Igniting the Fight for Service
by Kari Dunn Saratovsky on 24 Sep 2008
It's been about two weeks since the ServiceNation Summit kicked off in New York, and we were there to bring you live coverage. Now, we're joined by social citizen, Joshua Kaller, one of 30 Change Agents tasked with jump-starting the ServiceNation movement in communities across the country. What follows are the insights and musings of a self proclaimed poet-activist, who is "igniting the fight for service" in Washington, DC and beyond.
Name: Joshua E. Kaller
Location (or where you call home): North Miami Beach
About me in one sentence: Poet-activist creating change one person, one community, one nation, at a time.
What I’m reading: Law books, lots and lots of them. But, when afforded the opportunity I pick up “Leaves of Grass” by Walt Whitman
Hidden Talent: In the seclusion of my room I jam out like a rock star on my guitar. It’s my own little endless well of expression that I turn to in order to find more and more about myself.
How has your personal journey led you to become a Change Agent for Be the Change?
That’s a tough question that requires a little more length. But in short, I was going through my own personal battle of self-worth. I was your typical sophomore in college battling the big questions like I was a modern day Socrates. However, I realized I wasn’t as well equipped to handle all the answers. I ultimately decided that I needed to stop focusing on questions and start focusing on life.
I decided to volunteer at a pilot school called the Gainesville Conductive Education Academy, which provided a focused, caring, and amazing setting for children with muscular disabilities. For an entire summer I volunteered coaching children, empowering them to take small strides towards independence. I was so humbled from the experience. I finally understood what it meant to appreciate a single step. Cheesy, but true.
It was after this I decided to found a social justice organization in college, Student World Assembly. I created the organization as a portal to educate people about global issues, while simultaneously changing the community around me. Through the group we started an adult GED program. It was really by being president of this small organization for two years that I caught the bug for community service. It really felt natural after I graduated college to put myself in another service environment. City Year took me into their home, and through some crazy and amazing meanderings I managed to connect with Be The Change.
So, what does it mean to be a Change Agent?
Maybe it means that I’m constantly changing, and in some hopeful ways so is the world around me. Ultimately, being a change agent means that you have an utter desire to see better neighbors, better communities, better relationships between community providers; overall, a better world.
Fortunately, there is no real answer. Everyone you ask will have an answer of their own. And that’s the sheer beauty of being a change agent – it’s what ever you want it to be. In many terms it’s the role of a community organizer, but it’s really the task of being a community energizer.
We heard from both Presidential candidates last week and learned more about their plans to expand national service. If you were President, what would your national service platform look like?
Yikes. Talk about pressure. Well, in all honesty, my National Service plan would require inter-structure cooperation that utilizes National Service corps members. For example, if there is gang violence in a community, then National Service corps members should not brave the task alone. Rather, local police, non-profits dealing specifically with that issue (working in co-operation, not competition), and individuals or other groups with knowledge or experience should all coordinate together to discuss local problems and local solutions.
There is no paucity of paths that we can create so that individuals are using their given talents to better their communities. National Service has the potential to nurture, promote, and manifest all the greatness that lies within each human. Arts corps, green corps, craft corps, education corps, health corps…there should be no end to how we can imagine an individual giving back to their community. National Service should have places for all individuals who want to use all different aspects of their personalities and talents to change communities. For this reason, a broad spectrum of service programs should be provided.
National Service is the agency in which we can add energy, passion, and excellence against the growing tides of poverty, illiteracy, and many of the other social ills. However, even these issues are larger than National Service alone. We’ve been battling these problems since the inception of civilization. To say that National Service alone will eradicate it, I think, is foolish.
I think National Service is the next greatest weapon we have against many of our community failings. However, National Service cannot stop corruption in politics. National Service cannot cure cancer. National Service will not disarm terrorists. But, it can instill with individuals the great moral duty that each of has towards humanity. And that is a diamond lesson one should strive to attain.
What do you see the role of social media and social networking sites playing in enhancing opportunities for people to volunteer and give back to their communities?
The internet has barely hit legal drinking age. I think the internet is still an amorphous, ocean of thoughts, ideas, and products. In due time, the internet will mature, and the more amazing powers of social networking will circulate through it. What does this mean? I am not a seer, but I see a great power that can be utilized. However, it is up to as to understand how to utilize that power for the best of purposes.
What else should our reader’s know about you, about Service Nation or about how to get involved?
Your readers should know that (a) I am accessible and available to answer any question you might have about service, community life, and jam music. I think its important for everyone to realize that they are not alone, and have the ability to reach out to other people. Trust me, I’m no different than anyone else. Yet, I have had some amazing experiences others can gain from. Its my duty to share the lessons.
Check out the website ServiceNation and FIND A DAY OF ACTION. If you happen to be in DC come
to Freedom Plaza on 13th and Pennsylvania Ave from 6-8 pm.
I implore you – you don’t need a day of action to act. The ServiceNation is an attitude and idea that you live out. If you want to change the world, change yourself. If you want to change yourself, change the world.
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