The Philosophers' Cocoon

In our newest "how can we help you?" thread, Asst Prof writes:

I would enjoy a post on "volunteering as a philosopher."

I am passionate about reducing climate change (for example), but I am not sure how to jump in and use my skills as a philosopher to advance this cause.

I could of course just volunteer "as a regular person", but I am curious if any philosophers have been able to link up with charitable or activist groups and use their skills as a philosopher specifically–kind of like a doctor or lawyer doing pro bono work.

If so, any stories or advice would be a helpful inspiration to me and maybe others!

This is a great query. In fact, it's one that I would afford to hear some good stories or advice about myself. My own experience 'volunteering as a philosopher' is pretty limited.

For the past few years, I served as Education Co-Director with a local United Nations non-profit group. In that role, I organized a bunch of human rights conferences and monthly speaker series events at my university and around the Tampa Bay. The events featured scholars and activists of a variety of sorts, including representatives of refugee resettlement groups, migrant workers' organizations, even some documentary film-makers and a public viewing of the play Judgment at Nuremberg (along with an art exhibit by the Holocaust Museum of Florida). I also gave some public lectures at these conferences, drawing on my work on the philosophy of human rights.

On the whole, my work for the organization was a very rewarding experience. Students and members of the general public who attended our events often seemed to take a lot away from them–not just some philosophical understanding, but also factual understanding of the world we live in, ways they could get involved, and motivation to take positive action to make the world a better place. Consequently, if you have a United Nations non-profit in your neck of the woods, I very much recommend getting involved: it's not difficult, and the experience (in my experience) is very much what you make of it!

But this is pretty much the extent of my experience 'volunteering as a philosopher.' Do any of you have any good tips about how to get involved, and or stories of your own?