Individual Social Responsibility

From a post by Suresh Govindarajan in http://www.siv-g.org/joomla/content/view/155/29/

there is a need for a strong commitment from every individual to contribute to the society. This commitment is what I would call as Individual Social Responsibility (ISR), like the CSR. I am very keen to popularize the idea of Individual Social Responsibility (ISR). Why should we pass on the responsibility to the corporate entities which most of the time throw money like the coconut to Lord Ganesha? More than that what is needed is the commitment by the individuals through ISR. When it happens, it will be through millions of people and the impact will be unimaginable even if the contribution is minimal.

Now, what could be the first commitment one can make under ISR? A very simple one! One need not throw money (pick up the coconut). It must be the commitment of demonstrating one’s integrity and honesty in every walks of life and being not very selfish! This is something which is absolutely in one’s hand and one need not look out on external materiallistic things on which we do not have any control. There cannot be a greater commitment and contribution to the society by an individual than this little one as Individual Social Responsibility! Once this basic commitment is fulfilled, then, perhaps an individual can think of higher commitments and then go on to the commitment of corporate social responsibility. If the ISR becomes a way of life, then perhaps, there would be hardly any need for CSR, because by fulfilling the commitments of ISR, every part of the society, including the corporate would have made a strong foundation on which the whole society operate in a much better way.

After all, it is said “give to the world the best you have and the best will come back to you!” Perhaps, the commitment through ISR is the best way to demonstrate our basic character (like integrity, honesty and so on) to the society, if not the best in us, which in turn will come back to us from the society in the best way!