pay it forward
'We all like to think that the concern we feel for others is altruistic. We do good to others for their sakes, not for ours. However, in truth we cannot be completely altruistic unless we feel so secure and worthwhile in ourselves that there is nothing we need from other people in order to maintain and to elaborate our sense of existence and to protect ourselves from the threat of annihilation.'
Dorothy Rowe, 'The Successful Self'
In the American film 'Pay it Forward' (2000) an eleven year old school boy is given an assignment by his social studies teacher to'come up with a plan that will change the world through direct action'. The boy, Trevor, sets out to do three acts of kindness for people he meets. He does not ask for anything for himself, in return. Instead of asking for each person to pay it back he tells them to 'pay it forward' - to find three other people in need and to do them an unconditional act of kindness. These people then have to 'pay it forward' too so that acts of goodwill rapidly spread throughout the world, like the ripples on a pond.
If one person did three random acts of kindness and the 'pay it forward' principle was applied 6 times, over 1000 acts of goodwill take place. In 10 cycles there would be nearly 90000!
We were inspired by this simple yet powerful idea, and began to wonder what would happen if we could make it real. We like the idea because it's not trying to create a new world order, nor impose our particular version of an 'ideal world' on other people. It's up to each individual to decide who to help and in what way. We like it because we think it reawakens the desire that lies within us all - the desire to help our fellow man. In doing so, we help ourselves - we become aware that we make a difference and we know that we matter. We become significant. We have purpose. And we're not the only people that feel this way, the idea of the book and film has been brought to life by the Pay It Forward Foundation and through the work of social activist Jane Tewson and the not for profit organisation she founded, Timebank.
We believe in the power of the individual to change the world
We believe in the natural generosity of the human spirit
We believe in man's humanity to man
We believe in the idea that small changes made everyday,quickly mount up to big change
We believe that what goes around comes around
‘I believe very much in radio as a medium of tragically unrealised possibilities and also in the music I play. Therefore accepting the falseness of my own precarious position I will do what I can, wherever I can, to publicise these good things I hear around me. These musicians have made you aware of, and appreciative of, their music - not J. Peel’.
John Peel, Disc and Music Echo, 1969
