Lessons I Learned

I am speaking at a few universities which happen to all fall around the same time, and I thought I would try something new. I posted this blog before heading off to the first talk, and at each talk I will mention to the students I speak to that this space is here for them to add their thoughts, questions, and ideas to further or challenge the topics we discuss. The topics are: Youth in Development (Imperial College London), From Service Learning to Learning Service (SOAS), a Voluntourism Debate (National University of Ireland), and social entrepreneurship TiasNimbas.  I will largely focus on the key question I think many of the audience members, and us panelists, are struggling with: “How can I do good in the world?” We’ll probably talk about “development schizophrenia”, a term my colleague Claire Bennett often uses to refer to the highs and lows, ups and downs, and constant 360 analysis you have when working in and critically analyzing development work. I’m going to relate that question to the “savior” mentality sold in international volunteering, as well as the sometimes inaccurately perceived bifurcation of business and development career paths. Each talk is different, but overall I will hopefully touch on social entrepreneurship, some organizations I find really interesting, lessons from my own work and experiences, and some of my favorite quotes and tips.

Let’s see how it goes! If you were at any of the talks, share some comments below – How did my talk relate to or stray from the current reality of the decisions you are making and things you are thinking about? What was really relevant to you, and what could I have done to make my talk more useful? Is there anything I mentioned that you want to add to? Want to challenge? Want to question?

I look forward to hearing from you!

Anyone who has been following me on Facebook or Twitter already knows about this, but here is another little plug:

After about a year and a half of work on the Learning Service guidelines, videos, and website, we’re finally launching the six part Learning Service video series…. hooray!

To gather interest and momentum, and give people a chance to digest one video at a time, we’ve decided to release one video per week for six weeks. We’re on week three now, so there’s enough content up there for you to take a peek at!

I made a cameo in this third video, so if you want to see my bloopers and outtakes, take a look! Plus, you can answer one question about each video, and each time be entered for a chance to win gear from KEEN & Eagle Creek, as well as a stay in Cambodia!

For those of you who:

– Know of people who are considering taking a volunteer travel people

– Work with schools, travel companies, or other groups that interact with groups of people who might be considering international service

– Have gone on or considered volunteer travel yourself

… we’d LOVE your help!  We spent so much time/energy/resources on making these videos, we now need your help to make sure people SEE them! If you have ideas for ways we could promote them, groups we should reach out to, people we need to speak with, or just general tips, please write a comment below or reach out to us on Twitter (the Learning Service team @learnser or my personal account @danielapapi)

Thanks for helping us to create more global conversations around responsible volunteer travel!

—-

The videos were made by an AMAZING duo from Colombia, Luis & Dur. I highly recommend them for any filming/website needs! More info below:

Luis Barreto and Dur Montoya are a multi-media savvy couple who are passionate about exploring the world and sharing the lessons they learn along the way.

Dur and Luis were born in Colombia and have traveled around the world helping community-based organizations and NGOs spread their message using multi-media, videos, photography, and online/print advertising material through their online magazine Look At the World and their consulting company Zoom In Projects.

Luis and Dur are currently based in Siem Reap, Cambodia where they have provided youth media workshops in partnership with PEPY Cambodia and coordinated a collaborative youth photography project for Anjali House in partnership with UNICEF Cambodia. They have also helped to develop, design, and launch the trailblazing online resource Learning Service: Re-thinking Volunteer Travel Through Education. 

Luis Barreto’s photography project Faces of the Road has been featured multiple exhibitions including Kensington and Chelsea College, London – UK 2010, Botanical Garden of Medellín, Colombia 2011, Café Zorba – Medellín, Colombia 2012, and as part of a collective exhibition in New York – Art Takes Time Square 2012. View Luis’ work at: www.luisbarreto.com.

I spent new years hiking in spain with some friends…. which was a FABULOUS way to ring in a new perspective on a new year.  As I noted previously, I made some tech-fast resolutions, some of which I dig into here in this Huffington Post piece called “Calling All Email Addicts: A New Year’s Resolution of a Healthier Email Diet”

I removed email from my phone, no longer check email on Saturdays, and all is going well so far…. and then I realized, the key part of what made me stick to trying out these commitments, was that I stated them publicly. Then I read a piece about a group that was helping to hold each other accountable to monthly resolutions – which sounded fantastic… so I thought I’d try start my own group of friends to do the same thing… here goes!

Join the Monthly Resolution Club if you want to share 12 mini-resolutions with the group this year, report back each month on how you’ve done, and track your monthly progress. Twenty of us have already started…. want to join?

Monthly Resolution Club: www.monthlyresolutionclub.com

Happy New Year!

I wanted to share my New Years resolution with you, and invite you to join me, if you are interested!

As a 2014 resolution, I’m committing to taking at least one 24 hour E-fast per week. That means, that at least once per week I will take 24 hours completely off of email.

Now, for some of you, that might not seem like a lot of time, and high fives to you for already having a responsible email diet! For others, like me, who are on their email all the time, via their phone, or other devices, getting back to work emails every hour for about 17 hours a day, then perhaps you too will join me.

My friend Ben describes why he too is committing to 24 hour E-fasts each week this year in this blog, and has done so more eloquently than I could, so read up!

Join us as we Hibernate from email each week: http://www.hibernate.cc

Here you go: http://www.childsafetourism.org/international-day-volunteer-voluntourism-harm-children/

A Huffington Post piece I wrote on the Unreasonable Values of the Unreasonable Team: http://bit.ly/UnVal

Watching yourself on video can be painful (especially when you had just cut all your hair off in an attempt to cut out the straight perm you should never have had – and the fact that you were being filmed in frizzy sweaty Cambodia!). Tara Roberts, founder of girltank, had come through Phnom Penh a few years ago (2009 perhaps?) and had taken videos of women who were leading organizations. She later went on to build a website, and other resources, and a few months ago sent us some cuts of the videos she had taken. I have been cleaning through my “to read” email box, and finally watched these short videos.

http://vimeo.com/album/2323180

In this modern world, where we are recorded on our phones and cameras all the time, we’re more easily able to look back in time and see where and how we have changed. Watching myself give advice to others in these videos is actually like watching someone else speak, as now that I am back in a place of trying to figure out “what’s next”, I need my own advice as much as the next girl. If you like frizzy hair and cheesy statements, these might be up your alley. If not, go back to reading your copy of the Economist!