WHY I CHOSE THE WORD LOVE
At a Department of Housing stakeholder forum in November 2014 I
was a part of an exercise in which we had to design a model of service
provision. We were asked to include principles
and values that underpin provision of support services.
I’m someone with many years experience in the human services
industry (I've been here since 1988) and even more years as an activist for social justice. I asked that we
place a heart in the middle of our diagram and in my reporting back of our
service design, I used the word love.
Some people found this reference to love appalling. Someone ventured the opinion it is what has
held the non-profit sector back.
I disagree. In my opinion, part of what has
held the non-profit sector back is the domination of charity and church- based
organisations filling their coffers with management fees and administration
fees and the ridiculous imitation of corporate structures that indulge in
endless negotiations to get more money to keep their structure propped up,
while innovation and artists are starved
for funds.
If they think they can get more money through a creativity
based program they will take it on and all the while, their coffers fill with
tax-payers money.
I know some of the individuals who work in these
organisations, as well as individuals who work within government structures
truly believe they are there to work for the people. I am currently one of those people.
I do digress, so please, allow me return to a space of love
and share 10 reasons why I choose to use the word love:
I chose and continue to choose love
because:
- Love gives me ears and eyes that hear and see truth more easily.
- When I listen with my heart low down on the ground, I know that love has the power to heal the past.
- When I am feeling love, I believe in the good in everyone and I can get them to see their own good;
- When I am working from a place of love I am working with respect, with trust, with integrity, with openness.
- Love respects.
- Love opens my intuition.
- Love is the power that leads to transformation.
- Love is kind.
- Love is honest.
- Love is a door.
I won’t apologise for using the word love when I talk about a value for working with people, and especially vulnerable people.
I am passionate about the right of people to be nurtured, to
be shown positive human regard, to be valued, to be vulnerable, to be included
and to be heard.
