I was very excited to be given the opportunity to attend the 2013 Global Washington Conference. As I am graduating this year, I am beginning to explore options regarding opportunities for next year. It can be daunting at times trying to figure out post-university options. Should I should go straight into a Masters program, work in Vancouver or work internationally? Hence, I was looking forward to traveling to Seattle this week to speak to individuals who have had considerable experience working in global health settings. This opportunity certainly enabled me to better understand their experiences, hear lessons they have learned, listen to their feedback and also explore networking opportunities.
Deo Niyizonkiza was the opening keynote speaker. I found his speech very intriguing and relatable to many courses that I have covered, as he has established a health program in rural Burundi. As he articulated, “Without health, no society’s self-sufficient.” This reassured to me the vital role that healthcare has in any society, which can contribute not only towards optimal emotional and physical health and well-being, but also indirect contributions to economic development, agricultural/food security outcomes and community engagement. I also valued his feedback when he articulated, “Expect more frustration in frustrating situations.” I sometimes find conferences or talks on overwhelming topics such as global health can be superficial; however, these are imperative issues and careers that can oftentimes be emotionally draining, which people need to better recognize.
We subsequently heard a discussion with Neal Keny-Guyer, CEO of Mercy Corps. In our informational pamphlet, it highlighted that he is the company’s CEO as “he is interested in creating a more just and peaceful world.” Although these are great intentions, I was concerned that his approach could come across as ethnocentric in cross-cultural contexts, despite his intent of creating a “more just world.” However, I was comforted when he argued that, “[Those of us who are working in global development contexts] need to ask ourselves if we’re really just moving big needles when we’re measuring if we’re being successful.” This really resonated with me, as I feel that global development projects are part of a structure that is so multi-faceted; moreover, what may work in one country may not be applied with the same results in another setting. Foreign development workers need to start recognizing this.
I subsequently went to a discussion led by the Landesa organization, a non-profit that attempts to increase land tenure in developing countries. I quite enjoyed the discussion. As one of the speakers argued, “People need to identify the source of the problem to lay foundation that people can subsequently work to fix.” This reassured to me that many foreign organizations are indeed concerned with implementing projects that are sustainable by going to the root of the problem, rather than only creating band-aid solutions. As one speaker subsequently argued at the conference, “We need to find solutions, not only find problems in developing countries.”
After lunch, I went to a workshop titled, “We F?#@!* Up!” I was very encouraged to see that people were indeed openly discussing how many global development projects can go awry along with covering ways to evade encountering unwanted results and misunderstandings. To me, there appears to be a pattern: when global development projects fail, it’s often due to elements of ethnocentrism. However, this is often sub-conscious, subtle and unintentional. Therefore, this is a difficult outcome to avoid when working in inter-cultural settings, as foreign workers implementing development projects are often unaware that they are being ethnocentric. So in regards to moving forward, how do we recognize this imperative issue when it’s a subliminal result? I don’t feel there’s a definitive answer as it’s so multi-faceted. This workshop covered many of these issues through individual first-hand accounts. I found it interesting to hear the speakers’ stories and to learn about specific things to avoid, such as not feeling obligated to follow through with projects just because of donor money.
The last workshop I went to was facilitated by workers of the global health organization, PATH. I found this particular workshop the most helpful for my personal endeavors, as it emphasized ways to make individuals more marketable during job searches. We covered topics such as how to enhance resumes, cover letters and Linkedin profiles. Afterwards, I spoke with Leanne, one of the facilitators and she gave me a few very useful tips of advice as I move forward with my career in global health. I really appreciated her taking the time to speak to me.
Our final keynote speaker was Ken Berger, who discussed steps to ensure successful charities. At times, I found parts of his presentation difficult to follow, as there was a lot of jargon; however, overall, I found it interesting to hear his advice. For example, he emphasized the importance of not working on teams that have poor leadership, as nothing will get achieved. His discussion made me ponder how I wish that developed countries could begin looking at charities from a new paradigm. More specifically, I wish that charities could be viewed from a more reciprocal standpoint, where community members are truly the ones in charge of these initiatives to ensure that these projects are sustainable and meet community needs; however, I do not feel that many charities view their work from this standpoint.
Overall, I found this conference a very valuable experience. I really enjoyed traveling with the fellow GRS students, especially since I have not been able to attend in-class GRS courses due to my varsity swimming and class schedules. Both to and from Seattle, we had several in-depth discussions regarding how each of us feel we fit in with these complex, multi-dimensional issues and what our passions and aspirations are. I would certainly recommend that students partake in similar conferences in the future, as I that it is one thing to understand something in theory, but it’s a whole different context applying it in the real world. Overall, I found this conference helped me to better understand this.