Governor Beebe's weekly column and radio address: Community Service

Statement

Governor Beebe's weekly column and radio address: Community Service |

Recently, I spoke at the Red Jacket Ball, an event to recognize the City Year program. City Year was founded in 1988 on the belief that one person really can make a difference. It comes with the vision that one day public service will be a common expectation - and a real opportunity - for citizens all around the world. Arkansas is fortunate to have a City Year chapter in Little Rock to provide community development and encourage civic engagement statewide.

Community involvement is an attribute that we should all strive for, whether it's civilian, government, or military service. We need to understand that, in order to have healthy, strong, and fruitful communities, we must be willing to give our time, our money, and our energy to activities that benefit all of us. Whether it's volunteering to help paint an elderly neighbor's house, tutoring a student at a local school, or giving up one weekend a month to serve in the National Guard, we must support our communities and our State.

Service unlocks opportunities; change comes from those who question the status quo and focus on what could be, rather than complaining about how things are. Our young people want to be involved; they want to make a difference. A more global perspective and the recent tragedies of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina have marked their youth and adolescence. Experts see signs that these young people are creating their own brand of social consciousness. Recent studies have shown that 61% of 13- to 25-year-olds feel personally responsible for making positive changes in the world. Also, volunteerism by college students increased by 20% from 2002 to 2005, according to a study by the federal Corporation for National and Community Service.

A strong democracy requires actively involved citizens who have the civic values, skills and inspiration to serve as leaders for the common good. As U.S. President Harry Truman said upon leaving the White House, "I'm not leaving the highest office in the land. I am assuming the highest office, that of a citizen." The more that leadership values, skills, and action are distributed throughout a society the more dynamic, robust, and responsive Arkansas will be.

I challenge all Arkansans to look around their communities and find the areas that need to be changed and then do something about it. Organize a group of neighbors to take action, attend a community association meeting, or write a letter to your local government representative. Whatever it is you do, you will be adding to the richness of our State and, more importantly, you will inspire people by your actions. Working together, we can take giant leaps to move Arkansas forward.

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