Dundee United Challenge

Dundee United’s Community Belief Challenge:

TLDR: I want to travel, write, and support other compassionate creatives. I am asking for a dollar each from millions of friendship connections to show how small the world is and what kinds of things we can accomplish if we work together.

This challenge is meant to test a theory of mine. The theory is that if Love is God then humanity is not nearly as divided as we think. I want to write a book about the full expression and implication of this idea. This fundraiser is built on the premise that (in my opinion) true love is selfless and communitarian. I hope this challenge proves the power of cooperative community effort (an outgrowth of universal love) on a global scale. If you choose to participate, please consider fulfilling any number of the three requests listed below. I would prefer them to be completed in the order I have listed them. Be thoughtful about which gifts you give and consider whether you would like to give to me or to another charity/friend in need. I hope that this fundraiser can prove the bonds of connection to each other are all we need to thrive.

I believe that you're my friend because we share the same interest of global wellbeing. Here's how you can help me prove it:

1. Read and adopt Our dream (a world where we are all connected to each other in true love and understanding) as yours in spirit and ask two people who believe in you to consider doing these three favors as well.
2. Call/text two people who you believe in and love. Tell them that you do.
3. Gift me one dollar and leave a comment describing what true love means to you.

Note: I receive any donation, whether less than a dollar or more, as a signature on this petition for global love. This means that the size of the donation (metaphorical signature) is not nearly as important as the amount of signatures accrued. I want millions of people to commit to love strangers like they love their family. This is what I hope you are doing when you give.

I commit to give away at least 90% of whatever is raised. Love y'all <3.

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Our Dream:

Hi friends,

“The greatness of your neighbor only requires a little belief from you to spring into reality. So believe. Believe in me. Believe in you. Believe in we. Believe we are Dundee United here to show the world that grace, mercy, peace, and love win.“

I have a dream; perhaps a naive one. Of a world of friendship. A world where we regard the stranger like our bestie and our enemy like our friend. I have a dream of a world of no fake smiles and no fake love. No empty platitudes; no sweet lies; only loving truths and myobs.

I have a dream of no homeless people. Of enabled disabled and of thriving minorities. I have a dream of worldwide enthusiastic consent. Not just for sex but for saying good morning.

I have a dream of worldwide respect. And no I don’t mean the respect which your bosses or parents may have demanded in times past. No, I mean mutual — no, universal — regard of other as self. That means that whoever I see, I see as me.

I have a dream of self-interest properly understood. Where self ceases to be I, and is remembered as we. For we are Kings; we are Queens; we are Human; we are Royalty. I dream of a world where we all bow down in love and respect of ourselves.

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In more concrete language, my dream is one of a global extended family. I firmly believe that there are no human beings who were born bad or unlovable. I believe that there are those who may have been taught a perverted version of love and that compassion can heal them. I believe we all know this to some extent but we usually only extend it to our immediate community -- or those who we believe to be our immediate community. I aim for this fundraiser to show that the global community is the immediate community. A stranger across the globe can automatically be recognized as a friend because we all share the interest of wellbeing. So my dream is a world where the wellbeing of a stranger is each persons principal concern and I hope this fundraiser can show that it's possible.

Let's do a thought exercise. Who do you love most in the world? Hold that feeling. Who loves you most in the world? Hold that feeling. What do you love to do most in the world? Hold that feeling. Now imagine a world where the love you have for that person is the love you have for strangers. Imagine a world where the love a stranger has for you is the same as that persons love for you. Imagine a world where you made a comfortable living while always doing something you love.

I believe that this world can exist. I think the only thing stopping it is our lack of belief that it can. I think all it takes is for us to change the assumption that we need to look out for ourselves before helping another. Because if everyone sees other as self, you can ask anyone for help and they'll be open to giving what they can. I'm not saying that this is a world we can live in today or tomorrow but I do think it is one we can build. I want my life's work to be focused on building this world because this world is my dream.

I want to start to realize my dream by doing two things. The first is that I want to travel the world and write about the people I meet and adventures I have as I go. I hope that my work will continue to prove the possibility of this theory of global friendship. I also want to use this money to start an organization which will help critically disadvantaged creatives pursue compassionate dreams. I think creatives who have endured a lot of pain are often the ones who have the most healing works of expression. I want to facilitate the secure production of compassionate work in any field. In addition, I want all those supported through Dundee United to feel seen, heard, and loved. Often, that is all anyone needs to take the step that finds the light at the end of the tunnel.

I believe that the greatness of my neighbor only requires a little belief from me to spring into reality. I see you as my neighbor even if I've never met you and I think if you believe me, we can make great things happen. So please believe. Believe in me. Believe in you. Believe in we. Believe we are Dundee United here to show the world that grace, mercy, peace, and love win.

Thank you so much for your gifts.

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FAQ:

Q: What is the mission of Dundee United?
A: The mission is to inspire a global community of compassionate creatives who will support each other in expressing joy, peace, resilience, and love to the world. The most important goal of the fundraiser is the realization that we are all connected and all creative. I believe that Love is God. If we all serve true love (for example: the love between best friends and family) we live in a world of peace and joy.

Q: Why do you suggest giving only a dollar?
A: To demonstrate that the strength of each link (donation) is not what really matters for collective wellbeing. What matters is the strength of the connections between the links. If you have strong friendships, the challenge will be easy. If you don't, it doesn't matter how rich you are. You'll have to go make some stronger human connections.

Q: Why "Dundee United?"
A: Dundee was a word I used in my childhood to make fun of my sisters 'irrational' choices. Now I intend to reclaim the power of individuality and uniqueness (the 'irrationality' of global love) by uniting the high and low of society through this fund.

Q: What do you mean by cooperative community effort?
A: I mean we don't need to wait for the government before we take care of ourselves. We can be a global village if we choose to love our fellow human enthusiastically with a little help when they ask for it.

Q: Why are you fundraising through gifts from friends as opposed to seeking investors?
A: I believe in giving help without expecting something in return. The purpose of Dundee United is to give capital away while connecting with humanity. It can only go as far as the good will donations take it. The same is true for our hope of a global communitarian society.

Q: How do we know you won't just take the money and run?
A: I give you my word. Trust me through the trust you have for the friend who asked you to participate. I promise I plan to give away the super majority of the goal amount.

Q: Why do you need 15 million?
A: I'm not sure I do. But if we raise 15 million through single dollar donations, it will be a case in point of the effectiveness of community cooperation to make individual dreams come true. I commit to give away at least 90% of whatever is raised.

Q: Do donors have a say in how the money is used?
A: Not really. Each of the requests are an ask for a gift. If they cannot be given gladly without looking back they should not be given at all. I want the experience of giving to be a joyful one for the giver.

Q: Who are the critically disadvantaged?
A: Anyone whose story includes some sort of adversity which, relative to the challenges of others, could have been seen as insurmountable.

Q: How do you plan to disburse these funds?
A: I would like to begin by establishing awards (potentially at secondary and tertiary educational institutions) for compassionate creatives who have endured critical disadvantages.

Q: How will awardees be chosen?
A: Community members will nominate potential awardees after which potential awardees will submit a self directed application.

Q: When will this award be established?
A: At earliest 6 months from now. After raising funds I will seek out the help of experienced professionals in this field to help operate what would be a community-based venture award fund.

Q: Who will own the awardees work-product?
A: Awardees will receive funding from Dundee United with no strings attached. Just as the fund is created through gifts, it will be operated through gift giving. Awardees may donate to Dundee United in the future if they wish.

Q: How will you consult in areas that are not your area of expertise?
A: I won't, but the belief is that experts will volunteer their time to mentor awardees in their chosen discipline.