Saving Starfish: Johnathan Falk’s Poetic Philanthropy
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Saving Starfish: Johnathan Falk’s Poetic Philanthropy
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Johnathan Falk: self portrait
PODCAST: "They Say I Have A Talent." -Johnathan Falk
A little girl was walking along the sea shore after high tide, and tossing the starfish back into the water. As she was walking she passed a man, who said: "What are you doing?! You do realize that it is impossible to save all those starfish don't you?" In response she leaned down and picked up a starfish laying at their feet and tossed it back into the waves. "I saved that one."
In this way I am practicing philanthropy. I do not expect to save anyone, or stop poverty, but on a small scale we help those in need. - Johnathan Falk
Definition of Empathy
Imaginative projection of one's own consciousness into another being. -Websters New International Dictionary second edition 1934.
The capacity for participating in or a vicarious experiencing of another is feelings, volitions, or ideas, and sometimes another is movements to the point of executing bodily movements resembling his. -Websters New International Dictionary third edition 1993.
Rather than perceiving something as outside and separate from yourself (duality), empathy is the ability of being that which is perceived, and becoming that which is beheld. It is the unification of object and subject. So that when you talk to someone, in essence, only two parts of the greater Self are talking, and of course they are both equal. Empathy is not limited to only people, but can be a way of life. It can be a way of interaction with and reception of, the world.
Empathy is the skill of active listening -of approaching an interaction with an open mind. It is the understanding that regardless of a person's appearance, personality, or history, there exists a common thread. We have all experienced pain, love, sadness, joy, greed, lust, pleasure, and contentment. There is an all -permeating similarity we share as we each play our part in the great human comedy. To practice empathy is to not feel for another person, but to actually be another person. It is to feel a kinship, a bond, a connection and relationship from your own personal background. To communicate with empathy, is to be completely receptive to what another person is expressing, to find out where one is coming from without categorizing, passing quick judgment, or blocking their message by putting up separations, distinctions or walls.
Johnathan Falk's visionary project: Empathy
I am fostering compassion and understanding at the grass roots level by bridging the gap that exists between Western societies, and the undeveloped nations of the world. Stereotypes and misconceptions are broadened and eliminated by the pure information and experience I provide on both sides of the fence. I see myself as an emissary of all that is good about the United States, and a product of Western culture. I am also an emissary collecting material, and knowledge, to bring back to my origins the fruit, which grows in abundance in the area we have labeled: impoverished. I seek to neutralize a barrier that the poverty, taking place in other parts of the world is separate, and not part of our world. We are one world, problems and all. It is important to view the larger scope and bigger picture, gaining insight and understanding about not only the effects we face, but also the causes and the roots.
As a result of Empathy, Americans, and the privileged parties who have access to Internet technology, will have the opportunity to travel vicariously through me and see parts of the world in a way they never have. It is not where I go, it is how I go. I am opening up a doorway, which will continue to widen, allowing exchange of information and reciprocation to families and local communities in South East Asia and India. I am doing this through the collectivization of a database of individual's mailing information, and other contact information, and posting it upon my website. I am conducting interviews with the local people, and providing these rare and valuable accounts to a worldwide audience to share, and learn from. I am taking down the facts, on what people need, want, and lack. Yet, more than that, I am documenting who the people are, what they are, how they got to be this way, cataloging tradition, ritual, culture, the value and ethical system they grew up in.
As we all know the world is changing. Globalization is a movement that is spiraling exponentially out of our imagination as to its effects. What will the world be like in twenty years? It is difficult to fathom. For this reason, it is of utmost importance to preserve a picture of these changes, as they happen. This information is not only of value to our current generation, but to future generations to come. It is of tremendous significance for a better understanding of how things will have come to be the way they will be. In this time of rapid and accelerated change, it is of even more importance to have informed global citizens, educated voters, and aware individuals who will be more capable and proficient in deciding the best route for the future of our planet and civilization.
Empathy is a visionary project, aimed at the highest good of the greatest percentage of humanity's population. I am dedicated to positive change and the conscious shaping of our society as we transform in this precarious millennium position.
Empathy is important for information exchange in any and all relationships, whether between a stranger, a family member, or between two nations.
- Johnathan Falk
Learn More:
PODCAST: "They Say I Have A Talent." -Johnathan Falk
Johnathan Falk's visionary project: Empathy
Related Links:
Poetic Medicine: Humility and Power
My First Philanthropic Travel Experience
Understanding Philanthropic Travel
Personal Openings and World Travel
For My Culture
The Fable of Stone Soup
Giving while Living: The Deeper News About the New Philanthropy
Affluent Parents Dedicated to Instilling Philanthropic Values in their Children
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by: David, Exquisite Safaris
Philanthropic Travel: Enlightened Experiences
The Exquisite Safaris Philanthropic Travel experience integrates indigenous local culture into every personalized experience we recommend. These personal introductions create authentic cross cultural friendships that generate trust, respect, and generous donations funding philanthropic travel projects worldwide.
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