Ep. 487: Giving the Greatest Gift of All
Guest: Paul Sitnam, international humanitarian
“Impact investing is an investment strategy that aims to generate specific beneficial social or environmental effects in addition to financial gains,” according to Investopedia.
It is upheld as a societal good, but it does not include devoting your life to helping others.
“The greatest gift of giving possible is your life’s work,” says Paul Sitnam. He is a living example having done just that for the past 40 years. Sitnam dedicated his life to international humanitarian work in Africa, the South Pacific and the Middle East. His service to others, he says, has “allowed me to work with people in need of a hand up, rather than a handout. I worked with people to help them recover from disasters that shook their confidence.”
Sitnam says, “I quickly dispelled myself of the notion that I was going to save the world. I just tried to do the best I could with the situation I found myself in and the resources available.” He goes on to speak to the power of empathy over sympathy. “Humanitarian work,” he says, “must facilitate victims of a disaster in a manner that allows them to regain their dignity. They need to be treated as much as possible as partners rather than as vulnerable people or beneficiaries. No one likes to be thought of – and treated – as a beggar.”
We invited Paul Sitnam to join us for a Conversation That Matters about making a difference by being where assistance is needed.
Want to learn more about our guest?
Check out their profile on our partnered program, Careers That Matter!
