A reflection on reflections: Themes and Gaps

Meeting with some fellow Loewenstern's last week was insightful as we found common themes and gaps reflected in each of our blogs. I also enjoyed getting the chance to hear more about each person's experience beyond what was written in their blogs. We all agreed that the blog was certainly not all encompassing, and lacked details--the day-to-day. For me this includes the seemingly trivial aspects of my environment that I'd internalized as the norm, as well as the personal. Nevertheless, this didn't mean that I didn't reflect on  these components any less--I did, just in my own personal journal. When talking with the other LW fellows, we also agreed that the envelope prompts were not conducive towards sharing the personal, but rather focused more on the academic, the growth from service. When abroad, growth occurs through a myriad of other channels, such as daily communication, cultural experiences, etc. 
Additionally, while related to service, I didn't include much about the people I worked with on a daily basis in the CURA office. I think this was primarily out of respect for them and not posting about them on a public domain without their knowledge. But I will say they are some of the most incredible people I have had the honor of knowing and the privilege of working with. They've supported me but have also given me the space to learn and grow. They've graciously forgiven me when I was late or was the culprit of a miscommunication. They've also been such great role models at showing me through action how to truly engage a community, how to raise awareness, how to be organized, even how to make a few dishes. Though not included in the context of this blog, they're definitely near to me. One more topic left out of this blog would be the bad that I've seen or heard in China, again out of respect for the country, not to mention the fact that I am only one perspective. Publicizing it may make it a generalization to others who read it, which wouldn't accurately reflect the country or society. 

Regarding overall themes, reflection itself was an obvious one, in addition to communication, connections, environmentalism, sustainable service, cultural identity and exchange, learning, cuisine and discovery. While this blog didn't encompass all of my personal experiences, it did still provide a structure to capture one aspect of my personal growth. In volunteering with CURA and helping to develop and implement the health survey, I learned more about myself. The new environment shed light on both my strengths and weaknesses and the prompts facilitated my reflection of them. Also common to the entries are themes specific to my service, environmentalism. My ISP was focused specifically on it. Additional information I learned prior to the trip and during my time in China then funneled into my entries, such as the first trip out to Anlong village shortly after my arrival. Paired with this theme are the themes of discovery and learning, as prior to my fellowship, I knew relatively little about environmentalism but was eager to learn more. The theme of learning also carried over to the social environment I was immersed in upon arriving in Chengdu, such as plaza-dancing. The theme of connections emerged as a reflection of Chinese society, where connections are key even in the workplace. As mentioned in another post--the social media conduit WeChat is commonly favored over email. Business deals depend on connections at least as much as merit, if not more so (note: this is more a generalization, thus the lack of a source citation). 

Organization Information: Chengdu Urban Rivers Association

Name: Chengdu Urban Rivers Association (CURA)

Mission: Chengdu Urban Rivers Association (CURA) is a non-profit NGO dedicated to promoting the natural, recreational, and cultural values of rivers, particularly the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. Founded in June 2003, CURA provides a unified voice representing environmental values on issues such as river conservation, environmental protection, development of environmental awareness, and promotion of sustainable development in urban and rural areas.

Background: CURA is comprised of 7 staff members including former experts and researchers with the Chengdu Fu-nan River Restoration Project, started in 1992. Volunteers include both local and international students as well as citizens and professionals. CURA works with universities and other NGOs on water environment and pollution research, government departments to influence policy, and Chengdu public in conducting environmental education.

Past/Current Projects:

Anlong Village Sustainable Development Demonstration Project:
Since 2005, this project has worked with 165 farmer household to reduce agricultural and household non-point pollutions into the Zouma River in Chengdu.

River Health Scoring Project:
Between 2007 and 2010, CURA organized around 200 citizens to participate into Baitiao River and Fu River health scoring action to raise citizens’ awareness and knowledge about the rivers.

River Tour Project:
Between 2009 and 2010, CURA organized over 200 Chengdu citizens to join in ten tours of visiting rivers in Chengdu. The investigative reports pointed out illegal emissions and were sent to city mayor who responded appropriately.

Projects I participated in while at CURA:

Shui Tian Ping Village Public Health and Environmental Survey:

Funded by a National Geographic grant, this project focused on the Shui Tian Ping village and its residents. The village has 3 unregulated factories (1 brick and 2 iron-processing) which serve as both a source of income and significant pollution. Thus, the project entailed surveying the residents to understand their perspective on their environment with respect to their health. An environmental survey of the air, water, and soil quality was also done. 

Health Lectures at Shui Tian Ping Village:

As a way of introducing ourselves to the residents and building trust with them, CURA hosted two health lectures for the residents based on their voiced interests. One was about making 'vinegar' and its broad range of household uses as well as its sustainability while the other was about diabetes and high blood pressure. 

Educational tours of Anlong Village:

As a model village of eco-infrastructure, CURA strives to educate others and promote environmental awareness through Anlong Village. This is done by giving tours and hosting groups in Anlong as well as organizing events in the village, such as monthly bike rides from Chengdu to Anlong. 

How CURA is achieving its mission:

As evident from the above projects (which are really just a few of the many things CURA has done/is doing), CURA is very active. I was very impressed by how closely CURA works with the local residents to bring about change. For example, the installation of eco-infrastructure in Anlong was a true partnership between CURA and each individual farmer. Going to with Dong, a CURA staff member to the village, every resident there knows him and always asks after how he's doing, extending invitations for him to come visit them. I admire this 'down-to-earth' approach and how effective it has been. While some projects may not have a large impact on improving river conservation as a whole (i.e. one village with a handful of organic farmers will not significantly reduce the agricultural pollutants in local rivers), CURA is committed to raising awareness and impact by way of modeling, one village and one project at a time. 

Assets:

Despite having only 7 full-time staff members, CURA has such an incredible wealth of assets. As mentioned earlier, CURA as an organization is very accommodating of volunteers of all backgrounds. This openness for collaboration is definitely an asset, as it enables CURA to utilize the skills and capabilities of each volunteer to achieve its mission--specifically in the form of projects or other initiatives. Related to this asset is how well-connected CURA is both locally and beyond. When developing the health survey, I was able to meeting with a public health professor at HuaXi Medical School, who then also helped me recruit volunteers for the implementation of our survey. Another example is the collaboration between CURA and other local environmental NGOs in raising environmental awareness, such as hosting a stop for the Pole to Paris bike ride in Chengdu. While CURA's financial assets may not be booming (as expected for most NGOs), the organization is truly rich in resources in terms of people, connections and reach. 

Room to improve:

During my time at CURA, I wouldn't say there were any major shortcomings; they're always open to the suggestions of staff and volunteers alike. Perhaps one way I could see CURA improving would be in strengthening their communication with prospective volunteers, specifically international volunteers. In the period leading up to my fellowship, I was not entirely sure what to expect or what I would be doing. However, upon arriving I was caught up to pace and day-to-day communication proved to be no problem at all. This is understandable, given the fact that there is not a staff member solely devoted to managing online communication, particularly in English. Luckily, this need has been fairly consistently met by volunteers! Along these lines, a lack of Chinese proficiency may also limit a volunteer's contributions to CURA. Shortly before I left, CURA was planning to accommodate three admins from FedEx interested in volunteering with CURA for a month. Initially, CURA was not sure they could host them out of a lack of funding for translators. Ultimately, everything did work out and translators were provided for by an affiliated organization. 

Also related would be helping international volunteers transition to CURA and to a new environment, which should be improved by a volunteer guide in English that Thomas and I have both contributed to.