I can’t ignore it any more. As controversial and unpopular as it might turn out to be, there’s something I have to face.

It’s an idea, a gut feeling I’ve been dancing around for a long time. It flies in the face of most of the current thinking about charity. People might be offended.

Pssst....I might be anti-charity

Pssst….I might be anti-charity

But the more I work in this space, meet people who are trying to make a difference, and hear from brilliant thinkers like Slavoj Zizek, the more I have to face up to it:

The charitable sector in its current form might be a bad idea. It’s very possible that most of us would be better off not participating in it at all.

I do think there’s a role for charity. I just don’t think it’s the one it’s trying to play right now.

My suspicion is that charity is too small, weak, and restricted to do the job it’s expected to do, namely: fix all the problems of the world.

Meanwhile, it may be far too big, loud, and pervasive to do the job it’s actually meant to do, which is act as a safety net for people who fall through the cracks; addressing immediate (and preferably short term) needs.

This is just the tip of the iceberg on this subject. Although I’ve managed to finally look it in the face, I’m nowhere near sure about it. I’m setting out on a journey to research and explore it. I have a lot of work to do.

Will you come with me? I think we’ll all get a lot out of it.