GVD

GVD (Global Volunteers Day) kick-starts over this weekend. Once a year Oraclelites come togehter to brighten things up for the underprivileged. Spend time with abandoned kids, elderlies, try to make atleast one of the 365 days something to remember.

This is my second year at Oracle and first GVD, I used to look at all these with a lot of cynicism. The idealist in me tried to brand this as a bit of show off. A giant profit making corporation trying to present a human face. Then there would be these lot who join these stuff cause they can put it in their resume, you know make it all round.They wouldnt care either way in their day to day life. I never wanted to have anything to do with these kind of events.

All this changed with OraRevels.Even though this was my second year in Oracle, ORarevels till then was just another boring party where Oraclelites tried very hard to indulge in a bit of 'revellery'. I had skipped it in the first year. This time my motivation to join OraRevels was different. Every year Employee club along with volunteers organize an annual cultural event. This time it was very badly organized. And the next day all sorts of mails and comments.

I really hated this attitude, it is an event organized by volunteers, these volunteers take time off from their work and try to get things right. If they wouldnt have volunteered this event would have taken off in the first place. Yet here we are who sitting in a arm chair and being judgemental.If you are so sensitive about the quality of the event why dont you yourself be a volunteer and try to make a difference. Decided then that next Oracle event I was going to be a volunteer.

Thats how I joined Orarevels as a volunteer in the first place. What struck me initially was the core group. These guys have been volunteering for these activities for a long time, they shared a concern without that show off. Each of them have worked with some particular NGO for a considerable period of time. The idea for Orarevels is to get these NGOs into Oracle Campus, one evening will be theirs. They will showcase their talent and in the process we try to raise some funds through games, foodstalls and donations.

That was sometime in June I guess. After that though there were many opportunites I didnt participate in any of them. Jut a plain lazy bum.

This time during GVD what struck me most is the scale of participation, that is so good to see. WE are not going to change the world with all these, but I am assuming that everyone is doing this with the correct intent, It just somehow reaffirms my faith in humans. IF we all try to contribute in our way, howsoever small it might be, it would be such a beautiful place to live in, inspite of the pollution ! (Excuse my sense of humour !). We are not heroes, atleast not now, it would be unfair to expect that , but what I reasonably expect from myself and others is the intent. and that matters.