If I had to sum Learning Week up in 5 sentences....this would be it.
1) There is a difference between volunTEERism and volunTOURism.
2) Don't send underdeveloped people to underdeveloped countries.
3) Just because an organization is unbiased, does not mean they do not get criticized.
4) The difference between theory and application.
5) Don't do alone what can be done together.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Want to learn more?!?!
Check out the amazing organizations I was able to meet with here in Vancouver! Some of them even operate within the United States as well!
CUSO-VSO
We send Canadians and Americans abroad to work on collaborative development projects in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. We are one of North America’s largest international development non-profits that works through volunteers.
http://www.cuso-vso.org/?setlang=/
AIDS VANCOUVER
At the end of 2010, an estimated 13,000 people in B.C. were living with HIV. Approximately one quarter of them are thought to be unaware of their status....
http://aidsvancouver.org/
THE DR PETER CENTRE
Our community of care is built on acceptance and support, helping people find strength in the face of an illness which to date does not have a cure. We offer respect, dignity and a sense of belonging to people who are most in need.
http://www.drpeter.org/home/
UBC GO GLOBAL
UBC’s International Service Learning (ISL) program allows you to contribute towards important projects led by community partners around the world. By taking part in our program, you connect your academic studies with real-world experience.
UBC STUDENT LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
The Student Leadership Conference (SLC) will facilitate a collaborative and inclusive educational environment, which will inspire the campus community, provide valuable peer-to-peer learning experiences, and engage students as they share and develop their leadership skills effectively. The SLC will provide delegates the means to expand their individual leadership potential as well as avenues to apply those skills, on individual and group levels, within the global community while embodying social, economical, and environmentally sustainable practices.
http://slc.ubc.ca/
UBC CENTER FOR INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
The CIC offers programs and services to develop intercultural awareness, understanding and skills for today’s increasingly global academic and business environments. With over 20 years of experience, our highly experienced staff have designed and delivered leading-edge programs and services to help people and companies work more effectively in diverse cultural settings, internationally and domestically.
http://cic.cstudies.ubc.ca/
VANTAGE POINT
At Vantage Point, we inspire and build leadership in the voluntary sector. We make it easier for organizations to lead, plan, govern and work with the right people to deliver their missions.We have been a student of the voluntary sector for 67 years. Our passion is PEOPLE. We work with voluntary sector organizations to strengthen their ability to engage people and develop leaders—at all levels.
http://www.thevantagepoint.ca/content/who-we-are
MOSAIC
MOSAIC is a multilingual non-profit organization dedicated to addressing issues that affect immigrants and refugees in the course of their settlement and integration into Canadian society. MOSAIC's mandate is to support and to empower immigrant and refugee communities, helping them to address critical issues in their neighborhoods and workplace.
http://www.mosaicbc.com/
OXFAM CANADA
Oxfam Canada is a member of Oxfam, a confederation of 15 national Oxfams around the world. This global federation increases the effectiveness of individual Oxfams through collaboration in overseas programming and playing a truly international role in advocacy.
http://www.oxfam.ca/
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
http://www.amnesty.ca
CUSO-VSO
We send Canadians and Americans abroad to work on collaborative development projects in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. We are one of North America’s largest international development non-profits that works through volunteers.
http://www.cuso-vso.org/?setlang=/
AIDS VANCOUVER
At the end of 2010, an estimated 13,000 people in B.C. were living with HIV. Approximately one quarter of them are thought to be unaware of their status....
http://aidsvancouver.org/
THE DR PETER CENTRE
Our community of care is built on acceptance and support, helping people find strength in the face of an illness which to date does not have a cure. We offer respect, dignity and a sense of belonging to people who are most in need.
http://www.drpeter.org/home/
UBC GO GLOBAL
UBC’s International Service Learning (ISL) program allows you to contribute towards important projects led by community partners around the world. By taking part in our program, you connect your academic studies with real-world experience.
http://www.students.ubc.ca/global/index.cfm
UBC STUDENT LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
The Student Leadership Conference (SLC) will facilitate a collaborative and inclusive educational environment, which will inspire the campus community, provide valuable peer-to-peer learning experiences, and engage students as they share and develop their leadership skills effectively. The SLC will provide delegates the means to expand their individual leadership potential as well as avenues to apply those skills, on individual and group levels, within the global community while embodying social, economical, and environmentally sustainable practices.
http://slc.ubc.ca/
UBC CENTER FOR INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
The CIC offers programs and services to develop intercultural awareness, understanding and skills for today’s increasingly global academic and business environments. With over 20 years of experience, our highly experienced staff have designed and delivered leading-edge programs and services to help people and companies work more effectively in diverse cultural settings, internationally and domestically.
http://cic.cstudies.ubc.ca/
VANTAGE POINT
At Vantage Point, we inspire and build leadership in the voluntary sector. We make it easier for organizations to lead, plan, govern and work with the right people to deliver their missions.We have been a student of the voluntary sector for 67 years. Our passion is PEOPLE. We work with voluntary sector organizations to strengthen their ability to engage people and develop leaders—at all levels.
http://www.thevantagepoint.ca/content/who-we-are
MOSAIC
MOSAIC is a multilingual non-profit organization dedicated to addressing issues that affect immigrants and refugees in the course of their settlement and integration into Canadian society. MOSAIC's mandate is to support and to empower immigrant and refugee communities, helping them to address critical issues in their neighborhoods and workplace.
http://www.mosaicbc.com/
OXFAM CANADA
Oxfam Canada is a member of Oxfam, a confederation of 15 national Oxfams around the world. This global federation increases the effectiveness of individual Oxfams through collaboration in overseas programming and playing a truly international role in advocacy.
http://www.oxfam.ca/
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
http://www.amnesty.ca
Every Week Should Be a Learning Week
I had been informed about it in the beginning and heard about it from other YPNers all summer long and FINALLY it was my turn! LEARNING WEEK! All summer long other YPN participants had left camp for one week to go back to Vancouver and had a set of meetings scheduled with other non-profits and NGOs. It seemed like forever ago that I filled out my interest form. I was so focused on learning how to better manage and retain volunteers as well as expand global and leadership development programs, as these were the things most relevant to my job. But the thing about learning week is you realize that your interests are just as varied as the number of organizations that you meet with.
Amanda explained a theory by John Maxwell to us at our Leadership Expereince last spring called the "Law of the Lid". This theory operates on the principle that when you are satisfied with your accomplishments and don't strive to see how much further you can go, you put a lid on your leadership potential. A true leader keeps the lid very high. They keep striving and pushing their limits to see what else is possible. They can see the bigger picture and they imagine an even bigger one. Learning week has raised the lid for me. And I intend to blow that lid right off.
As I come to the end of this experience I realize more and more how different my perspective on the YPN program, camp, and Canada as a whole has changed. I joined the YPN thinking I had a lot of things figured out and knew exactly what I wanted to accomplish during my time here. I now look back at the last 2 months and realize that my most eye opening moments had nothing to do with any of the reasons why I came here. But they will stay with me as I go back.
If I could give just one piece of advice to a future YPNer or Butler student or anyone really it would be to keep an open mind. Talk to people you wouldn't normally talk to, go to places you wouldn't normally visit and you will learn things you never knew you wanted to learn. Make every week a learning week by pushing your lid and seeing what else is out there. Be open to new experiences, ideas and points of view and they will open you up to a whole new world.
Amanda explained a theory by John Maxwell to us at our Leadership Expereince last spring called the "Law of the Lid". This theory operates on the principle that when you are satisfied with your accomplishments and don't strive to see how much further you can go, you put a lid on your leadership potential. A true leader keeps the lid very high. They keep striving and pushing their limits to see what else is possible. They can see the bigger picture and they imagine an even bigger one. Learning week has raised the lid for me. And I intend to blow that lid right off.
As I come to the end of this experience I realize more and more how different my perspective on the YPN program, camp, and Canada as a whole has changed. I joined the YPN thinking I had a lot of things figured out and knew exactly what I wanted to accomplish during my time here. I now look back at the last 2 months and realize that my most eye opening moments had nothing to do with any of the reasons why I came here. But they will stay with me as I go back.
If I could give just one piece of advice to a future YPNer or Butler student or anyone really it would be to keep an open mind. Talk to people you wouldn't normally talk to, go to places you wouldn't normally visit and you will learn things you never knew you wanted to learn. Make every week a learning week by pushing your lid and seeing what else is out there. Be open to new experiences, ideas and points of view and they will open you up to a whole new world.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Best Birthday EVER!
Becasue I knew you...
My two weeks with camp Moomba were by far the most trying experience I have had to date. It was also the most enriching and eye opening one. I cried A LOT with this group but I also laughed so hard I would snort, licked ketchup off of a table and ate oreos off of my forehead with them, chased geese up and down the field and stayed up way too late drinking hot chocolate and star gazing with them too. This group pushed me to my limit, but I pushed them as well. They had never sailed before. They each taught their cabin how. They had never played Ga Ga ball. Now its their favorite game. They canoed for three hours and made the most impressive straw tower I have seen from a leadership group so far. I tell them everyday how much I appreciate what they have taught me. And I want to make sure that they continue to inspire their peers to do the same.
Rakiya asked me if I would come back next year. If she had asked me this question a week ago I would probably have said never. Now I feel like it would be wrong not to. Though I can not come back to Canada for a whole summer as a counselor again or as a YPN volunteer, I am surprised to think about reserving one or two weeks out of my summer next year to come back. I have become part of an incredible family. Families fight and bicker and yell and scream. We certainly have done that. But they also stand up for each other and support each other no matter what. There is nothing I wouldn't do for this group, and that doesn't change just because camp is over.
There are no words to describe these past two weeks. And when I am at a loss for words I find that there is a songwriter out there who has the right ones. This one happens to come from Wicked...
"I've heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you
Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes a sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
I have been changed for good"
Rakiya asked me if I would come back next year. If she had asked me this question a week ago I would probably have said never. Now I feel like it would be wrong not to. Though I can not come back to Canada for a whole summer as a counselor again or as a YPN volunteer, I am surprised to think about reserving one or two weeks out of my summer next year to come back. I have become part of an incredible family. Families fight and bicker and yell and scream. We certainly have done that. But they also stand up for each other and support each other no matter what. There is nothing I wouldn't do for this group, and that doesn't change just because camp is over.
There are no words to describe these past two weeks. And when I am at a loss for words I find that there is a songwriter out there who has the right ones. This one happens to come from Wicked...
"I've heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you
Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes a sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
I have been changed for good"
The hardest day of my life...
What goes up must always come down...
After all the amazing things that had been happening at camp for the last month, being a team leader, working with the Leadership Development 1 group, I was really starting to feel quite comfortable at camp. A little too comfortable unfortunately.
Lara told us that Moomba would be different than regular camp at Elphinstone. These kids come from some pretty unique backgrounds and from all over the country. This week is the one time many of them get to see each other. They all understand each other and what they go through at home, and they look forward to this week all year long. Instead of rushing from activity to activity, theses kids find a lot of value in just spending time with each other. I was really impressed with the strong bonds many of our 17 year old leaders had with all the younger kids. After just 2 days I could feel the sense of belonging and family.
Unfortunately after two days that family was ripped apart. One of the problems that Camp Moomba has had to deal with in the past is the use of marijuana on site. Like I said, many of these kids come from some very unstable backgrounds and they find solace in the use of drugs. It is made clear before campers come to Moomba that this is not tolerated while at camp, but for those that have medicinal need alternative arrangements can be made. But these warnings have been ignored in the past, and two of our Moomba leadership boys were caught smoking after lunch after being at camp for two days.
These boys were reported to the director and it was decided that they had to be sent home. Immediately. They had to pack up and leave on the next ferry to Vancouver and the airport. We were instructed not to tell the other campers until the boys had a chance to pack and they would meet up with us on their way out of camp to say goodbye.
We waited at 3. The group was getting extremely anxious and didn't understand why it was so important to meet up with the director when there was so much to do. Half an hour passed. Then an hour. Finally after an hour and a half it became clear that we needed to be straight with out group. I told them the situation. And what happened after brought me to tears....
Kaley* stormed off down the road intermediately in tears while here two best friends in the group ran after her. I wanted to give them space, but didn't want to them to be on their own or miss a chance to say goodbye either. So I followed them. Kaley kept screaming that she wanted to go home and wouldn't talk to either of the girls. Both girls, also very much upset, sat down and began to cry on the porch. When I tried to comfort them they just kept repeating "You don't understand! You don't get it!" I was somehow able to convince them to come back to the group so they could at least say goodbye, even if it was upsetting. The boys were waiting for us when we got their and Caitlin* started screaming at the directors and the bus driver "I hope you're happy! You're breaking up a family!" As the boys went around the group saying tearful goodbyes, they were quickly hustled back in the van, as they were running very late. This did not sit well with the rest of the group. The laid in the middle of the street so the van couldn't pass. At this point in time I was in tears in front of the directors and could not bring myself to make them get up. The program staff did this for me while being cursed at by many of the girls.
As the van drove off the girls ran down the hill again. The other counselors and myself followed after. Caitlin SCREAMED at us to stop following them and used a couple of choice swear words in the process.
I have done summer camp a long time. I have dealt with broken fingers and campers with anger management issues. I have never dealt with anything like this before. And I had never felt so hopeless in my life. I did not see the girls again until dinner. And they made it clear they wanted nothing to do with us. I then saw Rakiya across the dining hall....
I had met Rakiya during staff training. She was the only former Moomba camper to come back as staff this year. She has been speaking on behalf of families affected by HIV since she was 8. Her mother is affected by the disease and this is why she keeps coming back to Moomba. She was also only a year older than my campers and had known them for over a decade. If anyone could help me it was Rakiya. When I told her the situation she was very understanding and thought I could tell she was upset by the situation as well, she offered to help.
After dinner we called an emergency campfire meeting. Rakiya, along with other seasoned Moomba staff (no directors) showed up to talk about the situation with us and our leaders. And I had the most eye opening moment of my life. Caitlin shouted at me "You don't get it!" and she was right. Though they made it clear they understood the rule and that the boys did do something stupid by breaking it and even apologized for the way they spoke to us earlier, our leadership group began to open up and share why it was so hard for them to have to say goodbye to their friends and the struggles they had to deal with at home, and how camp was a place for them to get away from all that. It became clear that even though Jason and myself were good counselors and really did care about these kids, we would never be able to understand where they came from. Only other Moomba kids could do that. So the issue came up. Why was Rakiya the only Moomba kid who became staff? Why were there not more HIV positive staff in general? Why were we told not to talk about these issues?
It became obvious it was time for a change in the way people looked at Moomba. And I saw the true meaning of leadership in our group when they stepped up and accepted the challenge to be that change they wanted to see in their world. And though it was a painful road to travel, I do not beleive we would have had the eye opening conversations that happened that day if it hadn't been the hardest day of my life.
*For confidentiality reasons, all names have been changed
After all the amazing things that had been happening at camp for the last month, being a team leader, working with the Leadership Development 1 group, I was really starting to feel quite comfortable at camp. A little too comfortable unfortunately.
Lara told us that Moomba would be different than regular camp at Elphinstone. These kids come from some pretty unique backgrounds and from all over the country. This week is the one time many of them get to see each other. They all understand each other and what they go through at home, and they look forward to this week all year long. Instead of rushing from activity to activity, theses kids find a lot of value in just spending time with each other. I was really impressed with the strong bonds many of our 17 year old leaders had with all the younger kids. After just 2 days I could feel the sense of belonging and family.
Unfortunately after two days that family was ripped apart. One of the problems that Camp Moomba has had to deal with in the past is the use of marijuana on site. Like I said, many of these kids come from some very unstable backgrounds and they find solace in the use of drugs. It is made clear before campers come to Moomba that this is not tolerated while at camp, but for those that have medicinal need alternative arrangements can be made. But these warnings have been ignored in the past, and two of our Moomba leadership boys were caught smoking after lunch after being at camp for two days.
These boys were reported to the director and it was decided that they had to be sent home. Immediately. They had to pack up and leave on the next ferry to Vancouver and the airport. We were instructed not to tell the other campers until the boys had a chance to pack and they would meet up with us on their way out of camp to say goodbye.
We waited at 3. The group was getting extremely anxious and didn't understand why it was so important to meet up with the director when there was so much to do. Half an hour passed. Then an hour. Finally after an hour and a half it became clear that we needed to be straight with out group. I told them the situation. And what happened after brought me to tears....
Kaley* stormed off down the road intermediately in tears while here two best friends in the group ran after her. I wanted to give them space, but didn't want to them to be on their own or miss a chance to say goodbye either. So I followed them. Kaley kept screaming that she wanted to go home and wouldn't talk to either of the girls. Both girls, also very much upset, sat down and began to cry on the porch. When I tried to comfort them they just kept repeating "You don't understand! You don't get it!" I was somehow able to convince them to come back to the group so they could at least say goodbye, even if it was upsetting. The boys were waiting for us when we got their and Caitlin* started screaming at the directors and the bus driver "I hope you're happy! You're breaking up a family!" As the boys went around the group saying tearful goodbyes, they were quickly hustled back in the van, as they were running very late. This did not sit well with the rest of the group. The laid in the middle of the street so the van couldn't pass. At this point in time I was in tears in front of the directors and could not bring myself to make them get up. The program staff did this for me while being cursed at by many of the girls.
As the van drove off the girls ran down the hill again. The other counselors and myself followed after. Caitlin SCREAMED at us to stop following them and used a couple of choice swear words in the process.
I have done summer camp a long time. I have dealt with broken fingers and campers with anger management issues. I have never dealt with anything like this before. And I had never felt so hopeless in my life. I did not see the girls again until dinner. And they made it clear they wanted nothing to do with us. I then saw Rakiya across the dining hall....
I had met Rakiya during staff training. She was the only former Moomba camper to come back as staff this year. She has been speaking on behalf of families affected by HIV since she was 8. Her mother is affected by the disease and this is why she keeps coming back to Moomba. She was also only a year older than my campers and had known them for over a decade. If anyone could help me it was Rakiya. When I told her the situation she was very understanding and thought I could tell she was upset by the situation as well, she offered to help.
After dinner we called an emergency campfire meeting. Rakiya, along with other seasoned Moomba staff (no directors) showed up to talk about the situation with us and our leaders. And I had the most eye opening moment of my life. Caitlin shouted at me "You don't get it!" and she was right. Though they made it clear they understood the rule and that the boys did do something stupid by breaking it and even apologized for the way they spoke to us earlier, our leadership group began to open up and share why it was so hard for them to have to say goodbye to their friends and the struggles they had to deal with at home, and how camp was a place for them to get away from all that. It became clear that even though Jason and myself were good counselors and really did care about these kids, we would never be able to understand where they came from. Only other Moomba kids could do that. So the issue came up. Why was Rakiya the only Moomba kid who became staff? Why were there not more HIV positive staff in general? Why were we told not to talk about these issues?
It became obvious it was time for a change in the way people looked at Moomba. And I saw the true meaning of leadership in our group when they stepped up and accepted the challenge to be that change they wanted to see in their world. And though it was a painful road to travel, I do not beleive we would have had the eye opening conversations that happened that day if it hadn't been the hardest day of my life.
*For confidentiality reasons, all names have been changed
Hey Hey Camp Moomba!
What comes to mind when you hear the words HIV or AIDS? Drugs? Unprotected sex? Gays? Africa? The stigma that surrounds this disease is immense, and the people affected by it suffer in their daily lives because of other peoples' ignorance. Camp Moomba is a program where kids affected by this disease, either personally themselves or through their families, can get away from that stigma. Their tagline is "Friends together having fun" but trust me when I say Moomba is much more than that. Moomba is a family.
When Lara first approached me two weeks ago and I asked if I wanted to lead the Leadership Development 2 group for Moomba I was yet again very humbled. This group is the oldest group of campers who are in their training to become counselors. It is a lot like the CIT program in the states, but it is VERY popular at Elphinstone and there is a pretty competitive selection process for campers. The counselors chosen to lead these groups usually have loads of experience so I was pretty shocked to be considered for this when it was my first summer at camp, especially with a group as unique as Moomba.
I have many stories to tell after working with Moomba, but before I continue it might be helpful to have some background information on what this camp is and why it is so important. Check out some of the information below!
http://www.campmoomba.com/
When Lara first approached me two weeks ago and I asked if I wanted to lead the Leadership Development 2 group for Moomba I was yet again very humbled. This group is the oldest group of campers who are in their training to become counselors. It is a lot like the CIT program in the states, but it is VERY popular at Elphinstone and there is a pretty competitive selection process for campers. The counselors chosen to lead these groups usually have loads of experience so I was pretty shocked to be considered for this when it was my first summer at camp, especially with a group as unique as Moomba.
I have many stories to tell after working with Moomba, but before I continue it might be helpful to have some background information on what this camp is and why it is so important. Check out some of the information below!
http://www.campmoomba.com/
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