By Jacqueline Davis
Give, and it shall be given to you: good measure and pressed down and shaken together and running over shall they give into your bosom. For with the same measure that you shall mete withal, it shall be measured to you again
LUKE 6:30 (Catholic Giving and Titling Guide)
There are many historically events that contributed to the philanthropic sector in Brazil. However, Read the rest of this entry >>
By Colleen Bain
Argentina has had a very interesting philanthropic history, particularly regarding the involvement of women (most notably, Eva Peron). This article will look at three major charities in Argentinean history; the Sisters of Charity, the Society of Beneficence, and the Eva Peron Foundation.
First, the Sisters of Charity was founded in 1727 by Don Juan Alonso Gonzalez, and was made up of leading activists of the colonial period. They received the support of the church and private donations from the upper classes, Read the rest of this entry >>
By Gavin Trevelyan
Ojibway giving traditions are based on a cyclical view of reciprocity. Goods are given freely between members of the community, with the expectation that those goods will continue to be given from one individual to the next. In this way, individuals with goods to give can rely on receiving them back in some form or another when they themselves are in need. In this broad view, reciprocity is ensured.
Nomadism in Ojibway culture, in pre-colonial North America inclined this group towards an aversion to acquiring bulky goods. Read the rest of this entry >>
By Jesse Kalyshov
The First Nations people of Canada have a beautiful culture marked with a deep history of generosity and philanthropy. Their beliefs are rooted in the idea that the universe alone owns everything. Gift giving is prominent in their society and is illustrated greatly through the ceremony of The Potlatch.
A Potlatch was an elaborate feast where family and neighbours of the host would assemble for a wedding, the naming of a child, the start of the berry or salmon season or the building of a new plank house. Read the rest of this entry >>
By N. Dicecco
At the core of the First Nations belief system is the philosophy of giving of one’s self or personal belonging to others in order to sustain the circle of life within the universe. As a child protection worker, this philosophical belief it clearly demonstrated by the caring and nurturing a native foster parent gives to the children placed in their home. Be them children within their own cultural or others, Read the rest of this entry >>
By Erin Cox
When attending an important celebration in today’s society, like a birth or a marriage, it is the guest who brings a gift to show their happiness for the occasion. But for the Kwakwaka’wakw people, the opposite is true. “When one’s heart is glad, he gives away gifts. Our creator gave it to us, to be our way of doing things, to be our way of rejoicing, we who are Indian. The Potlatch was given to us to be our way of expressing joy” – Agnes Alfred of Albert Bay (1980).
A potlatch is a ceremony intrinsic to the social and spiritual community of the Kwakwaka’wakw located in British Colombia. These ceremonies are thrown for all important celebrations of their community. Read the rest of this entry >>
By Erin Cox
When attending an important celebration in today’s society, like a birth or a marriage, it is the guest who brings a gift to show their happiness for the occasion. But for the Kwakwaka’wakw people, the opposite is true. “When one’s heart is glad, he gives away gifts. Our creator gave it to us, to be our way of doing things, to be our way of rejoicing, we who are Indian. The Potlatch was given to us to be our way of expressing joy” – Agnes Alfred of Albert Bay (1980).
A potlatch is a ceremony intrinsic to the social and spiritual community of the Kwakwaka’wakw located in British Colombia. Read the rest of this entry >>
By Ruth Brago
First nation believes that to give should not be a duty in which individuals get to choose whether or not they want to help someone, such as their neighbour. Giving to First Nation people is not a chose to them but instead it is their beliefs and traditions which forms their community and makes the world a better place for everyone. They do not divide themselves up into individuals but sees themselves as one big family, meaning if one person succeeds in life they all do. Read the rest of this entry >>
by Priscilla M. Madrigal Saballos
The Incas are the Indian people of Peru, who in the two centuries before the Spanish discovery of America, conquered an area stretching from the Southern border of present day Colombia to central Chile centering on the city of Cuzco in the Peruvian Andes. The Incas made their appearance in South America in the XI century (Loprete, 2001). They began by enlarging their territory beyond the immediate valley of Cuzco. By 1492, the Inca Empire is established and ruling over approximately 10 million people and the population is composed primarily of soldiers and farmers (National Geographic Television, 2002). Read the rest of this entry >>
by Jason Guay
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. Read the rest of this entry >>