https://dictionaryofradicalalternatives.org/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=93.41.120.209&* 2026-07-17T18:54:20Z User contributions MediaWiki 1.31.3 https://dictionaryofradicalalternatives.org/index.php?title=Contribution:20260623080754&diff=933 2026-06-23T08:12:39Z

<p>93.41.120.209: Philanthropy - the love of humanity - a colonized narrative which requires a radical change.</p> <hr /> <div>{{Contribution<br /> |contribution:type=New Concept<br /> |contribution:newconcept=Philanthropy<br /> |contribution:name=Elisa Ricciuti<br /> |contribution:email=mailto:elisa.ricciuti@diceimpact.com<br /> }}<br /> The word Philanthropy comes from the ancient Greek Phil- (love) and – Anthropos (human, humankind) it is generally defined as “the love of humanity”.<br /> <br /> In a very broad approach, the term is used as a synonym of “giving” and it usually refers to anything concerned with a charitable activity. In recent decades, though, with inequalities soaring globally and the persistence of mechanisms of wealth accumulation grounded in social injustice, the term is more commonly used with a narrower approach, referring to the «capital provider» side of charitable organizations: high net worth individuals putting their wealth into a very Western-centered, post-industrial institutional setting: the “foundation”.<br /> <br /> Since then, the term “philanthropy” has gradually been colonized. From a form of global solidarity between people, rooted in very diverse historical, spiritual and cultural settings all over the planet (ie. “Sadaqah” in the Islamic tradition, or “aroha” in the Maori tradition), the concept has passed to a stable and linear ‘donor-recipient’, ‘giver-asker’, ‘wealthy-needy’ relationship. Through the colonization of the philanthropic narrative, the concept has lost the richness of the multiple values philanthropy brings into the world way beyond money, such as: relationship, trust, generosity, connectedness, appreciation, empathy among others.<br /> <br /> This is why philanthropy, as it is understood today, carries a lot of colonial baggage — and why the way we talk about it needs to change. Efforts to reclaim the true nature of philanthropy are gaining space today: we need a radical change in the way the concept takes shape and a reflection on the narrative of power and agency situated in the philanthropic relationship.</div>

93.41.120.209 https://dictionaryofradicalalternatives.org/index.php?title=Contribution:20260622083639&diff=932 2026-06-22T09:36:21Z

<p>93.41.120.209: Philanthropy - the love of humanity - a colonized narrative which requires a radical change.</p> <hr /> <div>{{Contribution<br /> |contribution:type=New Concept<br /> |contribution:newconcept=Philanthropy<br /> |contribution:name=Elisa Ricciuti<br /> |contribution:email=elisa.ricciuti@diceimpact.com<br /> }}<br /> The word Philanthropy comes from the ancient Greek Phil- (love) and -Anthropos (human, humankind) and it is generally defined as “the love of humanity”.<br /> <br /> In a very broad approach, the term is used as a synonym of “giving”: money, in-kind goods, time or skills (for the latter two, it is referred also as “volunteering”). It is usually connected to anything concerned with a charitable activity. In recent decades, though, with inequalities soaring globally and the persistence of mechanisms of wealth accumulation grounded in social injustice, the term is more commonly used with a narrower approach, referring to the «capital provider» side of charitable organizations: high net worth individuals putting their wealth into a very Western-centered post-industrial institutional setting: the “foundation”.<br /> <br /> This means that philanthropy and its narrative has gradually been colonized. From a form of solidarity between people, existing throughout the entire planet, rooted in very diverse history and cultural processes, in different spiritual or religious ethos, strongly community-based and continuously evolving, the concept has passed to a stable, freezing ‘donor-recipient’, ‘giver-asker’, ‘wealthy-needy’ relationship. By colonizing the language around philanthropy, it has lost the richness and the importance of multiple values it brings into the world way beyond money, such as: relationship, trust, generosity, connectedness, collaboration, co-creation, empathy and many other colorful ways of shaping the concept coming from indigenous traditions all over the planet.<br /> <br /> This is why philanthropy, as it is understood today, carries a lot of colonial baggage — and why the way we talk about it needs to change. Efforts to reclaim the true nature of philanthropy are gaining space today: we need a radical change in the way the concept takes shape and a reflection on the narrative of power and agency situated in the philanthropic relationship.</div>

93.41.120.209