Elliot Ratzman's Talk

I really enjoyed this speaker. He was very down-to-earth and spoke to us on an equal level, which is really important when presenting information such as his. Too often speakers on community service and social action talk down and make you feel like a terrible person, and guilty attacking is often not the most affective way to convince an audience to change. I really liked the points that Elliot Ratzman made, and I thought he had some fresh viewpoints and ideas on how we can affectively make a change.

For me, one of the hardest parts about giving is that I always felt like I couldn't truly make a difference. I was only a young member of society who no one really took seriously, and how was I supposed to convinve any one of what to do. How did I know my money was going to a good cause? How did I know if my action or donation would ever really touch someone's life? Recently, I have found inspiration in a good friend of mine, Hilary. She is a fellow students of mine here at UD, and it was she who organized the STAND at UD group on campus. This group works with the national STAND foundation to help stop the genocide in Darfur. Over the course of only two years, I have watched this organization grow from the ground up, to the point where they are now part of a network of thousands who help to fight this injustice. Hilary' s chapter was named "STAND chapter of the month" recently; they attend rallies, help promote awareness on campus, make phone calls and send countless letters to politicians and other local officials urging them to take action, and even help raise money in the community. Hilary leads a message board in which she encourages and helps countless people our age to find ways in which they can really help change the situation in Darfur. Before this, I really don't think I ever had an example of someone who I could identify with that truly made a difference. It is incredibly inspiring to see someone you consider a friend take such leaps to help people who are suffering at the hands of injustice. And finally seeing someone close to me have success has truly made me realize that I can do something concrete to help.

I also really liked that Elliot Ratzman gave me some points on how to affectively pick a cause that is right for you. He said to pick something I am passionate about, because then I will want more and more to help out. He also advised that I find somewhere where I can do more than just donate money occasionally, because then I will feel more mentally and emotionally involved. Most of all I like that he suggested I find something specific and possibly even solvable. By really honing in one one issue and using all available resources to make a change in it, then a concrete solution may result in the time you are working with that organization. Seeing an end finally put to the injustice that you have been working to stop is a really motivating factor to keep pushing and keep fighting for everyone in the world.