Member Care and Resiliency—Part 5

High-Virtue Humans

Virtrio: A trio of core virtues.
(goodness)

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Human resiliency is the ability to face reality:

to deal with and grow through life’s challenges.

How resilient are you?

You may never know until you confront evil.

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Member care is primarily concerned with promoting health by practically supporting mission/aid workers. It involves doing good by carefully and competently helping workers grow.

At times our member care work may also require us to engage in the difficult task of confronting personal/systemic dysfunction. Big matters or even small matters, no one likes to do this. ‘Someone else will handle it,’ ‘This is too complicated,’ or ‘Just wait a bit and it will hopefully go away,’ are some of the default reasons for not getting involved. Our reticence to tackle “tough stuff” is even more apparent when the stakes are raised and we are faced with the choice of whether or not to confront serious deviance and evil.

The trio of virtues in the virtrio illustration above (perseverance, honesty, and courage) are essential for dealing with life’s challenges. These three qualities are core parts of “high-virtue humans”—virtrios humans—who excel in moral goodness. They are especially necessary when we encounter evil in all of its forms, be they blatant or disguised.

Evil is not the opposite of good but the distortion of good.

Sadly, distorted forms of good may go undetected for a long time.

Resilient virtue is needed to confront the many facets of such evil.

Resilient Evil and Resilient Virtue

Evil is also resilient. One recent example of resilient evil is the long-term fraud promulgated by Bernie Madoff. All the “good” he was doing to benefit investors-colleagues was actually faked. The deception has come back to haunt the business and banking sectors, university endowment programs, and many private citizens across the world. Unfortunately Madoff’s scheme was both resilient and malignant, a horrific combination.

Contrast Madoff’s despicable behavior to the praiseworthy actions of Harry Markopolos. Markopolos and his colleagues spent 12 years tracking Madoff, convinced about the illegitimacy of his money-making scheme. They persevered. They sought transparency (honesty). They were courageous. They were virtrios humans whose skills and resilient virtue, in spite of being ignored for years, eventually helped to expose the evil.

Trimangles

As we have seen in the previous entries, resilient people have inner strength, good social support, and a sense of purpose and/or trust in God. These qualities have been essential for several of us as we have confronted a grievous situation within parts of the international Christian community that has striking similarities to the Madoff case: major fraud. We have all had to muster plenty of virtrio (perseverance, honesty, and courage) in the face of a malicious “trimangle” of corruption (collusion, cover-ups, and cowardice). As the author of Hebrews says, ‘God hates wickedness just as much as He loves virtue’ (Hebrews 1:9, Jerusalem Bible). Created in His image, the same disdain for evil and passion for good is true for us.

Trimangle: A trio of core evils.
(corruption)

We as a group have learned that prudently confronting trimangles (unmasking/exposing/reproving darkness, as commanded in Ephesians 5:11) is not without its risks. Defamation, dismissals, and distress historically accompany the actions of virtrios humans. We have also learned that the levels of risk and fear are not the main criteria for determining whether an action is right or wrong. Do not be afraid to go public as you stand up for what is right, Christ says. For there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed. Do not fear intimidation, discrediting, loss of livelihood, and even loss of life. Your task is to be true, not popular. I will take care of you. (Matthew 10 and Luke 6, paraphrases from The Message).

Resilient virtue: perseverance, honesty, and courage

prevails against

Resilient corruption: collusion, cover-ups, and cowardice.

Governments have an important responsibility in matters that involve major deviance/evil. So also do virtrios humans in civil society (e.g., media, regulatory bodies, organizations) and the Christian community (church, mission agencies). All three entities have a major and often overlapping responsibility to deal transparently and skillfully with trimangles. The exploitation of people (corruption) via joint deception (collusion), distortions of facts (cover-ups), and avoidance of responsibility (cowardice) do not simply go away on their own. They are resilient too. The world will not be any more safe—or virtuous-- until virtrios people act to make it so.

Courage.

Trust God.

Stay the course.

May you espouse virtue and expose evil.

Quotes, Notes, and More

1. Conference. Here is a summary of a presentation that we have proposed. It complements the resiliency theme from last year’s Mental Health and Missions Conference (19-22 November 2009). The title is Future Directions for Member Care: Going and Growing as Resilient Practitioners.

“What lies ahead for the member care field, and indeed for our world at large? In this presentation we discuss future challenges and opportunities for member care. The field needs “good learners-practitioners” who are growing in their character (virtues and resilience) and competency (skills and knowledge). These folks need to be willing to “cross sectors” (e.g., international health and humanitarian sectors), cross disciplines (e.g., human resources, management), and “cross deserts” (e.g., internal journeys of faith and struggle) in order to work effectively in unstable locations often permeated with conflict and calamity. These diverse, resilient, member care workers will have clear ethical commitments as they provide/develop quality services to mission/aid personnel in many cultural settings.”

2. Book. Here is another brief quote is from John Fawcett’s edited book, Stress and Trauma Handbook: Strategies for Flourishing in Demanding Environments (2003—click here to see a book review).

“Faith-driven or secular, the workers who bring aid to individuals, families and communities are the living embodiment of a human conviction that wrongs not only must be righted, but they can be righted." (p. 1).

3. Video. Have a look at this short photo report from the World Health Organization (WHO)—2009 Year in Review: Key Health Issues. The 12 photos and brief descriptions reflect some of the concerted efforts of humanity via the WHO to tackle major health issues facing the world. Other examples of personal stories and international media reports are listed on the Media that Matters section of our Member Caravan website.

4. Tool. How courageous are you? Consider this question via Matthew 10: 24-33. Christ addresses the importance for his followers to speak the truth openly and to identify with Him publicly. Have a look and give some examples where you have had to deal with fear and act with courage.

**Don’t be afraid:
a. of being discredited and maligned (v. 26)
b. of being killed (v. 28)
c. of being undervalued and overlooked (v. 31).

**Be courageous:
a. by confessing Christ without waver (v. 32)
b. by loving Christ more than anyone (37)
c. by taking up our cross and giving your life for Christ (38,39).

5. Music. Two songs by Dougie MacLean.

Ready for the Storm. Dougie is an incredible folk musician from Scotland whose songs are creative, beautiful, and inspirational. He is joined by Kathy Mattea, another gifted musician, and others in this video version of the song, circa 1995/1996.

No No No by Dougie is a powerful call to confront those who exploit people. To listen you must purchase/download this song on the artist’s site, for about one dollar. I think it is really worth it, as is the 1990 album on which it first appeared, Whitewash.

Reflection and Discussion
1. Give an example of a vitrios human that you know. Which virtues contribute to his/her resiliency?

2. How are virtues and developing virtues related to the fruits of the Spirit and walking in the Sprit (see Galatians 5:22-25)?
3. Discuss the notion of trimangles in terms of your personal or work experience.

4. Is resilient virtue always stronger than resilient evil?

5. Which of the above “notes, quotes, and more” are the most meaningful for you and why?

Member Care and Transparency—Part 4

Developmental Musings on Blowing Whistles

Whistle blowing is a difficult and risky aspect of transparency.

It takes moral courage, skill, and support.

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Whistle blowing is a term taken from the sports world. A referee overseeing a game will blow a whistle when some type of wrong behavior (breaking the rules) is committed by a player or even by a coach. The game is temporarily stopped when the whistle blows. The infraction is pointed out clearly and “publically” to all the participants. There is usually a consequence—a penalty.

One example of a misbehavior meriting a referee’s whistle would be intentionally or accidentally kicking someone in a football match. Another example would be intentionally or accidentally pushing someone down during a basketball game. Still other examples would be the far more minor violations like being off sides in a football match or dribbling the basketball with both hands at the same time.

Referees can blow whistles without fear of reprisal because they have recognized and legitimate authority to do so. Their job is to enforce the rules and ensure fair play. Staff in organizations on the other hand, do not usually have the authority of a referee. Neither do staff usually have a set of rules (recognized organizational guidelines) regarding how to do whistle blowing and handle grievances. They can thus be reticent to query/challenge possible misbehaviors and if they do so they may be vulnerable to reprisals. The same applies, as well, to leaders in many organizations. Could such reprisals happen in faith-based organizations and others that espouse good relationships, justice, compassion, and high ethical values? Well, quite possibly!

Whistle blowing in organizational settings can include lots of things. It might mean an employee talking to a supervisor about someone’s inappropriate sexual comments or relentless teasing of others. It could be confronting a leadership team that is withholding information about environmental damage or undisclosed political contributions related to the organization’s activities. Or it could entail filing a formal complaint with the governing board or an external regulatory or police body about possible inappropriate allocation of funds. Whistle blowing serves as a protective function. It is a call for transparency and accountability.

Moral Courage and Moral Cowardice, with Lots In-Between

Let’s imagine that there were some major international frauds in the faith-based sector. Many people were devastated by them. What would people in the sector do who heard about the frauds? Would they inquire more about the frauds and confront the frauds in spite of possible negative consequences? What if there was very little response in terms of transparency and accountability by people who had been involved or affected? Is it OK then to just let things be and to move on? What if the situation malignantly spread to also involve various overlapping issues including discrediting, wrongful dismissals, cover ups, and other injustices? How involved would people likely become in order to do something about it? What would you do? Or what would you want if you were one of the victims?

Note that there have in fact been numerous financial scandals that have affected the faith based sector. This year, 2009, for example, marks the 20th anniversary of the start of the New Era scandal in the USA. As you will see in the staggering information linked below, fraudsters in the more recent news like Bernie Madoff certainly have had their predecessors in people like New Era’s John Bennett who embezzled some 135 Million US dollars from over 1000 donors in the Christian charities and organizations.

Thank goodness for the courage, determination, and research of whistle blowing people like Harry Markopolis and Albert Meyer. Markopolis was a financial analyst who “chased” Madoff for some nine years and Meyer was an accounting teacher who insisted that Bennett’s scheme was fraudulent. In spite of being ignored or opposed by others (especially people/institutions benefiting from these “amazing and benevolent” profit-making investments), their ethical commitment to confront wrongdoing and to protect others continued to impel them to take a stand.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Madoff

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foundation_for_New_Era_Philanthropy

Fortunately in major situations like this the details usually go public in due course. The concerted voices from the citizen sector, often with support from people of influence, usually win the day. Government investigators/agencies begin to investigate then prosecute and the international media carry the story. The wheels of justice turn slowly yet the state ultimately does not wield the sword in vain upon those who practice evil (Romans 13: 4).

What could we learn from such situations in the faith-based sector? First we probably have to acknowledge that we may not in fact have learned very much from previous history. We continue to be vulnerable to unscrupulous people who we “trust” and of whom we find it difficult to believe that they could intentionally dupe others and cover up. So we would have to be transparent about the reality that these things do in fact happen, even as the New Testament, business sector, governments, and history warn us over and over again. (See the weblog post from 6 November 2008 for example on New Testament warnings. Go to this internal link and then scroll down to the date: http://coremembercare.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2009-02-18T21%3A06%3A00Z&max-results=25).

Second we would need to acknowledge our limitations, mistakes, and fears in addition to what we have done well. How have we responded and why? Have we acted with moral courage or have we acted with moral cowardice, or something in-between? In other words we would have to be willing to openly review the specific fraud situations and how they have been handled. We would have to minimize rationalizations and making excuses for not confronting those who are guilty or getting more involved to protect vulnerable people. This individual and group commitment to soul-searching, including doing external independent reviews and internal “morbidity and mortality” consultations, would be one of the best safeguards for preventing similar injustices in the future in which people and organizations get exploited and damaged.

For some related thoughts on fostering organizational health and for dealing with serious deviance and dysfunction, see the article and links at the Reality DOSE web site (link is below). This material goes along well with the recent research by Transparency International et al on Preventing Corruption in Humanitarian Assistance. See the link below for the research report, especially the two-page "Executive Summary". By and large the mission and humanitarian sector, for all our admirable and exemplary qualities, can be vulnerable, naïve, and lack the basic training and recognized protocols to report and deal with serious misconduct.
http://MCAresources.googlepages.com/realitydose

http://transparency.org/publications/publications/other/humanitarian_assistance_report_2008

God is Pro-Transparency

The main actor in situations where there is serious injustice and a paucity of transparency/accountability would seem to be God Himself. He truly hears the cries of the afflicted. He really hears the whistles blowing loud and clear. He Himself will be transparent about the truth even if people are not. Psalm 37 is very instructive here. The promises in this Psalm on the part of God are encouraging and substantial. Here are some excerpts that can be of much help to anyone who is struggling with life’s injustices.

“Do not fret because of evil doers…
they will wither quickly like the grass.

Trust in the Lord and do good…commit your way to the Lord.

He will bring forth your righteousness as the light
and your judgment as the noonday.

For the Lord loves justice and does not forsake His godly ones.

He delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in Him.”

Transparency—The Book

Consider carefully this next set of quotes from Bennis et al in Transparency: How Leaders Create a Culture of Candor (2006). I think that this is a timely book for all of us in member care and mission/aid. Remember too that it is not just about the “them” out there somewhere or the “bad” people in our midst. It relates to all of us.

“But legislation alone [the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in the USA] cannot make organizations open and healthy. Only the character and will of those who run them and participate in them can do that….If a culture of collusion exists instead of a culture of candor, participants will find ways around the rules, new or old, however stringent.” (p. 8)

…Glazer's study revealed that they [whistleblowers] almost always found the courage to speak out in their deep commitment to the core values of the organization. Even when labeled traitors by their colleagues, such tellers of unsettling truths often feel passionate loyalty to the organization and act because they feel the secret activity violates its mission and ethical core.” (10)

“The charge of disloyalty is as easy for leaders to bring against followers as it is difficult for the accused to counter and disprove. Moreover, as loyalty is typically an admirable trait, it is also a convenient blind for cowardly followers to hide behind.” (p. 79)

For more information on whistle blowing see the helpful suggested policy/white paper on the web site of the Evangelical Council for Finacial Accountability (ECFA):

http://www.ecfa.org/TopicDisplay.aspx?PageName=TopicPolicy_SuspectedMisconduct

For some additional perspectives on fraud in Christian circles, see the June 2009 article "Popping the Fraud Bubble" and related links in the magazine Christianity Today.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/june/4.14.html?start=1#related

Reflection and Discussion

1. Recall a time when you blew a whistle. What was it like and what happened?

2. What protocols exist in your organization for grievances and whistle blowing? How adequate are these protocols?

3. List three thoughts from Bennis et al that make the most sense to you. How can you apply these in your setting?

4. Respond to this statement and give an example: Often times there is not a need for more light to shine. Rather the need is to act upon the light that is already clearly shining.