Volunteering - Self interest or self sacrifice?

This questions has been posed quite a few times.
A person may volunteer for many different reasons; for example some might have a moral obligation to volunteer but on the other hand some may volunteer because they may receive a direct or indirect benefit from it therefore a more self centered approach. I believe, regardless of the reasoning as to why people decide to volunteer, the only thing that should matter is that individuals are willing to help and give up their time for a good cause; lending their hand to lead the way for societal change.

Our distorted self image – “Dove Evolution”

Dove’s Real Beauty Campaigns, attempt to serve as a starting point for societal change and an expansion of the definition and discussion of beauty. For years, the beauty industry and media have been constantly reminding women of the unrealistic body standards that have been set in today’s society. The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty was to support dove’s mission of making women of all shapes and sizes feel beautiful every day, while widening stereotypical views of beauty.

The campaign uses various marketing communication tools to illustrate its effectiveness such as advertising, a web site, billboards, events, workshops, viral marketing and a self-esteem fund in dove’s effort to create a global discussion about beauty with women all over the world. Rather than using professional models, the campaign stands by dove’s mission in using “real” women of various ages, shapes and sizes to promote discussion and debate about the narrow beauty standards and images set in today’s society.

Dove conceptualizes the campaign through effective ads such as the “Dove Evolution”. In the future I would like to use my marketing abilities to help create such campaigns which contribute to societal change. In my opinion, I consider Dove’s Real Beauty Campaigns a huge success since they question the existing “norm and realm of beauty”.

Food, Taste and Hunger - Chicken Ala Carte

This documentary is a short film directed by Ferdinand Dimadura and is about hunger and poverty brought about by globalization. Thousands of people die everyday of hunger. To think, these deaths could be easily prevented by providing something as essential but abundant in many of our life’s. This short film leaves a lasting impression on one’s mind and probes one to be grateful for all that he or she may have. When I first watched this video, I couldn’t hold back my tears. It made me realize just how lucky I am, in many aspects of life. The words being sung towards the end of the video have a very powerful connotation. The truth really is, How can someone’s laughter bring me close to tears? The most inspiring moment is when the father stops the child from eating as he reminds the child the importance of praying and thanking god for all that they have, even though it isn’t much. To think, even if we contributed just a $1 a day to a charity whose mission is to end hunger, such families could have enough food to last them a week or even a month. This documentary changed my perception towards life and encouraged me even more to make a difference; I realized the importance of volunteering and giving back to society. Because if people like us who can make a difference, don’t, then the word poverty can and will never become obsolete.

Goals

This blog will be dedicated to all related topics in achieving two of my primary goals in the near future:

One of my goals is to aspire to start a career in the marketing communications and public relations field in the fashion/telecommunications industry.
My other goal is to help various charities by applying my marketing knowledge to help raise awareness in my community. I believe volunteering is essential in one's life as it can help better society and enhance social awareness.