MEET THE iCONGOANS

iCONGO “JUST VOLUNTEERS (JV)” Code

JUST VOLUNTEERS (JV) = JOINT VENTURE (JV) of Concerned Citizen Action for Social Justice

Somewhere on this planet, someone has a solution to each of the world's problems.

It might be one of us. With your help, we can build a more hopeful world. - Marianne Larned

The JUST VOLUNTEER code is applicable to all iCONGOANS (Advisory Board members to Executive Board to Volunteers as listed in this section), irrespective of their titles, age and stature. At iCONGO we do not have a top down hierarchy and believe that to fulfill our duty we all need to humbly accept that is each of us is “JUST ANOTHER VOLUNTER”. All iCONGOANS, including student volunteers, have the right and responsibility to question anything and anyone and exercise her/ his voice. Along with all the rights comes the responsibility of being a proactive volunteer and putting in efforts as a vocational calling (and not just a 9-5 job) to promote social justice, by going beyond and answering our call of duty.

“The more I want to get something done, the less I call it work.” - Richard Bach

Our JV Purpose: Encouraging social justice through citizen action where we help all people invest time, efforts and involvement to BE THE CHANGE and MAKE A DIFFERENCE towards helping create a just, humane, responsible and egalitarian society.

Our JV Goal: To create THOUGHT LEADERSHIP for addressing apathy and igniting attitudinal change amongst citizens at large for reclaiming democracy and social justice for all, because we inherently believe that it is not charity but justice that is wanting in our world.

Though government has an important role to play in meeting the many challenges that remain before us, we are coming to understand that no organization, including government, will fully succeed without the active participation of each of us. Volunteers are vital to enabling this country to live up to the true promise of its heritage. - Bill Clinton

  • We shall be mutually respectful with all people even while being candid and straightforward about any issue. We disagree openly and honestly. We deal with our differences professionally. Once we have made a decision, we act together in harmony to fulfill our mission.
  • We shall be always ready to ethically stand up and speak out against wrongs anywhere against anyone (no matter whom) in our society and world.
  • We shall never give in about any task at hand, no matter what the challenge and seek to improve & improvise to find solutions to make the mission happen against all odds. How we do things is as important to us as what we do. Efficiency and effectiveness to make things happen while staying within ethical boundaries is the "bedrock" of our mission
  • We shall do what is right for the greater public good. We are committed to the highest standards of excellence in everything that we do on behalf of all stakeholders and community at large. We are proud to work for a public private people partnership that makes a difference in people's lives. We derive our greatest sense of accomplishment from doing what is right - not what is expedient. We are reliable, honest, and trustworthy in all our dealings. We keep our promises and if we make a mistake we put it right.
  • We shall accept our personal responsibility, authority and empowerment to fulfill our purpose with individual social responsibility and be a team player. We shall do what we say and we shall say what we do. We treat the organisation as our own and try to make wise use of our time and all then resources purely for the mission and not for any personal gain. We shall not just do things as they need to be done but strive to make things happen against all odds by finding ways and solutions to achieve impact.
  • We shall put nation first, cause next & self last to bring people together as ONE to RIGHT every WRONG.

There is no better exercise for your heart, than reaching down and helping to lift someone up. Learn to lead in a nourishing manner. Learn to lead without being possessive. Learn to be helpful without taking the credit. Learn to lead without coercion- Bernard Meltzer

Whenever we think about the work that we’re doing, we should ask ourselves one simple question- Why are we here? Each person volunteering @ iCONGO could probably, at this point of time, be earning money for the time and efforts we are investing for the greater public good. Then what brought us here- an array of different individuals, coming together for a common cause and larger mission? Of course it was the knowledge that more important than money is the satisfaction of doing something for society. But that’s the easier answer. Whether you realize it or not, the roots go much deeper.

The world we live in today is based on competition. In the mad rush to get ahead, to earn more, to spend more, everything that was taught to be wrong is now applauded to be a virtue. Greed, selfishness and egotism- these were supposed to be sins. They are now practical skills for a practical world. And each has their excuse for going along with it, for stamping down ruthlessly on others, not as strong, or perhaps not as shrewd. It’s about each one for oneself, about individual gain, and let the community be damned. Competition is actually looked towards to promote innovation, efficiency and excellence. It is supposed to provide incentive for constant self-improvement. However, if the larger picture is not kept in mind, the true vision is lost. What that sense of competition ends up achieving is incessant bickering over non-issues, and a loss of ethics; because ethics have no part to play in the super-competitive world of dog eating dog. Like football star Ronaldo said: “Of course we play for ourselves and for our glory. But the difference is that it is not all that we do. We also play for our country.”

It is this very greed and selfishness that you have taken a stand against. By JUST VOLUNTEERING through iCONGO, what you are effectively against is being a part of a world that can close its ears to people crying out for help, because to hear will not afford any individual gain. You are against the rat race that demands the lives of other people so that you can sit in comfort. You refuse to conform to what the world tells you are the right ways, the only way- the path of chasing the money, the path of cut-throat competition instead of building consensus. It’s not about not conforming- it’s about conforming only when you find something worth conforming to.

If you have joined iCONGO, you have found that something worth conforming to- it’s the only reason why you would join. It is because you have a “grand passion & commitment” for justice, for fair play, for seeing the myriad WRONGS in the world for what they are- WRONGS, They are not merely small inconveniences that someone else is facing that you don’t have to think about because it is not happening to you. It is because you understand that blind, unfair competition, where people don’t start on a common playing field is not the answer- consensus is, and working together towards a common cause of collective prosperity is the key to achieving social justice for one and all.

Volunteering is good for the individual, family and collective mind, body, heart and the soul. - Founders of iCONGO

Personal Values that we are looking for-

What are the values that you should live by while working at this organization? They are not something superimposed on you- only what comes from within:

  • Work with passion: Work for what you believe in. Work because you want to, not because you have to.
  • Work with complete honesty: if you’ve come this far, you must have realized along the way that to be completely, scrupulously honest to yourself is the only thing that can keep you happy, whether at work or in any other part of your life.
  • Work with integrity: If you’re doing something, it is worth doing only if you put your whole heart and soul into it and do it to the absolute best of your ability.
  • Have courage of your conviction: Believe in what you’re doing, and never be afraid to voice what you believe in.
  • Care about people: People and your relationships with people are all that really matter
  • Love doing what you do: Enjoy everything you do- Do it because you love it.

Take a lead from Jerry Maguire:

“A life is not worth living if you are sleepwalking through it… We cannot sleepwalk. We cannot just survive, anything goes. We can take control of our lives, we can quit sleepwalking, we can say - right now, these are our lives; it is time to start living it. It is time to not second guess, to move forward, to make mistakes if we have to, but to do it with a greater good in mind. Let us start a revolution… I am prepared to die for something. I am prepared to live for our cause. The cause is caring about each other.”

ORGANIZATION AND STRUCTURE:

  • Work should never be a task- a person works for self expression. Today, with a vast array of job opportunities available to young working professionals, the key to people retention and management is to allow large freedom to all employees.
  • Work should be assigned, but how it gets done should be left up to the person who has to get it done. They may be guided if inexperienced, but the others should have enough creative space to work as they please.
  • Self management should be encouraged. Employees are responsible adults and should be treated as such. They do not need to be constantly monitored, and should command complete trust. Trust leads to higher morale, greater productivity, and employees that grow with the business. Employees are encouraged to be creative, undertake training and explore personal interests. Work becomes an avenue for self expression, commitment and passion and this leads to innovation and growth of the organization.
  • Circular inclusion is the new structural requirement- a flat, circular, fluid management system, with decisions not being imposed from the outside, but being generated from within, and the CEO at the centre- coordinating, rather than at the top looking down. Leadership- including authority, responsibility and decision-making- should be shared equally. The role of each individual needs to be respected.
  • Circle Principles promote full employee participation leading to maximum productivity and income. Rather than the hierarchical structure of most businesses, enterprises organized according to Circle Principles make decisions by consensus, share leadership skills and resources, promote open and honest communication, and listen actively to all employee ideas for improvement.
  • Work teams would replace the bureaucratic, middle-level management positions and employees are “listened to” rather than “talked to”. Employees should be encouraged to take decisions themselves rather than looking to the top for direction, and trusted by the top so that they are given the freedom to take decisions without fear.
  • Each person working in the organization should understand and relate themselves to the larger cause that they are working for. What an individual does matters because they are a part of a larger picture. Employees should be stimulated to always retain perspective of what their role is in this larger picture, and know that they are as much of a stakeholder in the organization as the person heading it. Encouragement and a happy work-force have been proven to work better as a stimulus to productivity and innovation as compared to stress.

This way, volunteers and associates become responsible for being congruent with the core values and principles of the organization, and work becomes a form of creative self expression rather than a task done for purely monetary remuneration. Passion for the job gets reintroduced as the element of force fades away, and people work for the right reasons, with the right results: retaining their individuality through their work, while at the same time keeping in mind the larger picture and working towards a larger vision. The motto of every volunteer and associate is then: “Nation First, Cause Next and Self last”.

The expression of pride in being JUST ANOTHER VOLUNTEER is very important as when one volunteers, one does it simply for doing good and because he/she believe that he/she can make a positive contribution by giving their services holistically. Volunteers, unlike employees, do the work because they want to serve and make a difference and thus need to be much more committed, passionate and proactive about the work we do. Thus everyone at iCONGO needs to be proud to be a JUST ANOTHER VOLUNTEER and give oneself wholly and selflessly towards finding ways to be the change.

Our Expectations from all our JUST VOLUNTEERS:

All iCONGO volunteers are expected to:

Be flexible. iCONGO has at this stage a small Secretariat of no more than 5 people, full or part time, who work with us to promote the mission , and all volunteers must be willing to undertake administrative and outreach tasks as well as regular policy research and organisational duties. All volunteers are expected to chip in wherever they are needed. They must also be able to get along well with other team members

Be reliable. All iCONGO volunteers mostly work from home. For this reason it is vital that the successful applicant be reliable, have a strong work ethic and considerable motivation, allowing them to work efficiently in an independent manner. Some people do not work well without the stimulation of office colleagues or the discipline of a supervised work environment. If you are one of those people, volunteering with iCONGO isn’t for you.

PERSON SPECIFICATION for JUST VOLUNTEERS:

  • A personal commitment to building an ecosystem to encourage social justice and citizen action
  • Excellent writing skills. The person must be able to write clearly and fluently in English/ Hindi, with the ability to produce documents and other written work for a variety of audiences. (PREFFERED BUT NOT ESSENTIAL).
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Must be able to communicate effectively with a variety of people. This will involve a certain amount of telephone outreach, so you need to be confident and comfortable phoning large numbers of people you have never met.
  • Presentation skills. On occasion the individual could be called on to make presentations to supporters. (PREFFERED BUT NOT ESSENTIAL)
  • Excellent organisational skills. Must be able to self-organise, and have excellent time-management skills.
  • The ability to work effectively while working independently is essential in this position.
  • Basic computer skills. Familiarity with MS Word, PowerPoint Excel, e-mail and basic Internet skills. (PREFFERED BUT NOT ESSENTIAL)
  • Fluent English and/or Hindi, both written and spoken. (PREFFERED BUT NOT ESSENTIAL).

10 Commandments for JV

  • Always be punctual. Even if you are working from home, make sure you adhere to the timings you have committed to.
  • Be a part of the system, understand the problems and suggest solutions with full authority. Don’t just point out the problem and wait for others to come up with a solution
  • Set your own targets and timelines and be honest to yourself in meeting those targets. Submit the reports and content on time. Complete the task assigned to you or taken up by you with full authority.
  • If you fail to meet your timelines, own full responsibility and don’t try to pass the buck on to someone else.
  • Impose self discipline about work details and try to enthuse everyone with discipline
  • Don’t shirk work. Be a team player and be ready to help your colleagues in their assignment, as after all its all a team work that we do for a common mission.
  • Be creative and imaginative, learn from your own mistakes and find ways to make things happen for the common mission
  • Never give in if you are right and have the courage of conviction to take a stand and put across your point of view.
  • If you find something which is not in order, discuss it with full maturity and responsibility in a truly professional spirit.
  • Try to set a RIGHT example for others to follow rather than adopt any complacency or WRONG example set by others.

Let us not be satisfied with just giving money. Money is not enough, money can be got, but they need your hearts to love them. So, spread your love everywhere you go.- Mother Theresa