"It's better to light a candle than to curse the darkness."
This message has been echoed by peoples across the world since time immemorial. In moments of self-doubt as to the impact of things I struggle for, and seem to fail at, this proverb gives me strength. To me, it humbly acknowledges the limitations we all have, but accepts our responsibility to DO something with our modest abilities. I believe that in every generation, people are presented with challenges that demand the depth of their beliefs be tested. And across many places, cultures and times, the guiding principles of this proverb have retained a deep relevance.
I vividly remember Jan. 14, 2010, two days after an earthquake rocked Haiti. There was great energy in every segment of the Dartmouth community and inspiring efforts to mobilize donations and medical teams. That evening, the seminar room at the Tucker Foundation overflowed with concerned students. Amidst the stories, the tears and the birth of ideas, I sat on the ground at the edge of the buzzing room and reflected on one profound feeling: it is a myth that students are apathetic to the troubles of the world.
Students do indeed care. But, the qualms that critics voiced in the subsequent days were not about caring per se, rather, seriously questioning how we young people thousands of miles away from Haiti, without much money or relevant skills could do anything of real value. This is a valid and troubling question. The beautiful spirit of compassion and concern, it seemed, would be overcome by practical questions of implementation (especially in the long-term). Beyond raising money or travelling to Haiti with specialized skills, there have been lively debates as to the most ethical, responsible and impactful ways to continue assisting people thousands of miles away and respond to those suffering in distant places. Please allow me to offer such an idea.
Perhaps one under-appreciated way to support Haiti, given our limitations and unique position in the world, is by engaging in local service here at Dartmouth and in the Upper Valley. In the paradigm of global connections, this is paradoxically akin to direct service.
The needs of the local community are different from those of the Haitian community, but that does not make our connection less compelling. Tucker initiatives such as DREAM, MoneySmart, Haven Homework Club and Prison Project, along with many others, make a very positive impact for participants on both sides of the relationship. These programs harness the strengths and passions of students to provide modest, meaningful support that emphasizes self-empowerment, education and sustained engagement with communities that draw great benefit from this relationship.
Imagine if the work we do with local communities is effective, and self-empowered individuals overcome the obstacles that allow them to dream higher and achieve more. These individuals most of us, myself included, consider ourselves to be such byproducts of caring individuals that helped us get to where we are "pay it forward" to others, and these communities reach out farther. Person by person, step by step, is it possible that these helping hands could reach Haiti? If true, could the fact that Haiti is at the end a road of a thousand miles matter less than the nature of that road?
Paying it forward is not a zero-sum game. Education and self-empowerment are regenerative and reciprocal. An ethic of informed service and engagement is not a fire that diminishes with our giving; the candle loses nothing by lighting another candle. Still, those who have been involved in community service know one familiar, deflating question: did anything I strived for make a real difference, or are my efforts a mere drop in the ocean? I believe in the value of this question. But, I also believe that this argument, that making a responsible (albeit small) contribution towards social justice does not make a significant difference, is one of the most dangerous perspectives we can encounter in our journeys to make the world a better place and make the problems of this world our problems.
No matter how loudly the critics will curse the darkness of these problems and belittle your attempts to address them, keep struggling. Push for our collective future to emerge ever-brighter by lighting candles at community vigils, in your art, in your conversations, in your modest donations, in your academics and in your dreams.
