"True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others
at whatever cost,but the urge to serve others at whatever cost."
— Arhur Ashe
The RESPONSE ABILITY Project believes that the other side of the coin of bystander behavior is heroism. If you aren't being a bystander, then you have the opportunity to be a hero — for an individual or group of people, for an organization, or for an issue. While there are many interpretations of the word "hero," we have adopted the definition used by the Heroic Imagination Project:
Heroes are people who transform compassion (a personal virtue) into heroic action (a civic virtue). In doing so, they put their best selves forward in service to humanity. A hero is an individual or a network of people that take action on behalf of others in need, or in defense of integrity or a moral cause.
Heroic action is:
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Engaged in voluntarily;
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Conducted in service to one or more people or the community as a whole;
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Involving a risk to physical comfort, social stature, or quality of life; and
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Initiated without the expectation of material gain.
As a way of empowering individuals to overcome bystander behavior and make the difference they want to make in critical moments of time for people, organizations and issues — to be a hero — we have created the next evolution of the RESPONSE ABILITY Project...
But, what is an Every|Day Hero?
We're glad you asked! We use the word "every|day" the way we do because we mean:
- Everyday: ordinary, everyday people performing heroic actions for people, organizations and issues
- Every Day: being someone willing to be aware and present every day to your surroundings, your environment, and your culture; have your eyes and ears open every day to what circumstances may be in front of you that require action — heroic action!
What is the Every|Day Hero Campaign?
This campaign is designed to cause a movement. It is centered on the Every|Day Hero Pledge and encourages participants to take the pledge to engage in the Campaign and receive free resources to educate and empower themselves to be a hero when they are needed in those critical moments of time. Situations that require taking a risk and going beyond those barriers that normally stop us. This is what it takes to be a hero.
Once someone takes the pledge, they immediately receive ongoing support in the form of emails, updates, video messages and other sources of education, empowerment and inspiration. We are committed that this be an ongoing, action-oriented initiative — light on rhetoric, heavy on action. Key pieces of education are based on the same science and research on bystander intervention as in the RA Project. We are working with key advisors in the industry to develop educational content intended to cause actions and lasting change in our communities and culture.
We invite you to get involved and stay engaged. Also, let us know your ideas, thoughts, and feedback by clicking here.
Let's create this movement together — one that educates and empowers all individuals to go beyond bystander behavior to make the difference we all want to make for people, organizations and issues.
All of us being every|day heroes.
