Faced with so many social challenges and the need for businesspeople to wake up to invest in philanthropic causes, I was excited and hopeful when I recently spoke with the couple Mariel Reyes and David Vélez at the 3rd edition of the Diálogos do Movimento Bem Maior event . The first point I reflected on was that, after seven years of joining “ The Giving Pledge ” alongside my wife, Suzy Horn, I have the opportunity to welcome and enthusiastically see the arrival of yet another Latin American couple in this great pact. .
When I listened to David and Mariel talking about generosity, I felt a lot of joy because they are two young people excited about building a better world. Seeing them comment that other entrepreneurs showed their intention to invest in social causes, my confidence grew that the wave of good will intensify and a new generation of philanthropists is germinating.
I have been working to help transform Brazil's social reality through philanthropy — it's been a long time since I committed to doing good. It is an honorable challenge and, with great conviction, I see it as the great project that God sent to me — which gives me even more energy to dedicate myself and do it with all my strength.
Unfortunately, we are facing one of the most sensitive moments in the world. What we see today is enormous inequality, and we know that the health and financial crises caused by Covid-19 have hit the poorest hardest. Our country expects and needs the business class to mobilize. One piece of information that caught my attention came from the “ Brazil Giving Report ” survey, published in February this year. The study showed that 73% of respondents considered that companies should have done more to support communities during that period.
One of my main goals in life is to inspire others to have a culture of giving. The list of members of “The Giving Pledge” has only four participants in Latin America: David, Mariel, Suzy and me. A low number, which still reflects the difficulty of obtaining a commitment from the richest to donate. At the same time, it encourages us that, if today we come across younger businesspeople dedicating themselves to the social cause, it is a sign that there is hope for the next generations!
It is important to highlight that this situation does not reflect the work carried out by businesspeople and philanthropists over decades. I cite the example of Amador Aguiar, founder of Bradesco, who supported education so much and left an enormous legacy of generosity. Just as Amador was one of my biggest inspirations, I hope that more people become aware of spreading seeds to make the culture of donation a habit.
When we adopt a look of empathy, we are touched in the heart. Imagining the suffering of others affects us. If you want to start donating, I suggest walking through the streets of your own neighborhood, looking at people in difficulty and thinking about how to help. There are social organizations, solidarity movements, associations that do fundamental work and need support.
The more we talk about the culture of donation, the more names that join this solidarity struggle, the more inspirations emerge, the greater our strength will be to change the country's reality. Businesspeople who have great wealth have enormous opportunities to generate social impact. Life is a stage for us to do good. We cannot omit ourselves from this mission. Here's to a more social, less material future! May a generation come with more purpose and willingness to be a difference!
This article was originally published on the Folha de S.Paulo newspaper website .
