Every day I check the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center website (Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center) to find out how many people have been affected by COVID-19 globally. Today, the 22nd of March, there are 328,275 confirmed cases worldwide. Even more devastating is the total number of people who have died from COVID-19, which has reached 13,714 worldwide. Reading these statistics, I imagine the grief of families who have lost their loved ones unexpectedly, and who remain without hope as others around them become sick. When I learn that Italy has the highest mortality rate of 5,476 people, I wonder if Italians still believe that they will get through this. Are they terrified? Are they optimistic?
During all of this, I have realized that every disaster has a bright side, or a lesson to be learned. Every hurricane, terrorist attack, or rapidly spread disease teaches us something about ourselves. How do we respond to a crisis? Are people inherently good? Will people come together in a time of need? I have been in contact with my cousins in Cerda, Sicily, and I have asked them these questions. How is your community responding to COVID-19? Are you remaining positive?
On twitter, videos of quarantined Italian families singing to each other from their homes have reached the hearts of millions of people worldwide. These videos have given us hope, and have proven that people will unite and support one another in a disaster. One video has touched me in particular, of families in Siena singing in a cheerful tune despite the madness around them (https://twitter.com/davidallegranti/status/1238232097636200448?s=20). The video has reached 2.5 million viewers. Italian journalist David Allegranti spoke of the event, “In Siena, the city to which I am very attached, you stay at home but sing together as if you were on the street” (twitter). A similar video, released from Naples, features Italian families singing to each other from their apartments, clapping for one another, and honking horns (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NySV_U_voc).
The dictionary defines philanthropy as “the desire to promote the welfare of others, expressed especially by the generous donation of money to good causes.” So far in our course, we have been faced with the task of donating $11,000 to a charity of our choice. However, in our research, we have learned that philanthropy is about much more than money- philanthropy is about supporting our communities. Sending a positive message to a non-profit, thanking them for their work, is just as impactful as giving them a $20 donation. In Italy, civilians who are stuck inside their homes may not have money to donate to research or resource centers for COVID-19. Regardless, Italians have become philanthropists, promoting the welfare of their neighbors through song. Through sending lyrical messages of peace and hope, they have united families around the world who are also suffering. Philanthropy, as we have all learned, is an extremely powerful resource. In “The Gospel of Wealth,” Andrew Carnegie explains that wealth and philanthropy is destined to bring “peace on earth, among men goodwill.” Today, the world is faced with a crisis. As philanthropists, it is our responsibility to inspire this “peace on earth,” whether through a $1 donation to Italy, or through a song.
It's amazing how the world will be changed through this pandemic. So much of the modern world has been exposed from the COVID-19 pandemic, from government inaction to lack of preparation. It almost makes one think that this is the end of times. But as shown in Italy, people keep their spirits up by remembering that it will get better after it gets worse. I think we can all be philanthropists in the same sense the people of Italy are. We can send a text to our friends, asking if they are okay, or we can remind them to stay inside and be safe. Through the power of goodwill, we can all get through this pandemic, even if we don't have money to donate to research.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading this blog post - I feel like in times like this, it's so easy to fall into a hopeless mindset when every news outlet and social media platform is sharing the devastating tragedies happening around the world. I find the concept of philanthropy through song, as you explained through your example of what is happening in Italy right now, to be intriguing because it redefines our association with money and philanthropy. I agree that the values of philanthropy align with these actions, and we've talked a bit in class about how philanthropy can also mean giving non-materialistic things like your time. I believe philanthropy is inclusive of contributing whatever you are able to in order to uplift others. In this situation, it may be difficult to share resources or give money, especially when families may now be struggling with the closure of non-essential businesses. However, we can still share positivity through the means that we are still able to access.
ReplyDeleteI think that this class is especially important right now, because we are aware of so many people that may need our help. The call with RISE the other day was eye-opening because it made me realize that there are people who will suffer the consequences of this quarantine when services are cut - for example, the RISE shelters have limited the size from 20 to 8, which makes me wonder what will happen to the people they have to turn away due to COVID-19. Also, Professor Campbell brought up the important point that all the organizations that we are considering will now be struggling in similar ways due to COVID-19. While this may make our decision more difficult, as the need for money/philanthropy has increased so much more, I also think that we should focus on the fact that we can still do a lot of good.
I also want to bring up the importance of focusing on these people who may be struggling a lot more due to the loss of services - I would like to encourage people to ensure that the stimulus bill provides for the homeless. The House Democrats have offered a bill to save the economy during the corona virus, which is to move to a digital currency so "that economic stimulus payments can be delivered to U.S citizens." (https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonbrett/2020/03/23/new-coronavirus-stimulus-bill-introduces-digital-dollar-and-digital-dollar-wallets/#4caf0e714bea)
Call your representatives (202-224-3121) to ensure that the bill will also fund homelessness services, fund housing assistance, and place a moratorium on evictions.
-Maggie
This blog post was incredibly insightful. I have also been looking at many updates regarding the COVID-19 virus around the around the world via the Johns Hopkins website. It gives such useful and accurate information and I am glad that people are sharing this tool. In addition to the worldly statistic updates on deaths, I have also noticed how even though the rate in Italy is incredibly high, the Italians seem to have more positive than negative news. The Italians have shown the positive aspects of philanthropy through spreading positivity. Although many tend to view philanthropy as a money giving act, you are absolutely right that it can also be done through these positive acts as the Italians are doing.
ReplyDeleteWhile I have been looking at the worldly updates of this virus, I also found more positive news in Italy, even though most would expect nothing but grim news coming from them. While looking over information regarding Venice, one article stood out to me. Many people im sure have seen these viral videos of dolphins and schools of fish now swimming in the clear waters of Venice since it is on lockdown. This video, https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2020/mar/20/dolphins-and-fish-nature-moves-into-spaces-left-empty-by-italian-coronavirus-quarantine-video shows such simple details such as clear waters and fish. Most people would scroll past this during any other time. However, being that the Italians are spreading such positive philanthropy around, it is almost impossible not to find joy from this video. Having been to Venice myself these viral videos of the now clear waters in Venice seemed mind boggling to me. The waters when I went were nothing but dirty and smelly.
If other countries could spread such positivity in even the darkest of times, then we can all find peace in these confusing and seemingly scary times. Thank you for acknowledging how philanthropy can not only help those in need through monetary donations, but also by spreading positivity to those who may need it the most.
- Elly
I loved this post, how you compared the happiness and unity gained from singing together in a time of crisis to philanthropy was very interesting. Obviously, with this virus and the economic fallout so many people need financial help, but people trapped in their house for days and weeks on end also need to deal with their mental health. As someone who likes going out and seeing friends, this quarantine has taken a toll on my overall happiness and I imagine it's even worse for the people in Italy. This virus will unfortunately get worse before it gets better, and we may need some song to get us through these next few months. One thing I have taken away from this class is philanthropy comes in many different forms, and maybe some joy is what some people need most right now. Thanks so much for a great and thought provoking post!
ReplyDelete-Luke
When I read this post, I could not stop one thing from coming to mind: the instantly infamous video of 25 celebrities pitchily singing “Imagine” by John Lennon. If you haven’t seen it, I am not linking it because I do not want to be responsible for subjecting anyone else to it myself, but feel free to look it up. At face value, the example you gave of Italians singing to each other throughout their neighborhoods and this star-studded cover should be essentially the same. They are both using song as a means of philanthropy, as you argue, to motivate and inspire people during the pandemic. However, the internet at large has reacted to both situations in opposite ways, and, I believe, rightly so.
ReplyDeleteI think with your example, as a global audience we recognized that staying in their homes was really all they could do, and singing was the only way to provide some relief. The virality came from the surprise and the heartwarming-ness of strangers coming together in such a way. On the other hand, the “Imagine” video backfired because it missed both these marks. Those celebrities all know each other in some way, and expect that we all know of them (though to be honest I didn’t recognize many), so it is not some amazing coincidence that they all decided to sing. And the virality was completely manufactured since the videos were all posted from the celebrities’ accounts with millions of followers. The celebrities were not singing together to uplift each other, but to make us regular old people feel better. The most apparent and damning pitfall, however, was that the celebrities did all of this when they could have just kept quiet and donated some of their gigantic sums of money to help with the crisis (of course, the wealth of those in entertainment doesn’t even come close to the likes of Bezos, Gates, Buffet, and Zuckerberg, but I digress). Not to say that none of the people in that video have given any money, I’m sure they all have, but I would also have to assume those sums are crumbs to them proportionally. Overall, it just makes for an incredibly patronizing and unnecessary “gesture.” And the cherry on top is that Gal Gadot, who leads the video, says she was inspired by a video of an Italian man playing “Imagine” on an instrument from his balcony.
All of this is to say that, while I agree with your point that an act of goodwill like a song can be an act of philanthropy, it was definitely not in the “Imagine” cover’s case. Philanthropy is a highly situational and personal thing, and we ought to remember that and always take a critical eye to anytime someone is “helping.”