I refer to the commentary “More work needed to get more volunteers to help seniors” (Jan 16). I wonder how much more it will take before our small society comes to grips with the reality that it can never be fully self-sufficient.
And it is hard to see how economic activity, as vibrant as it stands today, will not be the next casualty of short-sighted gains from the reduction in foreign labour.
There are only so many hours a day a person can realistically work, there are pressing issues of one’s own well-being, family and leisure time, and volunteering is an activity when time is in abundance.
Philanthropy, on the other hand, is what must be encouraged. It is a matter of working out what is best, encouraging an increase in productivity and retaining economic advantage.
Now is the time to re-evaluate priorities, before jobs start disappearing when companies relocate to areas where labour is cheaper and naturally abundant. Thousands of housing units are already standing empty.
These are hard facts, but what is more damaging is to be introspective or, at best, ignorant of the unfolding reality. Surely, the aim is to have a confident future for all, not decline.
And it is hard to see how economic activity, as vibrant as it stands today, will not be the next casualty of short-sighted gains from the reduction in foreign labour.
There are only so many hours a day a person can realistically work, there are pressing issues of one’s own well-being, family and leisure time, and volunteering is an activity when time is in abundance.
Philanthropy, on the other hand, is what must be encouraged. It is a matter of working out what is best, encouraging an increase in productivity and retaining economic advantage.
Now is the time to re-evaluate priorities, before jobs start disappearing when companies relocate to areas where labour is cheaper and naturally abundant. Thousands of housing units are already standing empty.
These are hard facts, but what is more damaging is to be introspective or, at best, ignorant of the unfolding reality. Surely, the aim is to have a confident future for all, not decline.
