Final Reflection

As we get closer and closer to leaving for Lusaka, I'm beginning to find my research to be both enjoyable and frustrating. Not only is researching climate change shedding light on multiple issues faced by the country, The wealth of information concerning current and previous climate change initiatives has truly given me a broader outlook on the effects of climate change. Although I find the topic to be very interesting, the amount of information currently available on my research topic can be confusing and condescending. For example, There are many articles and statistics from three to four years ago that explain that Zambia is aware of the climate change issues. The papers site various initiates the country has implemented in order to reduce rates of deforestation as well as other factors which contribute to climate change. Because there has been so much work done concerning climate change, a simple search online for my topic yields hundreds of reports from climate change organizations in and out of country. The preexisting information is extensive but the real challenge will be to see if any of the previous studies are correlated as well as check the status of previously implemented climate change initiatives. My goal for this project moving forward would then be to assess the quality of current initiatives, pool past climate change reports together to create a clear portfolio that depicts Zambia's current climate change status, and contact the organizations which focus on direct climate change interventions. After accomplishing these goals, the focus of this research will be to create a more effective method for reducing climate change, especially in poor areas being that poor and underrepresented communities are most affected by climate change.

Looking back, I have thoroughly enjoyed the pre-departure seminar. After becoming close with my cohort of students, learning about Zambia's history, and learning about my own position as an outsider in the country, I can confidently say that my mind set towards this experience has definitely evolved. At the beginning of the semester, I was very lost. I was not sure of what all I was getting myself into, was not aware of my research topic, and (most importantly) was not aware of how many mental adjustments I would need to make in order to succeed during this experience. Not only did the seminar leave me feeling more open-minded about my field experience, it gave me a lot of the guidance and direction I  needed to understand the importance of my research and the implications it will have for Zambia.

To be honest, I am very nervous about going to Zambia. At the beginning of the semester, it felt as if we would never get to this point. This experience will be a huge step outside of my comfort zone but I feel ready nonetheless. I am extremely excited to get to the country, meet my host family, and make life long connections with my cohort and the people I will be working with in Zambia. My research topic is very engaging and not something I would normally look into. I can not wait to see how this experience changes me and how my research impacts Zambia.

Final Reflection: Before Departing to Zambia

My research topic for the summer is with the Sani Foundation and their goal is to change the attitudes of people towards disabilities and promote inclusivity. Exploring my research topic started off easy because we were collecting a good amount of research articles on disabilities within Zambia but then trying to delve deeper became difficult because a lot of research still has to be done. Of the organizations that we found, most didn’t have a website and a couple had a Facebook page. Even tracking down addresses for these organizations took some time. This just told my research partner, Erica, and I that we’ll be able to gather most of our needed information while in country.

Erica and I didn’t have a set idea for what our research topic would focus on so we started gathering any research articles we could find and from those, there were multiple avenues we could pick from. Granted, a lot of these topics were interconnected; we couldn’t just pick one without taking about at least two others. One topic that really hurt to read about was parents and how challenging it is to be a parent of a child with disability. If a random person thinks that you’re not raising your child properly, it might not bother you because you have no ties but if someone from your community tells you, it will affect you. For the pregnant women with disabilities, reading about what they went through was harder for me because they were being judged constantly when they needed support the most. I realized that I might have to push my feelings down because there is a possibility Erica and I will come across harsh opinions we don’t agree with it. After our research presentation, I’m glad that Tatyana brought up the point that education, as means to change attitudes and stigma towards people with disabilities, is a Westernized way of thinking because that’s something I never even realized.

While in Zambia, I plan on remaining open-minded because our research topic might change or we might not be able to contact certain organizations. Once we have chosen our topic, the plan is to contact as many stakeholders as possible so that we have ample amount of information. I want our research to not only help the Sani Foundation but other organizations that want to make programs and offer services for people with disabilities.

My personal learning goals have stayed the same. One thing I might add is working on my presentation skills. Speaking in front of groups, on topics that do interest me, are less difficult but I still get nervous. This summer will give the perfect opportunity to continuously practice so that by the time we present at the end of the program, I’ll be ready.

I’m becoming a bit nervous (but still very excited!) because the numbers of days until departure are becoming smaller and smaller. This will be my first time traveling outside of the US and I’m thrilled to make the most out of it.

Pre-Course Final Reflections

Preliminary Research Reflection

With the start of our time in Zambia around the corner, Karl and I are more than excited to continue our research in country. When we began our information-gathering process, we read all the scholarly publications, news articles, and economic statistics we could find about the state of and history of the copper industry. Our basic findings about the industry’s golden years immediately after Zambian independence and its current standing as a major sector that is run by a few foreign companies gave us a foundation for our future research and a familiarity with the specifics of the economic environment. Our most intriguing findings, however, had to do with the safety concerns that persist throughout the various phases of the copper supply chain and the legal questions that arise as a result.

            Some of these safety concerns exist because of the potential for pollution from these mines. To extract copper from its ore, the ore is often treated with sulfuric acid and other chemicals or chemical compounds. If these substances aren’t disposed of correctly, they can seep into nearby water sources and poison the locals. The Konkola Copper mine, a large Zambian mine owned by a company based in London, recently lost a court case about this very issue, and was required to pay Zambian villagers for their water pollution. According to a Zambian law from 1993, the penalty for discharging liquid waste into waterways is a fine and a revocation of the offender’s relevant license, but this payment to villagers was possible because the case was decided in London courts. These nuances within the legal remedies possible for this type of offense are also intriguing potential subjects of research because the specifics of the legal, as well as the economic infrastructure of a given country often deeply impacts its environmental context.

            Other safety concerns arise from the dangerous nature of mining as a profession, because mudslides and dilapidated structures can close workers into mines and result in death or injury. The process can be dangerous in later phases that occur outside Zambia as well, but we will only explore these issues if we realize in country that they are relevant to our work.

            To gather more information about the copper industry, Karl and I have contacted Cornell professors who have conducted research in this area. Though we have yet to hear back from these professors, we look forward to being in communication with them as time goes on. We have an upcoming skype call with Tine, so after we speak with her about the specifics of our research, we will contact more academics who have expertise that could be useful to us. When we get in country, this process of contacting the individuals who can provide useful information will continue, as we feel that information from experts is critical to the heft of our paper.

            As mentioned earlier, our research so far has given us an interest in the safety concerns associated with the copper industry, so we hope to explore this topic further in Zambia. These issues have an enormous impact on the lives of local villagers and miners alike, and the policies on pollution or labor safety can mean life or death for many. In an era when environmental safety and human rights are at the forefront of the national dialogue in many countries across the globe, we believe that this research can be useful in Zambia and in the global community at large.

Personal Learning Goals

Though my learning goals for the program haven’t changed, the pre-departure seminar has given me a better idea of the work I’ll be doing this summer, which has helped me to consider the specifics of these goals and how the program might help me to reach them. My first goal was to improve my ability to work with data and complex legal or sociopolitical ideas. In country, we will be gathering most of our information by conducting interviews and reviewing the available literature on our topic. The qualitative data gathered through interviews is unique in that we must analyze it differently from how we would analyze data from an empirical experiment. In my ILR classes so far, I’ve become familiar with the difficulty of correctly turning firsthand accounts into useful, meaningful research findings. We must consider biases, gather second opinions, and never take information out of context. If I can practice and improve my ability to do all of this, I will reach my goal and leave with useful skills for the future.

            I have already begun to reach one of my learning goals, which is to improve upon my cultural awareness. Videos like “The Danger of a Single Story,” readings like “American Students Abroad Can’t Be Global Citizens,” and class days like our time with the Intergroup Dialogue Project facilitator helped me to discover not only the specifics of another culture, but also how to consider my own privileges and disadvantages and how they impact my interactions with those from other cultures. This learning will help me in my cross-cultural cultural interactions, enabling me to get the most out of my time in Zambia without making the wrong impression.

            As the semester comes to a close and the trip to Zambia approaches, I’m excited for what is to come. With an intriguing topic, a new awareness of how to navigate cultural differences, and an excitement to gain new skills, I have all that I need to make my project worthwhile.

Final Reflections: Action Plan and Personal Learning Goal Updates

As the end of the semester approaches and as I arrive at the final stages of preparing for my experience in country, I realize that I have grown in ways already that I had not foreseen at the beginning of this semester and at the beginning of this process of preparing for my time in Zambia. I was more than thrilled when I discovered I would be working with the Zambian Governance Foundation (ZGF) this summer, especially after researching the real impact they have in Zambian communities, and the mission statement they abide by: strengthening the role of civil society in pro- poor policy engagement and community development. After James and I received our initial research topic from ZGF concerning the “specifics” of our assignment, we realized that the possibilities of what we could delve into were literally endless. Nevertheless, we did zone into two particular aspects of the assignment that further defined how to approach our research: the concept of asset based community development and the realm of health accountability. While we have identified more specific aspects of research that we will focus on, the scope of our topic is still extremely broad, as we have not received any vital, further guidance regarding the purpose of our research which ultimately influences the direction that our research will go in. Despite the current state of ambiguity surrounding our project, James and I have already begun brainstorming potential topics that fall under the umbrella theme of health accountability and incorporate mechanisms of asset based community development, which is arguably the most effective mode for successful policy implementation and practice. One of these potential topics that James and I have identified as particularly fascinating is the problem of Zambia’s infant mortality rate (74.2 per 1000 live births)- which stands at a rate significantly higher than that identified by WHO Africa (55 per 1000 live births). This discrepancy obviously points to a serious issue in Zambia’s health sector, which does not necessarily stem from lacking education of health professionals in tackling this issue, which James and I realized after reading over research conducted by Zambian doctors on this topic. Thus, we can only hypothesize that this disturbing statistic stems from ineffective community health policies that allow this serious problem to continue. I foresee that during the course of researching current health policies pertaining to infant mortality in Zambia, we will incorporate the asset based community development approach by utilizing the resources that Zambian communities have available to them in implementing/adjusting current policies and emphasizing the importance of community education surrounding this issue so as to assure sustainability. Additionally, I foresee James and I conducting research into the health policies surrounding infant mortality in surrounding Southern African nations that have lower infant mortality rates in order to have a greater understanding of what works and what doesn’t, in the context of similar nations. Additionally, we will likely be in contact with various professional health organizations that hold offices in Zambia, such as WHO and the Zambian Ministry of Health. Therefore, our first steps will likely be to contact these organizations to not only gain a greater insight to the current Zambian health policies in place pertaining to infant mortality, but also and understand the cultural context of these policies and recognize what the weaknesses of the system are. This will allow us to begin the process of comprehending what possible solutions can be implemented, through the ABCD approach.

In terms of my personal learning goals, I feel as though I have fostered new goals and perceptions of my upcoming experience that I did not foresee at the beginning of this process. Particularly, I did not foresee the impact that a greater awareness of my own identity would have. Through the discussions in class surrounding privilege, cultural backgrounds, and personal values, I genuinely feel as though I have gained a clearer insight to who I am as a person- clarity I did not have just a few months ago. I believe that this clarity of knowing myself, my roots, and most importantly, my privilege, will guide my actions and perceptions of day to day experiences in Zambia and will allow me to reflect more deeply and more meaningfully. Additionally, through initial research on the context of health in Zambia and through conversations in class, I have begun to experience a shift in my mindset that I intend to continue fostering throughout my experience- this shift simply being recognizing the importance of humility, keeping myself grounded and in check with the unimportance of my presence. While that sounds harsh, I have come to understand that it is an important realization in keeping myself grounded and keeping my ego in check- because while we all might not admit it, at times we are not all as humble as we likely should be. To conclude, I could not be more grateful for the seminar that I have taken part in this semester, as it truly has prompted me to grow as a person and has greatly prepared me for the incredible experience I am about to take part in.

Social Identity and Privilege

I grew up wearing rose-colored glasses; I lived life with an air of optimism and faith in the world. I am blissfully unaware of who I am and intrinsically trust and believe in optimism because of the safety in which I have grown up. I have had the privilege of not having to experience true struggle and thus it has been easy to wear my rose-colored glasses. For me, my identity is difficult to define because it is fluid and constantly changing as I grow in response to my environment and experiences. However, I think that my race and privilege have been the most salient aspects of my identity that have shaped my lived experiences.

For me, growing up in a highly “Americanized” bi-racial family has sensitized me to what racial identity is. Internally, I never viewed race as a defining factor that differentiated me from someone else, I viewed it just as a fact and part of me that provided little information as to who I was as a person. However, I also grew up in a privileged, upper-middle class suburb and attended an all-girls private school. While my school put a lot of effort into encouraging acceptance and diversity I became exposed to the external pressures of what it meant to be associated with a race. In turn, how I viewed myself did not match now others viewed me and the aspects of my identity and personality that I felt were most salient did not match how others saw me. This aspect of my identity however, helped shape my value that it is my responsibility to make use of my make use of my skills to live up to my value and how others depict me. I believe that in the grand scheme of things it is solely you that will benefit from your value, so I strive to succeed for myself.

As I have grown up, I have come to learn that the world is not as black and white as it once seemed. I grew up very privileged and opportunity of living a life that has been good to me. Thus in some ways, I am naïve and blissfully unaware of what it is like to personally experience the struggles that I learn about in class. However, this does not mean that I am ignorant to the fact that these problems exist. This aspect of my identity has challenged me to reconcile what I learn and see with what I’ve inherited. I question how you maintain your inheritance and what you value but also reconcile what the world is telling you, what you are experiencing and the complexity of it all.

These aspects of my identity will definitely shape my experience in Zambia. I think that my awareness of my race will not only push me to work hard to shape the way I am viewed by others in a way that I wish to be depicted. I think it also makes me sensitized to the danger of assumptions and forming opinions and the value in letting someone show you who they are rather than defining who they are yourself. I think the value of these aspects of my identity is recognizing that they make me different from people I encounter but not letting them shape the way I interact with people. There is power and privilege that comes with being a privileged American citizen however, it is the way in which you use this power that is important. The thing I want to be most aware of is this power associated with being an American citizen, while this most likely will be my defining characteristic while in country I don’t want it to shape my identity and my experience interacting with people. While this goal is naive and unrealistic I think the most important thing is that I am aware of the power that this brings and limit its effect on my experience and not let it define who I am.