It’s interesting that a number of people have said they would take the alternative pledge with the implication they won’t change their behaviour (ie they will take the enabled pledge if it reflects what they already do or plan to do). It seems to me then that including these members would therefore be of limited value in terms of money moved., though it would allow them to feel included in the gwwc community.
Weighing against this limited benefit is the risk of the amended pledge being less likely to attract new members for whom joining wild be a change of behaviour. As others have said, poverty is a cause well geared towards engaging people, and this has been vital for GWWC’s growth.
Additionally I’m worried that a watered down wording would risk a loss if focus and encourage people to take the pledge less seriously. In fact I am worried that good faith efforts to be inclusive in membership have already done so to some extent. Today on the Facebook group I read one member openly saying he doesn’t abide by the pledge and that he thinks that’s no problem, he doesn’t feel constrained by the ‘literal text’. Others are arguing we should amend the pledge should become cause agnostic because some members have joined with the sincere belief that x-risk or movement building charities are the best way to help those in extreme poverty.
I dunno, I was kind of hoping Rob had recorded a cover and uploaded it. I think I’d pay good money to see him do the Elsa flounce...