How can philanthropy be radical?

I believe radical change towards justice and love is at the heart of philanthropy. “Radical simply means grasping things at the root,” illuminates Angela Davis, political activist and Professor Emerita at the University of California Santa Cruz. As philanthropists, before we can move toward solutions, we first need to see the root causes of what keeps people from freely living rich and full lives. Jon Kabat-Zinn, at the forefront of the Western mindfulness movement, teaches that a foundational attitude of being mindful is acceptance. Acceptance means seeing clearly what the reality of a situation is and letting it actually register with you. Acceptance does not mean passive resignation. As philanthropists, we need clear seeing—apprehending harm being done, the injustice. And then we need action, taking a principled, ethical stand. Citizen philanthropists are resourceful people who bring all they have to transforming the world from how it is to how it ought to be.