What is charity?
"I do philanthropy not out of guilt or the need to build a good reputation. I do philanthropy because I believe in what I do. ”© George Soros. Different views, different destinies, completely different environment and preferences. Sometimes, looking at our interviewers, you don’t realize what can unite so many different people. For all their individuality, each of them has such a common character trait as indifference and desire to help. It is with such people that we communicate in our monthly column entitled "What is charity?", Where each of them will tell us what meaning he puts into this word.
Kyrylo Sergeyev, Director of Sergeyev & Partners Law Firm, ATO Veteran:
Kyrylo, what does the word charity mean to you personally?
Charity must be distinguished from philanthropy - non-refundable financial assistance. Charity is a useless good, help to those who are unable to help themselves. You don’t need to invest money for charity, you often don’t need money to help others. You can donate blood for the sick, weave a net for the army, or clean the rooms of nursing homes.
Let me give you a simple example: I am one of my clients in law - a large institution, they said they have a base on Lake Sinivir. I persuaded them to accept there children of the lost participants of anti-terrorist operation. My colleague gathered 20 children and persuaded the transport company to allocate a bus. That’s right , we didn’t invest a single hryvnia, we found two patrons and 20 children whose parents died in the anti-terrorist operation had a good rest.
Do you think that if a person is involved in charity, should he advertise it? Will others see this as a good example, or " self-publicity " ?
A distinction needs to be made between private charity and professional volunteers. The latter are a kind of intermediaries for collecting people’s problems and patrons’ funds. If you want to do a good deed with money, it is better to turn to them, because they are raising money from many people and knowing the problems of their social group, able to solve larger problems. It is important to themand to risk their activities, otherwise potential patrons will not learn about them.
Private charity should not be advertised as a recommendation, because people are often ungrateful, and for good , they may respond with envy and accusations. Therefore, in order not to have unnecessary hopes, it is better to do good deeds as a call of the soul without waiting for anything in return. Although there are exceptions, for example: when you have done a non-standard good deed and want other people to do the same, you also need to inform others so that they know about this format of charity. M and somehow offered to comradeson duty, so that they pay attention to children, especially sons, their fallen brothers. We said: it doesn’t require money, play football with him or learn to drive a car, or explain how to meet a girl - he lost his father, and you can at least partially give him what his father would give if he did not die.
Do you think that only people with wealth should do charity, or is it a social duty of each of us?
Neither one nor the other. Patrons are those whose wealth is greater than the recipients they help. Professional volunteers should be paid because it is their profession. And in order to do a good deed in everyday life, money is not needed.
Besides, I don’t like the term "duty." Charity is not a duty , but an exceptional state, when you wanted to help a person / people, and you realized your desire in action. But forcing someone to do charity is absolutely unacceptable .
In your opinion, is it possible to somehow encourage young people and instill a desire to help others?
It is impossible to instill a desire to help. Because often, this desire is situational and arises where a person does not expect it on his own . You can give knowledge about how you can help, because often, if you want, a person does not know how to get this help - who to turn to and where to go.
Here is an example from my own life : I.Once a woman approached me, she organized a collection of things for people who live on the demarcation line of the ATO. After picking up 5 tons, he realized that he did not know who they were and where to get the transport. Therefore, it is impossible to encourage desires, but it is possible to give knowledge of how to put these desires into practice . Anastasia D`yakova , National Expert on Protecting Children from Violence, in the Office of the Commissioner for Children’s Rights: Anastasia, what does charity mean to you personally? For me, charity is a caring attitude to what is happening around you, as well as real actions aimed at improving the situation.
In your opinion, influential and wealthy people should be involved in charity in the first place, but is it still a social duty of every caring person?
Charity is not a duty at all - first of all it is education, values and vocation of the soul. In my opinion, it should not depend on your wealth.
Is it worth advertising the topic of charity? In your opinion, this is more perceived by others as a good example, or is it an attempt to " sa m opiar " ?
I believe that the main thing is not whether they talk about good deeds in detail or not, but what the person’s motive is. If someone does a good deed to promote and assert their ego, the world feels it and then the return can be expected. If the motive is help and change, then giving publicity increases the chances that someone else will want to help too.
Roman Kholodov , a volunteer, has provided humanitarian and medical care to the homeless and the elderly for many years: Roman, what does charity mean to you personally? But from what moment in your life did you have a desire to do this ? Benevolence is what _
inherent in everyone. Everyone has this grain, and how much it will germinate in their lifetime, or muffled in the beginning, depends on the person himself. Charity, for me, is a kind of friendship between us and those we help. The desire to volunteer has been present for a long time, but always interfered with the complex "I can not, I can not afford it, I have no resources, etc." The main impetus for the beginning of such activities, as in many, was the war. First, as a volunteer work for the military, and then, it turned into a project to help people who find themselves in difficult life situations.
As far as I know, your poster is not your charitable activity? Why is that? But do you think it is worth advertising the topic of charity?
It is worth advertising - how you do it and why you do it. Many people, paradoxically, have a certain fear, a barrier to volunteer work, and coverage of such events helps to overcome it and help people open up. I have a negative attitude to the political context in various charitable actions, although there is a clear understanding that political parties have their own financial resources that would contribute to the work, but to promote political forces on charity is very, in my opinion, dirty.
Do you think that only people with wealth should be involved in charity, or is it the duty of each of us?
Almost everyone can volunteer! Charity is not only helping someone financially or physically, it is also psychological or spiritual help. If you can’t afford it, just talk to them. For the elderly or people in difficulty and it is very important to listen to them. After all, the main thing for them is attention!
What inspiration do you have ? I wonder if the goal is to make you keep your hands down and keep doing it ?
Inspire people who need our help, because they believe in the best, and the best for them is a piece of bread, a hug and a kind word. We have something to learn from them. After talking to them, you begin to value your family, your time and what you spend it on, a certain system of values is developed. At first I was afraid that it would be difficult for me to communicate with people who found themselves in nursing homes, in hospitals, just in difficult life circumstances. But in fact it is easy, because they are waiting for each arrival.
And I can’t help but rejoice that I find like-minded people who think the same way I do. Who take real steps to help and are not afraid that they will not be able to.
Read also: Gleb Zagoriy, Taisiya Nepokritova and Tatiana Litvinova - What is charity?
Kyrylo Sergeyev, Director of Sergeyev & Partners Law Firm, ATO Veteran: Kyrylo, what does the word charity mean to you personally?
Charity must be distinguished from philanthropy - non-refundable financial assistance. Charity is a useless good, help to those who are unable to help themselves. You don’t need to invest money for charity, you often don’t need money to help others. You can donate blood for the sick, weave a net for the army, or clean the rooms of nursing homes.
Let me give you a simple example: I am one of my clients in law - a large institution, they said they have a base on Lake Sinivir. I persuaded them to accept there children of the lost participants of anti-terrorist operation. My colleague gathered 20 children and persuaded the transport company to allocate a bus. That’s right , we didn’t invest a single hryvnia, we found two patrons and 20 children whose parents died in the anti-terrorist operation had a good rest.
Do you think that if a person is involved in charity, should he advertise it? Will others see this as a good example, or " self-publicity " ?
A distinction needs to be made between private charity and professional volunteers. The latter are a kind of intermediaries for collecting people’s problems and patrons’ funds. If you want to do a good deed with money, it is better to turn to them, because they are raising money from many people and knowing the problems of their social group, able to solve larger problems. It is important to themand to risk their activities, otherwise potential patrons will not learn about them.
Private charity should not be advertised as a recommendation, because people are often ungrateful, and for good , they may respond with envy and accusations. Therefore, in order not to have unnecessary hopes, it is better to do good deeds as a call of the soul without waiting for anything in return. Although there are exceptions, for example: when you have done a non-standard good deed and want other people to do the same, you also need to inform others so that they know about this format of charity. M and somehow offered to comradeson duty, so that they pay attention to children, especially sons, their fallen brothers. We said: it doesn’t require money, play football with him or learn to drive a car, or explain how to meet a girl - he lost his father, and you can at least partially give him what his father would give if he did not die.
Do you think that only people with wealth should do charity, or is it a social duty of each of us?
Neither one nor the other. Patrons are those whose wealth is greater than the recipients they help. Professional volunteers should be paid because it is their profession. And in order to do a good deed in everyday life, money is not needed.
Besides, I don’t like the term "duty." Charity is not a duty , but an exceptional state, when you wanted to help a person / people, and you realized your desire in action. But forcing someone to do charity is absolutely unacceptable .
In your opinion, is it possible to somehow encourage young people and instill a desire to help others?
It is impossible to instill a desire to help. Because often, this desire is situational and arises where a person does not expect it on his own . You can give knowledge about how you can help, because often, if you want, a person does not know how to get this help - who to turn to and where to go.
Here is an example from my own life : I.Once a woman approached me, she organized a collection of things for people who live on the demarcation line of the ATO. After picking up 5 tons, he realized that he did not know who they were and where to get the transport. Therefore, it is impossible to encourage desires, but it is possible to give knowledge of how to put these desires into practice . Anastasia D`yakova , National Expert on Protecting Children from Violence, in the Office of the Commissioner for Children’s Rights: Anastasia, what does charity mean to you personally? For me, charity is a caring attitude to what is happening around you, as well as real actions aimed at improving the situation.
In your opinion, influential and wealthy people should be involved in charity in the first place, but is it still a social duty of every caring person?
Charity is not a duty at all - first of all it is education, values and vocation of the soul. In my opinion, it should not depend on your wealth.
Is it worth advertising the topic of charity? In your opinion, this is more perceived by others as a good example, or is it an attempt to " sa m opiar " ?
I believe that the main thing is not whether they talk about good deeds in detail or not, but what the person’s motive is. If someone does a good deed to promote and assert their ego, the world feels it and then the return can be expected. If the motive is help and change, then giving publicity increases the chances that someone else will want to help too.
Roman Kholodov , a volunteer, has provided humanitarian and medical care to the homeless and the elderly for many years: Roman, what does charity mean to you personally? But from what moment in your life did you have a desire to do this ? Benevolence is what _ inherent in everyone. Everyone has this grain, and how much it will germinate in their lifetime, or muffled in the beginning, depends on the person himself. Charity, for me, is a kind of friendship between us and those we help. The desire to volunteer has been present for a long time, but always interfered with the complex "I can not, I can not afford it, I have no resources, etc." The main impetus for the beginning of such activities, as in many, was the war. First, as a volunteer work for the military, and then, it turned into a project to help people who find themselves in difficult life situations.
As far as I know, your poster is not your charitable activity? Why is that? But do you think it is worth advertising the topic of charity?
It is worth advertising - how you do it and why you do it. Many people, paradoxically, have a certain fear, a barrier to volunteer work, and coverage of such events helps to overcome it and help people open up. I have a negative attitude to the political context in various charitable actions, although there is a clear understanding that political parties have their own financial resources that would contribute to the work, but to promote political forces on charity is very, in my opinion, dirty.
Do you think that only people with wealth should be involved in charity, or is it the duty of each of us?
Almost everyone can volunteer! Charity is not only helping someone financially or physically, it is also psychological or spiritual help. If you can’t afford it, just talk to them. For the elderly or people in difficulty and it is very important to listen to them. After all, the main thing for them is attention!
What inspiration do you have ? I wonder if the goal is to make you keep your hands down and keep doing it ?
Inspire people who need our help, because they believe in the best, and the best for them is a piece of bread, a hug and a kind word. We have something to learn from them. After talking to them, you begin to value your family, your time and what you spend it on, a certain system of values is developed. At first I was afraid that it would be difficult for me to communicate with people who found themselves in nursing homes, in hospitals, just in difficult life circumstances. But in fact it is easy, because they are waiting for each arrival.
And I can’t help but rejoice that I find like-minded people who think the same way I do. Who take real steps to help and are not afraid that they will not be able to.
Read also: Gleb Zagoriy, Taisiya Nepokritova and Tatiana Litvinova - What is charity?