many countries. Yet, they hold the key to better understand and transform social lives from grass root levels. In other words, the contribution of non-profits in transforming society for the better and in a positive way is still largely understated. Lastly, on the one hand, nonprofits have great capital for care and compassionate work while they sometimes lack the needed brains for more growth and increased impact. On the other hand, the private and private sector do have the brains, but sometimes lack the heart aspect. The complementarity of the two is needed for a vibrant and healthy society. Nonprofits and Covid 19 – Organisations in the nonprofit sector are deeply involved in many human crises. The same is definitely true with the responses to Covid 19.
Whereas a government would enact laws to be enforced for people to adhere to Covid 19 guidelines at the risk of possible prosecution, the nonprofit organisations opt for awareness, advocacy, and anti-stigma campaigns within societies. Their key actions often fail to catch the attention of the media, which tends to pursue the actions of politicians and key business people. Lessons from Nonprofits. Christians should learn what nonprofits do in their environment and be part of the support system. This is a way of finding God in any situation. Such organisations or groups are spread all over and we need to open our eyes and be part of the change that we want to bring about in our areas. For example,
one may be concerned about the number of street children in our cities and want something to be done. It is easy to give some few dollars to the child, but this does not go far enough and one will never know what that money will be used for. But engaging an organisation like Zambuko House in Harare, Zimbabwe, which specialises in rehabilitating street children would indeed help in a bigger way than giving out a few dollars to a street child. Channelling one’s resources to such an organisation contributes to a holistic way of addressing the problem. Nonprofits provide avenues for anyone to be part of a noble cause without necessarily having to be qualified or be an expert in a given area. Numerous ways to offer help are available.
A Social Science Perspective to Seek and Find God under Covid-19 Fr Paulo Gaspar SJ Gregorian University, Rome, Italy
In this time of the
coronavirus pandemic, do social sciences have a say towards seeking and finding God? Of course yes, particularly from the point of view of the Social Teaching of the Church. A reminder of Galileo Galilei’s words is apt here: “the world is like a book. By being able to read it[s scientific laws], one can know a bit more about its
Author – God” (cf. 16231641). It is all out there: all what one needs is to observe, apprehend (test), reflect and make the most of it (cf. Spiritual Exercises nos 106, 107, 124 & 125). Since science is about knowledge (epistemology), social sciences can offer in its way unique perspectives, this being one of a kind. The seduction of power or Mukai -Vukani No.77 | July 2020 |
the paradoxical ideology of knowing. By extending broadly the debate between qualitative and quantitative research methods in Social Sciences through a historical comparative approach, one may come to understand the digital formalization of knowledge, comprising letters and numbers. The formalisation of knowledge 31
