June 26, 2007
Would Mandatory Service Breed Resentment or More Volunteers?
The proposal by Sen. Chris Dodd, Democrat of Connecticut and a contender for the Democratic presidential nomination, to require high-school students to participate in volunteer service drew cheers and jeers from political writers.
The author of Progressively Right derides Mr. Dodd’s plan.
“That’s just oxymoronic, with emphasis on the ‘moronic,’” he writes. He says that teenagers will object to being forced to volunteer and that the proposal will make “too many people available for not enough substantive tasks.”
At My DD (Direct Democracy), a blogger disagrees.
“Now one might argue that a mandatory program would lead to resentment or feelings of that nature, but I am not certain that that is the case. In other countries in which there is a mandatory service requirement, whether it is military or otherwise, people seem to have accepted it as part of their culture and indeed embrace such systems,” he writes.
What do you think? Would teenagers object or accept such a requirement? How would it affect charities?
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I think that if we connected this discussion with others that focus on turning that initial service experience into life long learning and involvement in a cause, we’d be able to think of the benefits and objections differently.
A recent discussion on Social Edge has been focusing on this. It is at http://www.socialedge.org/discussions/philanthropy/global-youth-volunteerism
— Dan Bassill Jun 27, 01:22 PM #
“forced volunteering” – my school district requires that. Almost every student values the experience, and almost every organization provides a valuable learning experience. There are a few bad apples on either side. if this passes, charities need to take a leadership position, and make their needs known to the student bodies, and match the students up with appropriate tasks. Some will want to do menial tasks, others higher level. The only bad thing that comes of it is if the number of hours required is too unrealistically high. The only obstacle, besides a student’s usually rigorous schedule, is transportation to the organization – charities need to help make arrangements for that sometimes.
— lucy b. Jun 28, 04:13 PM #