COLUMN: A summit of wasted energy

From Andrea Ahles's, "Hawaiian Style," Fall '97 From Andrea Ahles's, "Hawaiian Style," Fall '97 For three days at the end of April, the nation's eyes will focus on Philadelphia. Four presidents, two first ladies, a retired five-star general and a horde of politicians, businessmen and entertainers will descend on our city for what has become one of the most talked-about events of the year: the Presidents' Summit on America's Future. But what is this summit really focusing on? Community service or a public relations extravaganza? As part of the opening ceremonies of the summit, talk-show host Oprah Winfrey will emcee an hour-long television special. MTV is even considering holding a concert with Generation-X bands on the lawn of Independence Hall. Sounds more like a circus, than a presidential summit. Organizers detail three key parts of the event. First, a historic call to action by our nation's presidents. Second, a slew of announcements by various national and state leaders on what they will commit to the future of America. Third, delegations from all 50 states will convene to discuss concrete plans of action to carry out the message of the summit. How effective can this summit be? Are these plans going to be followed through? Who is supposed to lead Americans into the age of volunteerism? Ret. Gen. Colin Powell has been selected to chair the summit -- over the heavy criticism from those who work for non-profit and volunteer organizations. Powell has no record of organizing volunteer service, and many have suggested that if organizers wanted someone famous to head the summit, they should have chosen Elizabeth Dole, Paul Newman or Bette Midler -- people who are very active in community service. The intentions of this nationwide conference are good at heart. Community service is something all Americans should partake in at one time or another. Whether it be helping at soup kitchens, coaching a Little League team or adopting a highway, there is some form of volunteerism we all can do to make our communities better. Yet the summit is not going to achieve anything other than providing a photo opportunity for those attending the clean-up of a 42-block area of Germantown. It is unlikely that domestic policy will be significantly altered. The only obvious benefit of this circus coming to town is that maybe it will encourage people to perform more good deeds. Our sense of civic duty may be heightened as a result of the conference. Therefore, the presidents' call to action may achieve its purpose. But there are better ways to promote community service than this. As one Philadelphian wrote in a letter to the editor to The Philadelphia Inquirer, maybe politicians should spend the money being used to coordinate the summit to fund volunteer projects. AmeriCorps faced heated debate in Congress last year and almost became a victim of balanced budget talks. Spend dollars on that program rather than on this media-savvy event. The Pew Charitable Trusts has promised a $1 million grant to ensure the spirit of the summit continues for three years. It's going to take more than three years and more than $1 million to increase volunteerism in America. Money is crucial for keeping non-profit groups and organizations running and able to provide the services they do. The other key aspect is people. However, there is never going to be enough money to fund all of the community service programs that any one person deems necessary. People's time and commitment ease the financial difficulties of most of these programs. Volunteerism works best on a small, local level. People tend to care more about what goes on in their neighborhood than in the one across the country. To make the summit somewhat effective, the state delegations are going to have to actively promote service in their communities to the members of those communities. The main problem of this summit is that its goal is unattainable. The event's purpose is to motivate all of America to engage in volunteerism. That is something that can't be done, no matter how much money they devote to it or how much publicity the summit gets. Yes, there are problems facing America's youth. Yes, something needs to be done to counteract the obstacles in their paths toward adulthood. But the social ills of our nation aren't going to be solved in three days. While academics attending this summit, including Penn's own Ira Harkavy, may be able to discuss ideas and theories with colleagues and those who run non-profit organizations, Americans aren't going to see that part of the summit. Instead they'll see a picture in their daily newspaper of Clinton in his wheelchair picking up trash and cleaning graffiti in Philadelphia.