It is hard for me to know exactly how my project relates to international development because I do not yet know all of the specifics of what I will be doing in Colombia. I do know, however, that one of the primary goals of the project will be formulating strategies for how Colombian communities can utilize and economically benefit from natural resources in a sustainable manner. This is certainly within the realm of international development.
We Loewenstern fellows recently had an all-day training on the ethics of respectful and impactful international service. There is a lot to unpack with these topics. I also had the benefit of having had experienced many of these tactics and concepts because my parents did community development work in China (where I lived for 9 years as a child). Now I have to think of these in my own personal context. How can I, as an adult, enter an unfamiliar country and work with leaders there on meaningful projects while actively being a respectful global citizen and self-aware outsider? Firstly, making the country as far from unfamiliar as possible is key; I can research current events, media, language idiosyncrasies, and basic facts which will both make the transition a bit more smooth and show that I actually have a vested interest in Colombia. This sounds a bit methodical and I do think another key component of my time there will be not overthinking things. I can plan all I want but things may end up being different in country and being adaptable will be key. I am unsure what else to say about international service. We learned some specific tactics and tools, but in general I think we were just reminded on what it means to be a global citizen and how to respect people (skills we should have regardless of if we are doing research abroad or not). I remember all the times in my childhood when I observed conflicts and successes alike when cultures met (the ones with my American parents doing work in rural China of special relevance) and can draw upon those observations. To put it succinctly, it is about respect and wisdom. I hesitate to summarize volumes of theory on international service to those two words and I understand it is nuanced, but truly...respect and wisdom--that's what I will build my cross-cultural interactions upon while in Colombia.
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Ben JohnsonI am a junior at Rice University majoring in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and minoring in Environmental Studies Archives
June 2017
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