During my daughters’ fascination (actually more than that), a one-sided love affair with the hero of a great English legend, Robin Hood, we watched numerous versions of the story; the Walt Disney cartoon musical, the Hollywood epic; Prince of Thieves, the BBC's New Adventures of Robin Hood series in the 1990s and many, many others. I sometimes wonder how much these influenced her life choices, she now works for a social impact investment company.
Recently, I have once again been reflecting on this old English legend. As with all great legends, some tentative truth is submerged in its history. Apparently during the reign of King Henry II an 18-year-old Robin Hood got into a fight on the way to an archery competition and accidentally killed a forester. The vengeful local Sheriff set out to punish the young Robin who had escaped to Sherwood Forest or as some ballads suggest Bransdale Forest.
Throughout the annals of time, the legend grew; Robin of The Hood stole from the rich to give to the poor, a lovable rogue esteemed by the underdog and despised by powerful institutions and those who held much wealth. Robin camped out in the forest with his band of merry men and hopefully women, even legends can be patriarchal. Their families and communities ostracised some who joined Robin because they sided with him; others were already ostracised and found welcome in his rebellion and friendship with outlaws. There are many stories of daring adventure and misadventure, the holding up of heavily guarded carts transporting controversially collected municipal and church taxes, the humiliating of local dignitaries and the sharing of wealth amongst the poor who had often been stripped of their income and land by the feudal system of the era. (Some historians have suggested it was during this same period that modern capitalism began to emerge.)
How can this old Legend speak to us today?
Well, at times I have lived my version of this legend. While working in the Charity sector some of my time was spent writing bids to grant-giving trusts to fund innovative work with young people at risk of homelessness or in prison. These trusts were built on the dividends and interest gained from the capital wealth of individuals, families and corporations. I am so grateful this was possible, many young people benefited from their generosity, saved from the jaws of potential destitution or social and economic stagnation through the offer of accommodation, a listening ear, seed funding for a project or the support to stay in education a little longer.
During those 12 years I often asked myself the question, what would it be like to create societies where we didn't need charities to support those who for whatever reason live on or outside its edges?
I have friends who live another version of The Hood and his band of Merry Men; I charge my corporate clients as much as I can so I can do pro-bono or at least affordable work for charities or local communities. I give 30% of my income to a charity and I let my corporate clients know this is what I do with some of their money. I admire this approach, even if it is not mine, it does much to move wealth from one place to another and it helps purchase time, allowing people to gift their skills and resources to others ‘in need’ or those doing ‘charitable work’.
The World Inequality Database states that the top 10% of the world population owns nearly ¾ of the world’s wealth, while half the world’s population is almost entirely deprived of wealth and according to an Oxfam report the richest 1% grabbed nearly two-thirds of all new wealth worth $42 trillion created since 2020, almost twice as much money as the bottom 99% of the world’s population. I am saddened by the likelihood that this will always be so, that there will always be some who have and some who don’t, some who need more support and care from their communities than others and I also hold a deep desire to experience a more equitable reality.
There is a sense that Robin needs those he can take from, who would he be without them? I often wonder what might happen if we change the system so we no longer need ‘Robin Hoods’. For example, what happens if we move from a more capitalist model to a more socialist model? Some suggest It might take the joy, charity, and humanity out of helping the poor. If we follow this train of thought for a moment it could seem we have embraced some strange system that creates problems on the one hand and then tries to resolve them on the other and this allows us to experience the humanness of being charitable. I know this is oversimplified, but it is a useful conversation starter for me.
Maybe it is this tension that holds the world in equilibrium, the yin and the yang, the push and the pull, the dark that allows the light to shine, opposite but interconnected, self-perpetuating cycles.
I am left with a question; can I be a Robin distributing not only wealth but resources and opportunities and at other times someone who works to create a system where there is no need for Robin? Can I simultaneously know they are both part of an uncomfortably tilting world?
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