Who speaks for Vu Le? Not me.

Dear social impact sector staff, volunteers & board members:

If you are in this line of work, are even a little left of centre, and a user of social media…you likely know the name Vu Le. I’m a big fan of Vu’s work.

Please note that I said, "Vu’s work."

Like most of you, I don’t know Vu personally. We communicated a little over the writing of my book -- as I share a fair bit about the principles of Community Centric Fundraising which I support whole-heartedly. He was pleasant and gracious, and I enjoyed our brief exchanges.

I don’t know Vu but oh I know his work. His work has made me laugh, cry and feel understood. He is a talented storyteller and activist. I know about him; I know what he chooses to share about his personal/professional life -- but I do not know him.

I know that Vu is a self-declared ‘rabble-rouser’ – it is how he describes himself on Twitter. According to the online dictionary a rabble-rouser is “a person who speaks with the intention of inflaming the emotions of a crowd of people, typically for political reasons. Synonyms include political agitator, agitator, soapbox orator, firebrand, troublemaker and incendiary."

Vu uses words to incite, excite and engage. More often than not, I love Vu’s choice of words.

However, if, on occasion, I don’t– this should not result in an outcry from the self-appointed saviors of our sector accusing more people they don't know -- of an overt act of white supremacy. It should not result in a massive over-reaction that seeks to further divide, polarize and speak for a person who is quite capable, should he choose, to speak for himself.

It should not result in the ‘take-down’ of more people you don’t know. It should not result in one of the self-proclaimed saviors of our sector demonstrably taking joy in harming other people. In this particular case, I happen to know one of the people being vilified extremely well. One of them fairly well. The other about as well as I know Vu.

The person I know extremely well, my friend, has lived a life of service. They are thoughtful, open-hearted, kind, empathetic, and soulful. They think deeply. They are in the arena – not because they want to be SEEN doing the right thing – but because they are DOING the right things. And perhaps the saddest part of all, the folks who are taking my friend down, well they would very likely agree with each other on about 98% of things. They are on the same team.

But the folks on the attack - well -- they never take the time to really get to know the people they attack because it is very difficult to demonize someone you know unless of course they are actually demonic. I know this from experience having been demonized by people I thought of as colleagues who did not so much as pick up the phone for a conversation. They just chose to decide who I was based on a snippet of information.

All to say, this is how I know that these posts are not about making real social change. They are not about elevating discourse. They are attention seeking. They are about the person posting, not the person they are apparently defending. Vu needs to be defended about as much as the philanthropic industrial complex needs defending. (Sorry Professor Beth Breeze OBE – still very much appreciate your book…and think it is a must read...I just don't support the thesis.)

When will we stop making systemic issues about individual people? When will we stop applying broad generalizations to a system and then wonder why some folks have a lived experience that is different? There are organizations and donors doing really good things – see MakeWay Foundation or FoodShare Toronto or The Circle on Philanthropy. There are people trying to effect real change to systems that are deeply rooted in our historical and current realities. And one of the ways we get there is to be curious. Ask questions. Seek discourse. Invite people into conversation.

Self-righteous yelling on social media is not the answer. It's time for sector leaders to grow up and stop taking out their very understandable anger at the world -- on the people trying to change it.

Love you JH. To the moon and back.