2003: Meaningful Work: A Source of
Dignity and Non-violence in our World
The Council decided to broaden
its focus beyond the personal level of non-violence with a theme of meaningful
work. . Again with the support of John E. Telfer II, Editor of the Midland Daily News, dates were
established for three articles to appear in the paper. Dates were also set for stories to be in the
paper as a springboard for dialog in families and the community. MICPJ
organized public discussion groups on the theme. The articles were Meaningful Work
(June), Inequity in the work world (July) and Globalization: It has huge impact on the world of work
(August). Stories for dialog were It's Great to Work, It's Everybody's
Business, and Think Globally, Act Locally.
We invite you to read these in sequence
but llinks are provided to move around this page more easily. There are
discussion questions at the end of each dialog. Send us
your feedback.
Meaningful Work: A Source of Dignity and Non-violence in our
World.
(June 29, 2003 by Norbert Bufka)
Do you enjoy working or do you dread it? Do you look forward to weekends off and vacations? If you work outside the home do you look forward to coming home afterwards? Would you rather do yard work or hobbies than the work you do daily? In other words, what are your attitudes regarding the work that you do, whether it is on the job, at home, or as a volunteer in some non-paid capacity?
In this article I hope to shed
some light on this world of work as it could be and as it is experienced here
in the
Work is a good thing. No matter
whether our work is digging a ditch, serving meals at a restaurant, teaching
children in school or performing surgery, all work contributes to the good of
our world. If a ditch needs to be dug for drainage, it is good work. Serving
meals contributes to the enjoyment of a good meal for the diners. Teachers help
children understand the subject matter, themselves, and our world. A surgeon
removes ailing organs or tumors that keep us from being healthy.
This same work is also
productive, creative, and rewarding, if those doing the work enter into the
work with positive attitudes. A recent ad asked, "Why do we work?"
The answer in part was "to seek progress. To innovate. To
accomplish." Pretty good message, I think.
Much in our society and culture,
however, works against having positive attitudes about work. Some look down on
"menial" or "lowly" work, others look down on work that is
manual. Our language belies good
attitudes when we say, "Thank God
it's Friday!" Phrases like "blue Monday", "I can't wait to
get out of here", and "when's payday?" show our distaste for
work. Some ads extol leisure time: drinking, having a party, water skiing,
relaxing on the beach, watching TV, or a day at an amusement park. In other
words, we speak disparagingly of work and are pulled to leisure through advertising.
It is more than just positive
attitudes, however, that make work productive, creative, and rewarding. A
person's skills and temperament must match the work that is being done.
Employers and fellow employees must respect them and their work. People also
need to be responsible in the work they do. Above all, work entered into for
gainful employment must be decent and financially rewarding. Positive
attitudes, skills and temperament, respect, and decent pay (for work entered
into for income) all contribute to work well done, which in turn is a source of
dignity to the person doing the work.
I come from a family of skilled,
but manual laborers, but that is definitely not my bent. When I was still in
college, I began to work one summer for my brother's company in the water well
drilling business. I lasted one week! My interest and skills just did not match
what the company needed. Do you have a job because you need the income rather
than have work that you truly enjoy?
Are you really working at what fits
your temperament, your skills, your ingenuity, and your creativity? Are you
respected for your work? What are your attitudes regarding the work you do?
Does your language show your love for work?
Inequity in the work world
(July 27, 2003 by Kathy McCreedy)
“Work is love made
visible. And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better
that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms
of those who work with joy." -Kahlil Gibran
How many of us feel
that when we go to work, we work in a setting filled with love? The wise
prophet, Kahil Gibran, tells us it is better to leave our work if it brings us
distaste. Although most of us are sufficiently bound by our personal
commitments that we probably cannot just walk away from “distasteful” jobs,
Gibran’s message is an important one. Much of our self-identity, as well as
society’s perception of us, is defined by the jobs that we do.
Think about the
last time you met a new person. How quickly did the person inquire, “And what
is it you do?” At parties, church socials and even at the soccer fields, the
conversation will usually come around to this topic. In our society, to some
extent, we are what we do. And when we are not working, does society value us?
Do we value ourselves?
For many complex
reasons, there exists a divide in our society between the so-called “have-s”
and “the have-nots”. The “Great Economic Divide” has always existed, but it
continues to widen. A recent Business Week article (May 6, 2002) showed CEO
compensation rose 340% over a ten-year period, versus a 36% rise in the
compensation of “rank and file” employees. In the Conference Board report on
executive compensation (Sept. 17, 2002), Federal Reserve Chairman Greenspan is
quoted as describing executive compensation of the last decade as “infectious
greed.” Has the value of the executive increased that much versus the person
who produces or sells the product?
Then, there is
the story of two people doing the same job who are not paid the same wage.
Women who work full-time make, on average, only 76 cents for every dollar their
male counterparts bring home. And even when women reach the upper echelons of
the business world, a recent survey by Catalyst reports that women executives
make on average only 77 cents per dollar that equally ranked male executives
are rewarded. Is a male inherently more valuable in a job?
And what about
people who are unemployed? Unemployment rates for African-American males hovers
at twice the rate for Caucasian males. People with disabilities represent the
most under-employed demographic group with approximately 70% unemployment. And
even when people with disabilities complete four-year college degrees, over 50%
are still unemployed, versus less than 10% unemployment rates for college
graduates without disabilities. What is
society saying about a person when we do not believe that he or she can perform
meaningful work?
Although the
Civil Rights bill was passed in 1964 and the American Disability Act was passed
in 1990 to protect the civil rights of people with disabilities, we as a
society still have a way to go to create work places where the talents of each
individual are fully developed and utilized. This challenge is the focus of diversity
programs within corporations. Diversity programs are built on the fundamental
belief that corporations will be more successful when more diverse individuals
contribute to how companies are run and decisions are made. Companies, such as
The Ford Motor Company, are proactively investing in workshops to help college
students with disabilities be more prepared for corporate roles. Legislation,
such as Ticket to Work, is being developed to remove some of the barriers that
have kept people with disabilities from trying to work.
It is not just
large corporations and governments that need to care about fair employment for
all people. When people are unemployed, they may feel under-valued and
frustrated, which can lead to violence in our homes and in our communities.
Each of us must care about this issue and do what we can. And what might that
be? Unemployment is a complex socio-economic issue with no simple answers. But
we might be able to positively impact one person’s employment situation. Maybe
you are a small businessperson who can make sure you are paying your male and
female employees equally. Maybe you can sponsor a student with a disability to
job-shadow at your business on annual Disability Mentoring Day to be held Oct.
15, 2003. Or maybe you can become a Big Brother or Big Sister and be a role
model for the value of work in one’s life. The need for Big Brothers and
Sisters in
“So, what is it
that you do?” The next time someone casually asks you this important question,
take a minute and remember how very important is the right to work. Maybe even
ask yourself another important question, “What have I done to preserve that
right for someone else?” Each one of us can play a small, but very important,
role in helping another person gain meaningful work. Think about that as you
begin your work tomorrow.
(Joan Brausch, August 24, 2003)
The first two Forum articles on
the World of Work discussed the meaning of work and the inequities in the world
of work. This article will highlight the effects, for good and for evil, that
globalization has on the world of work.
Globalization is the growing
global interdependence of people throughout the world, especially in four
areas: economic, technological, political and cultural. The movement to become
a global world began over 100 years ago, but has accelerated greatly in the
recent past. In his book, The Lexus and the Olive Tree, Thomas Friedman
highlights the three main reasons that globalization is THE most powerful force
in the world today:
1) Technology is now attainable by just about everyone. Anyone with access
to a computer can get information from all over the world, talk to anyone in
the world, or access foreign markets.
2) The world of finances has also become accessible by just about anyone,
thanks to the stock and bond markets opening up to private investors since the
1960's. Not only the American markets, but markets all over the world, have
opened up since the 1980's.
3) And then there's the Internet, which has broken down barriers that have
stood for centuries. Anyone can talk to anyone else all over the world,
exchange ideas, learn about another culture, or invest in foreign nations'
economies. Anyone who has a computer, an Internet connection and an idea can
start a global company!
Things change very quickly in
today's world due to the pace of technology and the transactions that take place
involving stupendous amounts of money. This makes it harder for nations to
react in a timely manner to the movements of Friedman's "Electronic
Herd" (multinationals, investors, and the markets). Nations no longer have
the power affect change that they used to have because economic and
technological power rests in the hands of large corporations and global
financial institutions, such as the World Trade Organization.
There is a danger in the power
exerted by multinational corporations. The lure of profit can motivate them to
take advantage of cheap labor and unregulated working conditions, exploiting
workers and their countries alike. The
track record for many global companies has not been good in terms of how to pay
or treat their workers. The Internet is already changing that record, as
activists use it to inform and mobilize for change. As individuals, this is one
way we can affect the power of the Electronic Herd!
There is another danger in the
impact of the dominant world culture, that of the
Tensions can run high and
resentment can run deep. Efforts to dominate other cultures by promoting
Western values can spark extremist movements.
What can you and I do about globalization?
First of all, we need to recognize that it is here to stay. It's already
happened. Here the very impetuses that have catapulted us into globalization
can be the tools to influence the power and movement of the multinationals.
Using technology to keep up with the news, making wise investment choices, and
using the Internet to inform, work for reform, and organize grass roots
movements against abuse of power will help ensure that the Electronic Herd is
just in its dealing with the peoples of the world.
We need to promote an Ethics of
Globalization, where we pursue the common good rather than trying to get
"our" money's worth out of "your" economy. The ethics need
to ensure that workers of all nations are treated with dignity, that they have
decent working conditions, that their cultural values are honored and that they
receive a fair wage for their labor.
Lastly, we Americans must take a
strong dose of humility, since we are part of the dominant world culture. We
must change our attitude of "what is good for me or the
Sources: Friedman, Thomas L.,
"the Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization",
Lampman, Jane, "The Limits
of a Global Economy," Christian Science Monitor, May 15, 2003, http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0515/p14s03-lire.htm
Massaro, Thomas, SJ,
"Judging the Juggernaut: Toward an Ethical Evaluation of
Globalization", Blueprint for Social Justice, Vol. LVI, No 1, Sept 2002, http://www.loyno.edu/twomey/blueprintlblueprintSeptember2002.htm
by Jeanne Lound
Schaller, October 5, 2003
Years ago I watched the movie
"
This brief segment of that movie
surfaced in me while writing the following story. Each of us has a choice each
day about what kind of world we are helping to build. It doesn't matter what
our socio-economic status is, or how seemingly unimportant our lives are. It's
wonderful to know that there are so many people in
Charles LaVere really likes his
work. He likes it so much that his face lights up when he talks about it.
Charles is employed at
His other job is with another
crew that cleans the Michigan Works! office. Charles has worked for the AC for
three years. He's always happy to head to
What he likes hest about being
employed is the money. For many years, Charles was not able to find employment,
so working 30 hours a week is a great blessing. And getting paid to do work
that he really enjoys suits him just fine. He proudly speaks about how he has
spent his wages: on his teeth, rent for his apartment and for the new bike that
he rides to work. He also has a friend, Hilda, whom he escorted to the prom at
the Country Club the last two years. Sometimes he just hangs out with his
long-time friend,
When asked if he likes living in
the
A third job for Charles is mowing
lawns, but even with all his paid work, he isn't too busy to volunteer as well.
Sometimes he uses his snow blower to clean his neighbor's drive. And at the
Charles is one of 350 people who
are employed or served in some way by the
Schafer, who is placement
coordinator, spends a lot of time meeting with community groups and
individuals, educating the public about this valuable resource in our midst, as
well as making work matches where possible. She learns what prospective
employees would like to do, then works to match that person with a job. Often
it has been a very good fit as her customers are hired by local businesses.
It's gratifying to see that people who were hired many years ago are still on
the job. When developing jobs, Deb sometimes identifies an employer who has a
very specific business need, such as filing papers for only three hours a week.
Deb's part is to try to find the right person for that job, thus freeing up a
secretary to do other tasks.
Some people Deb serves want to
start their own microbusiness. With AC help and through the collaborative
efforts of numerous other community resources, that has become a reality. Since
last November, there has been a kiosk a the Midland Mall. Microenterprisers.com, a division
of the
So much rests in the way
communities look at their collective and individual member needs. As Schafer
put it, "A person who has a barrier to employment is no different than you
our me. Everyone needs support where we work. Some need more than others."
The challenge for Deb and other constituents looms in the community's
acceptance of people with disabilities. As people work together to become more
inclusive community, and value the contributions that each person has to offer,
doors will open and opportunities will present themselves. Deb said that true
inclusion respects differences and honors diversity. It is a term that implies
a welcoming to all.
There appears to be no end to the
positive effects and possibilities of the
How is that mission being
realized? According to Michael C. Shea, AC director for 20 years, "The
organization's leadership, in reducing community barriers and providing
opportunities, has helped people gain independence and community acceptance
through employment, social, recreational and volunteer activities. Our impact
is not measured in numbers of dollars, but in the smiles on the faces of the
people who have seen their dreams become a reality."
And in relation to the Midland
Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice's 2003 theme: Meaningful work, a source
of dignity and nonviolence in our world, how does Mike rate the meaningfulness
of his work? "The AC has had a meaningful impact on hundreds of lives over
its history. There probably isn't a business organization or agency in
The AC brochures states:
"Exceptional people providing quality service." Charles LaVere is
proud to be one of those people. And how does he rate the meaningfulness of his
work? No doubt about it: "I like it. I like to work!"
(From Illuminated
Life by Joan Chittister)
"One of the elders said, 'I
never wanted work which was useful to me by a loss to others. For I have the
expectation that what helps the other is fruitful for me.'"
In this society, work has become
the way we make money, the way we enable ourselves to do what we would really
prefer to do if we didn't need to work. No other approach to life, perhaps,
explains so clearly what has really happened to the quality of the world around
us that this. If there is anything that measures spiritual depth in a work-oriented society, it is surely the work
we do, and why we do it or, conversely, the work we do won't do and why we
don't do it.
Work is our contribution to
creation. It relates us to the rest of the world. It fulfills our
responsibility to the future. God left us a world intact, a world with enough
for everyone. The contemplative question of the time is what kind of world we
are leaving to those who come after us? Order, cleanliness, care of the
environment bring the glory of God into the stuff of the moment, the character
of the little piece of the planet for which we are responsible."
Question:
Is the work you do (paid or volunteer) meaningful for you? Why or why not?
"Yes. It's gratifying to now
I can learn something new every day whether it's about the job or about people.
It's most gratifying to hear people say, 'Thanks for doing such a nice job.
That's my favorite pair of shoes, or handbag.' It's also my own satisfaction in
dong a good job." Marcie Rohde,
Short's Shoe Repair
"Yes. I volunteer for UNICEF
and enjoy doing anything that benefits children." Midland woman, age 60+
"Yes. I feel that I am
fulfilling my purposes in life. As a housewife, I am taking care of my family,
being available to them. As a professional, I enjoy working with people as they
move into the city. It is important to me that people settled into the area as
comfortably as possible." Midland
woman, age 50
"Yes, for the most part. The
most meaningful part of my life was raising my children and they are all fine
now so that is fulfilling. Now as a retiree I enjoy volunteer work and remind
myself daily that God wants us to enjoy life and I am grateful." Miriam,
(an interview
with Ken Mault by Dorothy and Joy Arthur, October 12, 2003)
The Midland Interfaith Council
for Peace and Justice recently (September 2003) presented its first Peacemaker
Award to retired Lt. Detective Kenneth Mault for his work in the are of
violence prevention. Mault is co-founder of the Midland County Gang and
Violence Prevention Partnership. The purpose of MCGCPP is to educate the public
about the elimination of gang activity and other violence in our community.
Portions of a recent interview with Ken revealed some details about his journey
into his current work.
Question:
What influenced you during your 28 years of work as a detective in the sheriff's
department to co-found MCGCPP?
Mault: "I suppose every day
was a reminder that violent behavior begins somewhere - in homes,
neighborhoods, schools, at local activities and other events. However, in 1997
I was sent to an FCI academy for a three month study of crime, violence and
street gangs. The department of sociology conducted the schooling. We studied
the causes and effects of violence and gang crimes. We were challenged again
and again to go back to our community and make a difference. This meant we must
connect with our community, including homes, schools, churches and community
organizations." Ken also spoke about the importance of his family and all
families. "Like others, I want my children to grow up in a safe, peaceful
community and world."
Question:
Tell us more about your thoughts about family life.
Mault: "Someone has said
that home is where life makes up its mind. There is nothing more important than
family. there needs to be a time each day to sit at a table and talk about the events
of the day. Parents should reward positive behavior. When you have discussions
with your sons or daughters about sex, drugs, and alcohol, you work at keeping
the lines of communication open. Sometimes it's hard work but the work pays
off."
Question:
You have talked about the importance of home, school, churches and other
organizations and working together to help prevent violence. What is the
program of MCGVPP?
Mault: "This question leads
me to our mission statement which reads: 'Our mission, as a community
partnership, is to actively promote the safety and well being of the citizens
of Midland County by preventing violence and gang activities through awareness
and education.' We are a partnership with the Midland County Sheriff's Office
and the Midland Area Community Foundation. Our past activities include town
hall meetings, collaborative projects with local churches, training school
officials on gangs and violence, middle and high school assembly programs,
community outreach activities and training school and law enforcement personnel
on how to respond to a school-violence situation. In February [2003] we
coordinated the third annual Week of Non-Violence with Midland, Bullock Creek,
Meridian and Coleman school districts and local churches. We are available to
businesses and organizations of
Question:
Do you have a brochure listing some of the issues we talked about today?
Mault: "The following is
some data from the MCGVPP brochure that includes an invitation to join and
help."
Violence is a learned behavior.
Like all learned behaviors, it can be changed! Violence can take many forms and
come from many sources: bullying, sexual harassment, physical, emotional and
verbal abuse, media violence, including television, video games, music,
magazines and computers.
As parents and guardians, there
are things you can do now to help reduce your child's risk of becoming involved
with a gang or gang activity:
Mault's final comment was:
"This work is everybody's business."
Question:
Is your work meaningful? Why or why not?
"Yes. I work on the pallet
crew at the
"Yes. We volunteer with
Meals on Wheels which helps provide nutritional food for people in need. It's a
good feeling for us to help with this program and to stay useful in
retirement." Bill and Judy Wall, Bullock Creek
"Yes, it is. I work for
Community Mental Health Services. I help people who have mental illness try to
live more independent lives." Male, 42,
(by Joan
Brausch, October 19, 2003)
Coffee is a drink that most of us
enjoy, and for many of us, our day couldn't start without it! The kind of
coffee we purchase here in
More and more goods and services
are concentrated within just a few global corporations. "Economists John
Cavanagh and Frederick Clairmonte have calculated that just over a quarter of
the world's production comes from General Motors, Mitsubishi, Shell, Philip
Morris and 200 of the other largest firms…. As they compete with one another to
capture global markets, their primary mode of reducing costs has been through
cutting jobs, wages and benefits. Between 1979 and 1992, for example, the
Fortune 500 largest firms in the
Many poor nations have been
convinced that trade that is more open will keep them competitive in the world
market; that open trade will benefit workers, raising their benefits and wages.
The North American Free Grade Agreement (NAFTA) and the General Agreement on
Tariffs and Trade (GATT) are two efforts to open trade barriers. The problem is
that there aren't any enforceable global standards to protect workers and the
environment. Often, "large scale manufacturers edge small businesses and
local cooperative enterprises out of the market. Local economies suffer when
these firms' profits are channeled out of the country rather than being
reinvested locally." (also from the Conscious Consumer)
Twenty-seven million acres of the
world's farmlands are dedicated to growing coffee! But many of those who grow
the coffee struggle to feed themselves and their families. We, as American
consumers, pay about $3.00 or more for coffee, but those who grow the beans
never see a fair wage for their efforts. The price paid to farmers has dropped
by over 70 percent in the past 5 years. Ten years ago, the coffee-producing
countries got about one third of every dollar spent on coffee - now they
receive less than a dime. So the inequities not only affect the individual
farmer, but their countries as well - people go hungry, children leave school
to help on the farms, the local economy suffers and their country can't provide
basic goods and services to its own people!
The pressure to produce is great
and the companies that own large plantations in coffee-growing countries have
abandoned the traditional shade-grown methods of producing good beans and have
begun massive clear-cutting of native forests in South America to meet the need
of
Here in
Ten years ago, staff members at Blessed
Sacrament Church in Midland became aware of the woes of the independent
coffee-growing farmers of South America and began purchasing fair trade coffee
from Equal Exchange, a fair trade
coffee company. Several years ago, members of a few other local churches began
to sell fair trade coffee to raise awareness. Blessed Sacrament was one of
those churches, selling coffee from Café
Campesino . As awareness has grown, people have stopped in at Espresso
Milano downtown and have asked if they sell fair trade coffee. Now they do -
from an independent roaster in
Another avenue for supporting
fair trade is through SERRV, which was
started in 1949. This wonderful organization acts as the middleman between
artisans from around the world and consumers in
SERRV
"advances as much as 50 percent of the final price to artisans to purchase
raw materials and pays producer partners fair prices within the context of
their local economy. Tens of thousands of artisans and family members are
provided supplemental or total annual income." The First Baptist Church
and Saint Brigid Church here in Midland sell SERRV
products, as do other churches at holiday time.
We can make a difference when we
make the effort to be informed consumers. All of us try to spend our precious
dollars wisely. Let's use them to benefit others as well as ourselves!
Be, Live, Buy: Make a Difference (for
teens)
Center
for a New American Dream
When we go into a store to
purchase something we are looking at products produced all over the world! Find
10 items in your home, any 10, and look at the labels. Where were they made?
What do you know about those countries and how they treat their workers?
Globalization has had a great
effect on
It takes effort to learn about
the products we buy, where they come from, how they are produced. Why is it
important that we know these things? For example, what effect does
clear-cutting the forests of
If we are going to live in a
better world, we must care more deeply for one another and for our environment.
What purchasing sacrifices are you willing to make to help build a better world?
Question: Is your work
meaningful? Why or why not?
"I like school. And I also
like Safety Patrol and Service Squad. I like them because we are keeping people
safe." Samantha, 5th grade
"No. It's not important to me
because I don't like going to school." John, 5th grade.
"Because I spend my time
helping teachers, students, and families, I believe my work is very meaningful.
In fact, it is the essence of my work that energizes me." Dave Chapin, 51,
Superintendent of Schools, Bullock Creek
"I am presently retired.
However, I have offered my services as a guest teacher with the