The “culture of philanthropy” as it is understood in Western culture is far less established in other parts of the world. Understandably, specific conditions of given societies naturally call forth different philanthropic traditions. As such, the history and current day giving traditions in Caribbean culture, specifically Jamaica, differ from a modern Western view of philanthropy. Understanding the role philanthropy plays in Jamaican culture is key in deciphering the country’s core values.

Different societal factors have affected the development of non-profit organizations, philanthropy and social welfare in Jamaica. Namely during colonial times when practices and traditions were brought over by the British and adopted by immigrants and slaves. During this time, the idea of philanthropy was associated primarily with religious charity and benevolence. The sole form of social welfare was fashioned after the British Poor Law which provided for the “deserving poor” such as children, the elderly and single mothers. The church was responsible for the establishment and operation of institutions such as convents, asylums and educational facilities. The Moravian church for example was birthed in Jamaica with the arrival of missionaries in 1754. More than 250 years later having established over 30 schools, the Moravian church has helped to not only build sound moral values, but has contributed significantly to the development of education in the country. Post slavery saw the development of the voluntary sector in Jamaica including the emergence of corporate involvement in philanthropic activity.

To this day, philanthropic activities in Jamaica remain focused on education and social development. Thalia Lyn, CEO of the Jamaican restaurant chain Island Grill and chairperson of the National Commercial Bank (NCB) Foundation, has been a tireless champion of philanthropy in Jamaica. Lyn strongly believes in the responsibility of the local corporate culture to be involved with philanthropic activity. Specifically, her commitment to the development of Jamaica relates to economic growth and job creation. According to Lyn, “…philanthropy could be the most relevant and immediately responsive solution to create jobs. Philanthropy underscores the basic rule of free enterprise – you must give in order to get.” Lyn continually challenges corporate America as well as the government to fully exercise their civic responsibilities and invest more in the people of Jamaica.

Examples of what local philanthropic efforts have produced can be found in charities such as The NCB Foundation, The YUTE Initiative and Mustard Seed Communities. The NCB Foundation, funded through a percentage of National Commercial Bank’s profit, has spent over $200 million in the past three years on engaging projects such as a cathedral restoration which taught tangible skills to people from an inner city community and created over 70 jobs enabling those communities to provide for their families. Youth Upliftment Through Employment (YUTE), is an intervention program led by the private sector, which targets the root causes of crime, violence and unemployment impacting youth giving them internship and entrepreneurial experience. And finally, Mustard Seed Communities cares for, feeds, clothes and provides shelter for Jamaica’s most vulnerable and is the largest NGO employer in the Caribbean. Through these examples, it is clear that the common element running through most facets of charitable giving in current day Jamaica is summed up by the Chinese parable: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

It is also important to note the significant impact made by Jamaicans living abroad who feel the need to give back to both their homeland as well as their new country of residence. One such example is Raymond Chang, recently named Outstanding Philanthropist 2010 by the Toronto Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, who has donated upwards of $200 million in Canada, Jamaica and abroad over the past few years. Born in Kingston Jamaica, he attended a high school run by Jesuit priests and interestingly, the common thread running through his philanthropy is an emphasis on education as well.

In summary, Jamaica is a multicultural society that in its infancy was influenced by a diverse array of cultural beliefs, religious values and social factors. Today, philanthropic activity in Jamaica centers around education and is being used as a tool to accelerate economic activity.

What is the most you have willingly given to charity? One Hundred Dollars? Five Hundred Dollars? How about giving half of your hard working income such as famed fifty percent club. By most Canadian standards, the 50% club is deemed very unique, and if it were an I.Q test they would no doubt be at least 3-4 standard deviations above the norm or 99.999 percentile. Other charitable acts might take the form of teaching a skill to those whom lack it, or volunteering, acts that we all consider very noble. Recently, I began studying eastern Buddhism and I found that their sense of giving to be a bit different than the westerns prototypical views. We have all had visitors coming to our door asking for donations and most Canadians are a hospitable bunch and normally are willing to bestow when feasible. Let me pose this proposition to the reader. What if someone came to your door and did not ask for any monetary funds, your time, skill, but rather asked for your 1 ½ year old male child? I envision the reader at this point would most likely have a knee jerk response, and would either slam the door, alert the police or outright laugh! That would be the typical Canadian response and would be mine as well. I will explain this tradition no matter how odd we might consider it, and hopefully help the reader understand that giving the child to a complete stranger is not by Buddhist traditions out of the ordinary (Williams, 2005).

According to Buddhist teachings, we are involuntary reincarnated back into existence. A being who has reached a level of enlightenment, a Buddha, can choose their next life form willingly. The great Tibetan masters called Lamas continue to reincarnate to guide their followers and all beings to enlightenment (Smith & Novak, 2003). What is unique about Buddhism is that for 700 years Buddhists have witnessed the tradition of seeking out their reincarnated masters. Their “heart disciples” often go on a quest in search of the reincarnate. Great effort is given to spiritual guides who provide an area of land that the enlightened being is said to have reincarnated. The heart disciple’s goal is to locate the correct reincarnate through a series of tests that attempt to ascertain with certainty the authenticity of their master who is now a child. Once the child is found and passes the tests, the parents are then asked to forfeit their biological imperative of keeping the child. They are asked to relinquish their child and abruptly stop forming an attachment, and give up their child to the monastery for the greater good of humanity. If the parents refuse to do so, their wishes are honored and the blame is placed reincarnated Lama for not choosing a suitable family that would relinquish the child, not on the family itself. Most would agree that charity is best when it is a choice not forced.

Imagine giving up a male child in China or India, as an act of charity. I find myself culturally conditioned to oppose this very premise on a both limbic biological state and on a rational state. So it would seem that while we have our Western charity hero’s such as the fifty percent club, Eastern Buddhist have their own form extraordinary club. If the knowledge of Eastern charity was better known, maybe Canadian’s would open their pocket books and give more liberally?

Works Cited

Smith, H., & Novak, P. (2003). Buddhism: A Concise Introduction. . SanFrancisco.: Harper.

Williams, P. (2005). Buddhism: Critical Concepts in Religious Studies. London: Routledge.