“What is social change?” you may ask. You’ve probably used the word before. Social change can be described in a variety of ways, and it is a dynamic term that many of us take for granted or don’t properly understand.
Sociologists describe Social Change as the changes that occur in human interactions and relationships that transform cultural and social institutions.
Changes in cultures can be slow at times, but they still occur. These changes take place over time, and they often have far-reaching and long-term implications for society. Social movements in civil rights and women’s rights, to name a few, have culminated in well-known examples of such changes.
Understanding social change and how it has influenced our lives in the past will enable us to promote social change in the present and future. As much as we agree that change is unavoidable; we don’t have to accept that we are powerless in the face of it.
The degree to which we care, individually and collectively, about the course of social change determines our ability to influence it and contribute to the “change we want to see in the world.”
As individuals, we have a social responsibility, one which captures humanity’s very essence: to be humane. Each of us has the ability to leave our mark on the world by making our lives meaningful in a thousand different ways and improving the lives of others in ways they never imagined possible.
There are no days off, no excuses, and no pardons when it comes to making a commitment to change. It’s a genuine commitment to lead from the heart in order to add value to the world.
Adding value to the world could be as little as feeding the less privileged around us, teaching out of school children in our neighbourhood, volunteering for a worthy cause or even as big as raising our voices for greater climate protection, protesting against police brutality and advocating for better gender equality. Taking these seemingly small yet significant and sustainable measures to positively affect the world around us is what it takes to become change agents.
Serving our communities in every way possible should become second nature to us. Let us consider how we can contribute to society by using our individual skills. All we have to do is identify an issue that we care about and tackle it. We can start by volunteering at a worthwhile cause, deciding to participate in upcoming elections and encouraging others to vote, wisely using social media to speak for the changes we want, and even planting a tree in our neighbourhood.
Rather than waiting for big changes from above, let us be the change we want to see in the world. Rather than blaming government institutions, political leaders or difficult circumstances, let us take action! We must realize that becoming the change does not necessarily require massive actions. All it takes is a sincere effort to change what already exists.
This forms the foundation of all we do at HOPE Foundation. At HOPE, our desire to help other people excel stems from our collective understanding that we have been called to serve as change agents in our world. We are propelled by the understanding that development takes a community effort and if there is to be any change in our world, then it is up to us to make it happen.
By volunteering with us, you get the opportunity of giving yourself to a worthy cause, a privilege to change the world and also an access to a community of young, passionate and service-driven individuals just like yourself, who have accepted responsibility for community development, social change and national transformation.
Remember, whatever changes we want to see in the world must start with us.