Ellie,

Thanks for posting your article. I've often trying to define the different ways people are involved in charity and social justice, and use visualizations to help me.

In my own definition,

1. charity is a random act of kindness, such as a response to a big or small tragedy,
2. social justice is a more strategic response, because none of the problems we face will be solved in a short time, nor by a single group working in isolation

I divide this even further in my thinking to

3. personal, those issues that affect me and my family, such as church, school, or a health issue
4. those that involve people beyond my family, such as poverty, world peace, water in India, etc.

I do this thinking in order to mobilize people and resources to support longterm involvement in volunteer organizations that connect inner city kids with extra adults, extra learning and with future jobs and careers.

However, I feel some of the ideas and tools I'm using could be used elsewhere.

I encourage you to look at the way we're using concept maps, visualization tools, and Geographic Information Systems maps to point to all of the places where tutor/mentor programs are needed, and all of the people who could be involved in helping kids in each place be more likely to finish school and enter a job some day in the future.

Strategy Map: http://cmapspublic.ihmc.us/servl et/SBReadResourceServlet?rid=121 5092965858_379195929_14793&p artName=actualhtmltext

GIS Map: http://www.tutormentorprogramloc ator.net/programlocator/default. asp

Visualization (read some of the articles): http://tutormentor.blogspot.com

If you incorporate some of these visual tools in your article and your work, it might help more people in your area converge in their thinking on these issues.