shorter version - raison d'agir

helping people get what they need, physically.

In English, we use “raison d'etre” as a “the most important reason or purpose for someone or something's existence.” I don’t like this term - a person’s "reason for being" or "raison d'etre" is just that they are born. But that's why everyone exists. I am a christian too, so my real "reason for continuing to exist" is to glorify God. We believe as christians that this is true of everyone. What this wiki is really interested in is my raison d'agir - reason to act. To do anything.

Whatever I invest my time in must help God’s Kingdom.

We all have different gifts (Romans 12:6-8). I feel an intense anger at injustice, oppression, and poverty, more than some of my fellow christians. In a related way, I feel an intense annoyance at ineffectual service, which also draws from James 2. This is why I believe service is a gift of mine (I connect deeply with the prophet Isaiah, and the many many things he says about the oppressed and poor. I feel James 2 and 5 are important too).

This is what my Faith, upbringing, and general life experience dictate: Hungry people should be given food to eat. Thirsty people should have something to drink. Oppressed people should have all their needs yet, whatever that may be (Isaiah 58). If they are christians, this is even more important. But it applies to everyone.

finding creative ways to do that better.

Personally, I enjoy finding creative ways to do this. I don’t think this is biblically mandated directly - it’s more implied through Jesus’ parable of the talents, and through the idea that we have a variety of “gifts” to use. Thus doing good to people is the first goal: doing this in creative and innovative ways is the second goal. Experience and scripture dictate that giving must be from a humble heart - we should listen to the people we claim to serve, and not act superior (Deut 18:5, James 2). That’s another key factor in all of this.

using technology to do it.

Information is critical in all of this. How do we hear what exactly people need? How do we diligently plan to meet needs (Proverbs 21:5)?

Right now, the people, especially those in power, have tons of data, and I suspect they/we have no idea what to do with it. The skill of creatively and effectively sorting data opens up a few different ways to help people get what they need. and find creative ways to do that better.

1. I can directly help a person to figure out what they need and where to get it.
2. I can help an organization accomplish some form of operations that meets (real) needs directly
3. I can help an organization accomplish some form of operations that meets (real) needs indirectly
4. I can help an organization make money, and thus claim that money and go use it to meet real needs.

Everything in this wiki describes ways to do this (even if very indirectly). It is not comprehensive by any means, its gathered from what interests me in particular.

Scripture of interest Matt 7:12, Luke 6:13, Isaiah 10:2, chap 58, lots of Isaiah https://www.worldvision.org/christian-faith-news-stories/what-does-bible-say-about-poverty https://blog.mohiafrica.org/bible-verses-helping-poor https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Helping-The-Poor On understanding being good https://www.openbible.info/topics/understanding

Writings on how data can help people https://www.povertyactionlab.org/ https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2014/12/can-big-data-really-help-end-poverty/ https://datafloq.com/read/big-data-developing-world-beat-poverty/168 https://softwareengineering.stackexchange.com/questions/47558/how-can-programming-ability-be-used-to-help-people-in-poverty https://www.quora.com/How-can-a-programmer-impact-international-development