Just what is the vision of philanthropy? How does philanthropy serve the public good? 
Can philanthropy help re-write our social contract so that many of the problems philanthropy addresses can be eliminated, or reduced, so they are not as prevalent?
Julia Stasch, a past President of the MacArthur Foundation, has said that the responsibility to serve the public good “challenges us to periodically revisit our mission, to consider whether our areas of focus, our objectives, and our approaches are sufficiently bold, flexible, inventive, and effective, and to ensure that we are tackling some of the world’s most profound issues as they rapidly evolve.”
In other words, it’s time for rethinking. As President Stasch explains “the times demand that we question long-standing orthodoxies, established assumptions, comfortable practices, and even goals.”
As I read these words, I wonder if she, and other philanthropic leaders, are willing to follow Eleanor’s lead to “bring in the new.” The tension between addressing immediate problems and acting to prevent them from occurring, reminds me of a poem: “An Ambulance or a Fence” written by 
Joseph Malins in 1895.
‘Twas a dangerous cliff, as they freely confessed,
Though to walk near its crest was so pleasant;
But over its terrible edge there had slipped
A duke and full many a peasant.
So the people said something would have to be done,
But their projects did not at all tally;
Some said, “Put a fence ’round the edge of the cliff,”
Some, “An ambulance down in the valley.”
But the cry for the ambulance carried the day,
For it spread through the neighboring city;
A fence may be useful or not, it is true,
But each heart became full of pity
For those who slipped over the dangerous cliff;
And the dwellers in highway and alley
Gave pounds and gave pence, not to put up a fence,
But an ambulance down in the valley.
“For the cliff is all right, if you’re careful,” they said,
“And, if folks even slip and are dropping,
It isn’t the slipping that hurts them so much
As the shock down below when they’re stopping.”
So day after day, as these mishaps occurred,
Quick forth would those rescuers sally
To pick up the victims who fell off the cliff,
With their ambulance down in the valley.
Then an old sage remarked: “It’s a marvel to me
That people give far more attention
To repairing results than to stopping the cause,
When they’d much better aim at prevention.
Let us stop at its source all this mischief,” cried he,
“Come, neighbors and friends, let us rally;
If the cliff we will fence, we might almost dispense
With the ambulance down in the valley.”
“Oh he’s a fanatic,” the others rejoined,
“Dispense with the ambulance? Never!
He’d dispense with all charities, too, if he could;
No! No! We’ll support them forever.
Aren’t we picking up folks just as fast as they fall?
And shall this man dictate to us? Shall he?
Why should people of sense stop to put up a fence,
While the ambulance works in the valley?”
But the sensible few, who are practical too,
Will not bear with such nonsense much longer;
They believe that prevention is better than cure,
And their party will soon be the stronger.
Encourage them then, with your purse, voice, and pen,
And while other philanthropists dally,
They will scorn all pretense, and put up a stout fence
On the cliff that hangs over the valley.
Better guide well the young than reclaim them when old,
For the voice of true wisdom is calling.
“To rescue the fallen is good, but ’tis best
To prevent other people from falling.”
Better close up the source of temptation and crime
Than deliver from dungeon or galley;
Better put a strong fence ’round the top of the cliff
Than an ambulance down in the valley.
It is not easy to convince people to construct the fence. It takes courage to challenge established assumptions, comfortable practices, and even goals, but it needs to be done. Not to replace the ambulance, but to complement it. 99% of all philanthopy can, and should, go to building ambulances, but it’s also time for 1% of all human rights funding to go toward building a fence.
This is not an epiphany. It’s the fulfillment of Article 28 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which recognized that the Universal Declaration was unenforceable, and that the time would come, which is here now at the 75th anniversary of the UDHR, when the rights in the UDHR would need to become enforceable in courts of law, not just the court of public opinion. The International Bill of Rights that Eleanor Lives! has helped to facilitate drafting for 13 years (you can see the draft on the website) is that fence.
Eleanor Lives! logo includes three intertwined figures: 
white for people, green for organizations and blue for businesses (including philanthropies which are in the business of solving deep rooted problems, not just dealing with the repercussions of them). Every person and every philanthropy is encouraged to “get on the globe” together: make a statement of support and reaffirm the UDHR for its 75th anniversary.
Each light increases the luminosity of them all. True, it’s unorthodox to think that all foundations and philanthropic individuals will direct 1% of their giving to a common goal, but as Rene Cassin said when he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on the UDHR and the European Court of Human Rights: “It works.” It does work. The realization of the UDHR through the European Convention of Human Rights and the European Court of Human Rights is the best protection and enforcement of human rights in the world today.
Philanthropic funding provides the means; people internationally are ready to build a fence of fundamental rights for all. The situation today is that the people are more willing to live together in peace and prosperity within an international community than their governments. Just 1% of human rights philanthropy can provide the leadership to revive the most comprehensive international social movement of all time, the UDHR, on its 75th anniversary.
We can build this together. For the 75th anniversary of the UDHR, Eleanor Lives! is hosting a celebration/reaffirmation of the UDHR on December 10, 2023 at the War Memorial Building in San Francisco. We have rented the entire War Memorial building on December 9&10. That’s the building where President Truman said that “the first thing we will do is draft an International Bill of Rights” to the closing ceremony of the United Nations. He then tapped Eleanor Roosevelt to serve at the UN and she was the Chair of the international commission that drafted the UDHR, making the War Memorial the birthplace of the UDHR.
The construction of this fence has been underway for 75 years! Let’s celebrate, and continue to build it with the support of 1% of human rights funding internationally. Cheers to those who began, including philanthropies, in 1948, who later proceeded through the interim years, and continue now. Thanks to you, the future does belong to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
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