The first part of the day was intercultural training, learning how to appreciate differences, how to recognize the impact of deep-seated values and thinking and behaviour, and how to bridge the culture gap. The second part was a chance to sit down with someone, in my case, from Nepal for a couple of hours to learn about what to expect, what to do, say, where to go, what not to do, and a few basic language tips. It was great. Ajoy Bista was knowledeable (of course), friendly, organized and very helpful. The interesting thing was, after talking with Ajoy, this whole exeprience became real for me. Click here for a video of the discussion with Ajoy.
I do feel more prepared now which is great. The training has opened my eyes to a number of things:
- the cultural values that affect my thinking
- appreciating the behaviour and thought patterns of others with values different to my own, and learning to accept and learn from the differences
- this trip is not just about helping others, it's also about learning more about myself. This is an opportunity to grow as a person.
Check out this video of Kelly Eastlake discussing competencies on cultural effectiveness.
At this point, I'm still green. I've had experiences in the Middle East and Mexico which are valuable but I've not taken the time to reflect on those experiences while they were fresh in my mind. I'm not making that mistake again.
Tomorrow: intro to international development and capacity building, gender and development, scenarios, public engagement plan.
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