On this third day of Kwanzaa, we reflect on Collective Work and Responsibility. For the individual,
An extremely simplified, yet effective example: your group decides to organize a bake sale to raise money for an project. Not everybody can or knows how to bake, but some folks know how to make signs and posters, some folks know how to draw customers, some are good at negotiating good locations for the sale to take place, and some are good at setting prices for the baked goods, commanding top dollar for items while remaining competitive. Taking this same model and applying it to a macro concept; the same basic principles that it takes to organize and implement the bake sale are the same principles it takes to organize and implement anything on any scale.
This the central principle thesis in Plato's 'The Republic' where he offer a Socratic contention that the best societies are those organized in such a way where people are allowed to do what they do best, using these skills to contribute to the maintenance of the societies growth and development. In Rousseau's writings on, "The Social Contract" we find examples of collective work and responsibility within a society, whereby people on all social and economic levels become equal contributors to the betterment of their society.
It's a time to review your talents, abilities and goals and see how they fit into the larger picture of the community/ collective. Once one has created council (UMOJA) and set their policy (KUJICHAGULIA) it is time to figure out who is who in the organization: the leadership, the intelligentsia (which is not always the same thing as the leadership, but often the advisory body) and such. For any organized body to get from point "A" to point "B" all members need to look at the tasks at hand and see what they can do make it happen.
An extremely simplified, yet effective example: your group decides to organize a bake sale to raise money for an project. Not everybody can or knows how to bake, but some folks know how to make signs and posters, some folks know how to draw customers, some are good at negotiating good locations for the sale to take place, and some are good at setting prices for the baked goods, commanding top dollar for items while remaining competitive. Taking this same model and applying it to a macro concept; the same basic principles that it takes to organize and implement the bake sale are the same principles it takes to organize and implement anything on any scale.
This the central principle thesis in Plato's 'The Republic' where he offer a Socratic contention that the best societies are those organized in such a way where people are allowed to do what they do best, using these skills to contribute to the maintenance of the societies growth and development. In Rousseau's writings on, "The Social Contract" we find examples of collective work and responsibility within a society, whereby people on all social and economic levels become equal contributors to the betterment of their society.
It's a time to review your talents, abilities and goals and see how they fit into the larger picture of the community/ collective. Once one has created council (UMOJA) and set their policy (KUJICHAGULIA) it is time to figure out who is who in the organization: the leadership, the intelligentsia (which is not always the same thing as the leadership, but often the advisory body) and such. For any organized body to get from point "A" to point "B" all members need to look at the tasks at hand and see what they can do make it happen.
