the probability of feeling depressed and resentful. The choice is ours.”
Read more on “Spirit of Generosity” at the London Olympics:
The volunteers are 70000 reasons why these Games are great
PERSPECTIVES ON THE VOLUNTEERING LEGACY OF THE LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES
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A senior Tory minister, whose party under its former Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, introduced the most aggressive and destructive form of neo-liberalism in Britain, with its privatisation, deregulation, and marketisation agenda, has finally succumbed to the truth and has wisened up.
Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has said that the failure of G4S in the run-up to the Olympics has challenged his thinking on the private sector.
Former businessman Mr Hammond told the Independent he went into government with a "starting prejudice" that it should learn from the private sector.- Details
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A Message from Kamran Mofid to mark International Youth Day, 12 August 2012
Photo: larazonsanluis.com
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”- Mark Twain
On 17 December 1999, in its resolution 54/120, the United Nations General Assembly endorsed the recommendation made by the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth (Lisbon, 8-12 August 1998) that 12 August be declared International Youth Day.
The theme of International Youth Day 2012 is "Building a Better World: Partnering with Youth" — a global call to action to develop and engage in partnerships with and for youth.
Over 50% of the global population is under 30, and with the global population at over 7 billion - that’s a lot of young people. Young people are incredibly important in bringing about change, they are generally less afraid to speak out about what they believe in than older people, and they are the ones who are going to be affected the most by the decisions made today. If we effectively harness the leadership and potential of young people around the world then together we can empower youth for the common good.
We must realise that what the young lack in experience they make up for in courage and vision, dreams and hope for a better, more sustainable future.
In the words of Sir Winston Churchill:
“Come on now you young, all over the world. 'The earth is yours and the fullness thereof.' Accept your responsibilities. Raise the glorious flags again, advance them upon the new enemies, who constantly gather upon the front of the human army, and have only to be assaulted to be overthrown. You will make all kinds of mistakes; but as long as you are generous and true, and also fierce, you cannot hurt the world or even seriously distress her. She was made to be wooed and won by youth.”
Whilst evoking Jefferson, Luther, Alexander and Joan of Arc, Robert Kennedy once declared that:
"The answer is to rely on youth. Not a time of life but a state of mind. A temper of the will. A quality of imagination. A predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the love of ease."
Today mark a time when youth are raising their voices to claim their place in the future of their communities, societies, countries and the world. The need to be heard, and to go beyond and actually shape decision-making, is of the essence.
Today the youth of the world have committed themselves to build a world that is just, free and prosperous for all, by promoting and practicing the true human values of love, compassion, justice, dialogue, truthfulness, honesty, trustworthiness, humility, courtesy, hard work, dedication, commitment, sympathy, empathy, volunteerism and service. Values such as these should never be underestimated; the power of a value-led life coupled with the commitment and the passion of young activists is a force for change that cannot be matched. The youth are empowering the world for the common good.
These qualities, essential for the moulding of character, must be internalised, and be expressed in daily action, whether in the context of family, community, country, or the world at large. The youth are an instrument of peace, promoting dialogue, advancing justice, so that we can all realise our dreams. The dream of young people has become the dream of the older generation. Their hope is now our hope.
Whilst paraphrasing the wise words of the United Nations Secretary- General, and echoing his hope, it can be seen that, around the world, there is growing recognition of the need to strengthen policies and investments involving young people. On International Youth Day, I call on Governments, the private sector, civil society and academia to open doors for young people and strengthen partnerships with youth-led organizations. Youth can determine whether this era moves toward greater peril or more positive change. They must not be let down.
Recalling the wise words of Mahatma Gandhi:
"I have the highest admiration for young people and I believe very strongly that they are dreamers, they are idealists, they believe it is possible to make poverty history and to have a world without war and where there is no hunger. I want to be able to enable young people to change the world and to make the world the place that God wants it to become.”
I know that young people are inspired by so much wisdom before them and are changing our troubled world for the better, enabling us to build a world fit for the common good.
Prof. Kamran Mofid
Founder, Globalisation for the Common Good Initiative
Coventry, 12 August 2012
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