Volunteers, Coordinators And Pilgrims

At the airport today, Gitanjali came by for a heart to heart chat.  I always tease her about all her awards -- from receiving the "Amazing Indian" award, to being on the cover of the Femina magazine, and so on. :)  In her inspired work on G.B. road in Delhi, she has uplifted the lives of sex workers while leading with love.  But it's also *really* hard work, to do it day in and day out.

Our conversation centered around building a resilient ecosystem.  Particularly around the quote, "If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together."

For building any ecosystem, the organizing principles are critical, because that determines whether you will attract volunteers, coordinators, or pilgrims.  Volunteers serve to get something out of the experience -- experience, connections, happiness.  Coordinators serve for the cause, and are willing to sacrifice personal satisfaction for the larger movement.  And pilgrims serve for the sake of inner transformation.  

Of course, a thriving ecology needs all three -- but if you don't design for inner transformation, it becomes very hard to attract pilgrims.  And without pilgrims, there is no resiliency.  Personal satisfaction or external impact are certainly motivators, but only inner transformation is regenerative. 

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