JAKARTA — Many people work at institutions or companies primarily to earn a living. However, working at a philanthropic organization offers more than that. Employees are not merely treated as production tools. The organization deeply respects the human dignity of its workers, just as it strives to uplift the dignity of others, such as the underprivileged benefit recipients.
This was shared by one of the Trustees of Yayasan Dompet Dhuafa Republika, Yudi Latif, at the “Leader’s Insight” event on Tuesday (9/1/2024), held at the Philanthropy Building in South Jakarta. The event was attended by the Board of Trustees, Board of Supervisors, Board of Directors, and employees of Dompet Dhuafa up to the officer level.
Yudi revealed that in philanthropic organizations, there are broad opportunities to present ideas. Therefore, every individual at Dompet Dhuafa must always be curious and eager to learn. Skepticism can be positive if correctly placed, leading to a continuous expansion of knowledge.
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In line with knowledge, faith must also be continually strengthened. Yudi emphasized the importance of balancing knowledge and faith, which together dignify humanity. As stated in Surah Al-Mujadila verse 11, commonly interpreted: “Allah will raise those who have believed among you and those who were given knowledge, by degrees.”
To develop and elevate the organization’s status, there are five behaviors that every humanitarian worker must possess. Yudi abbreviated them as PERMA, which stands for:
- Positive Emotions
Positive emotions significantly influence an individual’s ability to remain joyful, calm, happy, and positive towards everything. Here, faith plays a crucial role. Strong faith can maintain positive energy.
This aligns with the management tagline of Dompet Dhuafa Foundation, “A Smiling Foundation, Devotion, and Dignity.” Thus, besides strengthening faith and managing positive emotions, Dompet Dhuafa employees must also elevate dignity by empowering and uplifting human dignity.
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- Engagement
As a non-profit organization, philanthropic institutions must involve all parties to be actively engaged. This involvement starts from the amil (those who collect zakat), then the mustahiq (recipients), donors, stakeholders, government, to civil society.
- Relationship
Successful individuals rely not only on cognitive intelligence. People successful in politics, business, and careers have extensive and good connectivity networks. Not all problems can be solved with money but through good communication and relationships. Items of high value can be acquired through mutually beneficial relationships and cooperation.
- Meaningful
Being a humanitarian worker means being able to provide greater meaning. All their work activities are aimed at benefiting others.
Meaningful implies producing a higher substance than others. A chimpanzee is content once fed, but humans need more. Besides eating, they can also provide food for others. A lion, as the king of the jungle, is content with its dominance. But humans feel happier when their power is used to alleviate others’ suffering.
The challenge in improving the welfare of the poor is to build their dignity. Simply feeding them is easy. Dompet Dhuafa’s task is to lift them out of the comfort zone of poverty.
“Humanity’s task is to provide facilities for the less fortunate,” asserted the author of the book “Negara Paripurna.”
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- Accomplishment/Achievement
Undoubtedly, everything is judged by its final result. As stated by the Prophet Muhammad, recorded in Sahih Bukhari, no. 6493, وَإِنَّمَا الأَعْمَالُ بِخَوَاتِيمِهَا “Actions are judged by their endings.” Also, as mentioned in Surah Ad-Duha verse 4, وَلَلآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لَكَ مِنَ الأولَى (This verse’s explanation requires further interpretation).
“What follows should be better than what preceded. If it’s the same, then there’s no accomplishment. So, our achievements should increase every day. Do not stop at the comfort zone. We must continuously improve, making ongoing enhancements. To achieve the best version of Dompet Dhuafa for its time,” explained Yudi.
If these five behaviors are well-implemented, humanitarian workers at Islamic philanthropic organizations will surely find joy in their activities. (Dompet Dhuafa/Muthohar)