A question. What is the PURPOSE of charity?
We’ll get back to this later.
First, some facts. We live in an increasingly volatile and uncertain world, swinging dangerously between xenophobia, inequality, and polarization. As our costs of living reach unsustainable heights, economic motives propagate cancel-culture, extremism and flagrant self-promotion.
Amidst all this chaos, we sometimes forget that the modes of human interaction are never at a standstill. The medieval messenger is no more, replaced by the modern radio and now contemporary social media.
So then a second question: What is the next medium of interaction between Millennials, Gen-Z, Gen-Alpha and beyond, and what will that world look like?
Such a question requires introspection. It prompts us to recognize that the makeup of an individual is fragmented by nature. A person’s image and taste require construction over time; they never come fully formed.
We understand the trendy theme of the day is web3. What drives a trend to total mainstream adoption? Where once sat heads of churches and now sit heads of state, the future seems to offer “smart contracts” and “decentralized authentication”. Yet what purpose is embraced by this vision, except perhaps the enrichment of prospectors looking to stake a claim in the Wild Wild West without creating use cases with real world utility?
Don’t get me wrong — I believe in web3. I believe in digital identity. What I really believe in though, is a new “Thing” to replace everything.
Back to the first question. The PURPOSE of charity is to cease existing as quickly as possible. If we are so good at selling (red) smartphones, we should have sold enough now to eradicate disease. If we are so good at sheltering the homeless, we should provide enough homes so that there are no more homeless people. If we are so good at raising money for cancer research, we should cure cancer. You get the point.
Alas, the world does not work this way — charity exists to serve multiple masters — the people it employs, the social credibility and tax advantages that come with being a “philanthropist”, the large corporations that get a feel-good sticker for “making a difference”. The debatable amount of help that goes to the ultimate beneficiaries often appears to be a mere by-product or consequence of the central actors.
Much of philanthropy is stuck in the old ways, harkening back to days when barbers performed our surgeries. News flash — time has moved on, and we cannot create real and lasting impact within this broken framework.
While change is neither easy nor fast, there is only one place to start to address the concept of charity with finality. This is a place where sharing forms a core part of our identity. Where giving is not centralized within a handful of mega-institutions but shared across our society. Where everyone is empowered, encouraged, and incentivized to create positive impact across each of our communities.
Now let’s answer the second question. There is no doubt that in the near future, the medium of interaction between Gen-Z, Gen-Alpha and beyond certainly lies across metaverse platforms. Digital identity will replace physical identity as we migrate to a virtual world. It’s already, by and large, changed the way that we work, meet, live, date, and shop.
It’s clear that existing organizations and opportunities don’t suit our next and future generations, that GDP growth no longer reflects well-being, and that ownership of identity, image, and information — the core of what makes you, YOU, will be challenged and democratized.
“Elevating the world’s consciousness” will not happen through co-working (or co-living for that matter). This happens through building a community that can transact both virtually and IRL, not exclusively in fiat, not exclusively in another decentralized token that is sold in a centralized exchange, but in a new currency that’s been around forever: IMPACT. Consumerism will always lie entwined with making money, but it should also connect with the good you can bring to your community. Impact should not be measured just by how much money you donate (which is virtual), but also by what (real-world) humanitarian work you do. In this new world, you shouldn’t be disadvantaged if you choose to work in a non-profit rather than as a banker. And if you make a bunch of money and use it to create good in the world…well, that’s great too.
So here’s the Thing that replaces everything.
- Yes, a virtual meta world.
- Where your digital identity matters.
- And is enhanced through creating positive, quantifiable IMPACT.
- Where IMPACT is not regulated by a centralized entity but defined, curated and crowdsourced by the community.
- And where consumption and commerce transact via IMPACT, first as an addition to fiat, and ultimately as a replacement to fiat.
- And it needs to be fun.
That’s it. That’s the big idea. Everyone has a big idea, but we are building ours. Come join.
