If you’re not familiar with the title of this article, it suggests that there are two types of people or even jobs – generalists and specialists. In looking at most professions, we see a mix of both. Yet when we look at Volunteer Engagement, we would argue that we only see generalists.
In this quarter’s Points Of View (POV), we wanted to lift the curtain a bit and give our readers a glimpse behind the scenes. Because, honestly, writing these articles isn’t easy. Well, that’s not strictly true. We have lots of fun actually putting the words on the page and knocking drafts backwards and forwards between us. But having ideas for us to write about? That can be hard.
As we alluded to in our last Points of View, this modern world seems to be beset with crisis: the global COVID-19 pandemic crisis. . .an inflationary cost-of-living crisis. . .the crisis in Ukraine. . .a continuing migrant and refugee crisis after years of war in Libya, Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen and too many other countries. . .climate crisis that affects the whole planet.
There has not been a time since the World Wars where it seems the global population is facing such upheaval, so many demands and layers of losses. It seems like people are reaching the end of their tethers. Or, as J.R.R.