(Knowledge, Goals) |
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Attitude | |||
== Preparation == | |||
* You see your initial experiences as [[cultural exchange]], rather than charging in to "set things right." | |||
* You learn the language and spend time with locals - unless you have exceptionally good reasons (such as security), you live among locals. | |||
== Attitude == | |||
* Acceptance that you are playing the game by someone else's rules. You are a guest in the place where you are working, and you do not set the agenda, rules or even the 'game'. Talk of 'cultural acceptance', etc, is easy, but often foreign workers end up very sheltered from the realities of ordinary people's lives. This distance makes it easy to look down on the culture and make assumptions. | * Acceptance that you are playing the game by someone else's rules. You are a guest in the place where you are working, and you do not set the agenda, rules or even the 'game'. Talk of 'cultural acceptance', etc, is easy, but often foreign workers end up very sheltered from the realities of ordinary people's lives. This distance makes it easy to look down on the culture and make assumptions. | ||
* A commitment to [[community participation]], even when it means your suggestions are not acted on. | * A commitment to [[community participation]], even when it means your suggestions are not acted on. | ||
Knowledge | |||
== Knowledge == | |||
* You stay informed. | * You stay informed. | ||
* You know where your strength lies, and are comfortable saying that you don't know. | * You know where your strength lies, and are comfortable saying that you don't know. | ||
* You seek out people who know the answers. | * You seek out people who know the answers. | ||
Goals | |||
== Goals == | |||
* You know you are not there to solve problems as much as to enable locals to solve problems, and empower them to do so, effectively, after you have long gone. | * You know you are not there to solve problems as much as to enable locals to solve problems, and empower them to do so, effectively, after you have long gone. | ||
[[Category:Culture and development]] | [[Category:Culture and development]] | ||
[[Category:Employment]] | [[Category:Employment]] | ||
Revision as of 13:49, 9 April 2010
Preparation
- You see your initial experiences as cultural exchange, rather than charging in to "set things right."
- You learn the language and spend time with locals - unless you have exceptionally good reasons (such as security), you live among locals.
Attitude
- Acceptance that you are playing the game by someone else's rules. You are a guest in the place where you are working, and you do not set the agenda, rules or even the 'game'. Talk of 'cultural acceptance', etc, is easy, but often foreign workers end up very sheltered from the realities of ordinary people's lives. This distance makes it easy to look down on the culture and make assumptions.
- A commitment to community participation, even when it means your suggestions are not acted on.
Knowledge
- You stay informed.
- You know where your strength lies, and are comfortable saying that you don't know.
- You seek out people who know the answers.
Goals
- You know you are not there to solve problems as much as to enable locals to solve problems, and empower them to do so, effectively, after you have long gone.