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What is Humane Service?
1. What do we mean by humane or humanitarian service?
2. What are some general topics and issues that would be placed in this category? (ex: human rights, poverty, homelessness, education, gender inequity)
3. Which of these might you see as being more of a global issue, and which could be addressed at the local level? What would the differences in approach be?
Where are you individually and as a group?
4. How many people in your group are currently engaged in this type of work or have been in the past?
5. Does the group itself or the organization it is affiliated with have any humane service programs?
6. Is there anything that might be keeping you from being more active in these areas? (ex: time, don't know where to start, overwhelming)
Choosing an Area of Focus
7. As a group, decide on one or two areas of humane service that are especially important to you. It may be helpful to focus on a specific population, need, or service you can provide.
8. The Sarvodaya Movement in Sri Lanka has identified ten elementary and basic needs. Satisfying those means, liberating the spirit from its own limitations and from unequal socioeconomic conditions, and thereby developing human potential in the Buddhist sense.
These basic needs are:
* A clean and beautiful environment
* Adequate provision of clean drinking water
* Minimal supplies of clothing
* Adequate and balanced nutrition
* Simple housing
* Basic health care
* Basic communication facilities
* A minimal supply of energy
* Holistic education
* Satisfaction of intellectual and cultural needs
Next Steps
9. Research the initiatives that are already going on in your local community. Is there a gap that you would like to help fill? Would your support be more useful as part of an established project, or do you feel called to begin something new?
10. AGNT is putting together some resource lists, dialogue starters, and suggested actions. The first topic, Hunger and Nutrition, can be found HERE