Giving the new normal
Leading with altruism in a post-pandemic World
This has been the most globally unifying event since wartime. We have all shared some form of similar experience universally. Community grows from a shared experience.
As the curves begin to flatten, we all get a glimpse of the light at the end of the tunnel. We start to imagine what life might be like when we return to the new normal. What have we learned during this time? What do we want to take with us into the new World?
Many of us have used this time to take an inventory; to get our lives in order, stopping that negative habit, starting a healthier one, sorting out that thing we’ve been putting off, starting that new project, realising how we want to reshape our personal and work life. We have found what is most important to us, the people who we make the effort to connect with, noticing the activities we miss, and the ones we don’t. We have experienced a slower pace of life, one with a much smaller environment to explore and be in. Many have spent more time going inward, spending more time with ourselves than ever, in an uninterrupted, FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) free existence. We have become more serious about our mental and physical health than ever before; taking the time to be embodied, using our physical bodies, and finding peace through meditation in the exercise. We are ever more aware and free of the taboos around mental health, asking after our friends and family’s wellbeing mentally, through this isolated and traumatic time.
These times have highlighted our empathy. We’ve seen over 6000 mutual-aid groups pop-up all over the UK (and much more Worldwide) each containing a network of caring neighbours, who raise their hands to help others. If nothing else, this has clearly displayed the underlying love and care people have for their fellow humans. Strangers helping strangers, building community resilience, and breaking down walls of ‘other’.
What shall we take with us, into a post-pandemic World?
I believe that if there is one outcome worth holding onto, it’s keeping giving the new normal. These communities of neighbours that foster mutual aid are such a profound representation of our evolution of care. They show people giving without a need for a return. They unveil our commonality for collaboration above competition. They show us that in tough and stressful times, our natural reaction is to care for the group and share our resources.
I believe this is a time for all of us to become more leaderful. It is not realistic to look solely at our government to take care of us. It’s unreasonable to give the responsibility of our future into the hands of so few. It’s a time for us to come together and begin organising as a collective.
We have built Gigfunding as just one of the ways to keep this new culture of mutual-aid alive. It’s a non-profit, grass-roots giving movement, volunteer-built, from the heart.
It’s an online marketplace where you can hire or volunteer local skills with your neighbours, where all of the money is donated to causes you choose.
Example:
Sarah pays £50 to hire Jane, a local hairdresser, to cut her hair on Gigfunding. Jane volunteers her skills just once a month on the site. This way she gets to give regularly, doing something she loves. £25 goes to Sarah’s favourite cause (a local food bank) and £25 goes to Jane’s favourite (a nearby homeless shelter). They both have a chance to socialise with someone locally they didn’t know, while supporting two local causes with significant and sustainable donations of unrestricted funds.
Some gigs will be high social value and low fundraising value:
Example:
Jeff (75 yrs) requests for a chess partner for £1 on Gigfunding, with help from his daughter. A nearby neighbour, Alice, enjoys Chess, and loves meeting people of a different generation, and accepts the request, paying £1. The money goes to local causes, but it is fairly insignificant in this scenario. Jeff, having lost his partner, is lonely, but through this facilitated gig, he gets to meet someone locally, Alice, to play his favourite game and tell his life stories. The opportunity to fundraise here, simply facilitates a social interaction, tackling social isolation directly.
It’s all about encouraging participation in the solutions that exist and diversifying the way people can give.
I don’t believe many of us want to go ‘back to normal’. If anything, this time has helped us all see the things we have taken for granted, the things that were missing in ‘normality’; setting our new priorities and intentions moving forward.
I believe one of the most prominent silver lining to shine through this pandemic has been our profound ability to give and share with others.
It is now up to all of us, to keep this kindness, cohesion, and community organsing alive.
