A Conversation with Kim
When Steven Lease sent out the last call for submissions to this issue of the Vanguard on January 26, I racked my brain trying to think of how I could turn some of my recent experiences into an article. I marked some time down in my calendar, but all that came to mind was a jumble of topics, none of which flowed easily from the bundle of brain waves to the keyboard. Aaagh the pressure! Then, after procrastinating with a cup of tea and a snack in my sunny window seat, I began talking to myself in my mind. This is something I do often… talk to myself over a cuppa tea, especially when my brain is jam packed and I am facing a deadline. I started brainstorming all the issues and topics and community development snippets that have caught my attention lately. How could I possibly write about such different things? How are small pieces of news items or opinions and ideas handled in other media? Then it came to me. I would interview myself and see if it turns into anything that anyone might want to read. So, here goes…
Kim: Kim, tell me, what have you been doing lately?
Kim: Well, since the beginning of this year I've actually not been all that busy for a change. It feels so wonderful to actually feel like I have time to clean up or do something for myself without feeling stressed out. I've had a little time to ride my bike in the mornings, clean up some old CDS committee files, and reflect on the work I've been doing in the past year. It's such a luxury to actually be able to sit down and think about where I've been and where I'm going in my work as a community development consultant. It's too good to last. I must be in the eye of a storm.
Kim: Sounds like life in the community development field is rather hectic. How come?
Kim: Oh, you know… it's hard trying to make the world a better place and make everyone around you happy. But seriously, for the first time I actually had to work on a project where the executive director of a local community organization didn't want to continue. What felt worse was that he didn't want me to have any further contact with anyone in his organization. Even though I knew (or at least he had said earlier) that he was frustrated with the sponsoring agency and not with me, it smarts to feel like you're being rejected. Unfortunately, I had to deliver a final report to the sponsoring agency without the cooperation of the organization that I was supposed to be helping. The work wasn't finished as I did not have the chance to bring the organization's staff and board members together to talk about their capacity development needs and priorities. I couldn't make proper recommendations without their involvement and direction. What made this project even more challenging was the fact that several staff members disclosed some pretty serious dysfunctional behaviour within the organization and I had no opportunity to facilitate a path toward resolution and healing.
Kim: What did you do? I mean, what can you do as a community development professional?
Kim: Good question. What does the term “professional” mean in this context? I had to honour the contract and after a lot of soul searching I think I was able to write a report that reflected what was told to me by staff and board members, and offer capacity development suggestions that would hopefully ring true if they were to read the report. I tried to reflect their words back to them as much as possible into a collective voice. Of course, I maintained the integrity and confidentiality of my interviews. I think the hardest thing was to dignify the person who curtailed the project, both within me and through a thank you letter to everyone in the organization for the level of honesty and support they gave me during my time with them. At one point, I tried to explore whether the CDS Principles of Practice could guide me on professional ethics of dealing with this situation. Unfortunately, I didn't really find any answers.
Part of the deal was that the organization got some funds to support a staff person to be involved and trained through the project but I don't think the management saw the value in doing this. We have a lot to learn about each other that we don't realize. In addition to normal misunderstandings, there are significant differences between mainstream and Aboriginal value systems that I'm only now just beginning to see. I think one of my responsibilities as a professional is to recognize more readily what my limitations are and look for lessons that help me to improve my level of understanding.
Kim: Sounds like there were some other issues going on here.
Kim: Yes. One of the underlying issues with this project, as with many others, was the political undercurrent. The community organization wanted one thing but despite the executive director's lobbying efforts, the government agency couldn't support what he wanted so he got me instead. Although the organization was offered the funds to manage this project and the power to choose who they wanted to work with, the organization refused the offer of funds, chose me and then said they had no control or ownership over the project.
The government has been trying to support capacity development of urban Aboriginal organizations to improve their ability to manage programs and become more self sustaining over the long term. Unfortunately, there's a long history of dependence on government that has created strong roles and behaviours. The rebalancing of power and control over Aboriginal destinies is being taken seriously here in Canada but it is highly charged with politics. Politics isn't confined only to Aboriginal development of course; it's an integral part of many community development scenes in BC. But we never really confront the political dimensions of CD and their implications.
Kim: Speaking of communities and politics, what do you think of the recent tsunami event and relief efforts?
Kim: Wow, what an interesting segue. An event of that scale can't help but have a profound affect around the world. You don't have to think deeply to realize that we are part of a world community. We've had many disasters over the years but what strikes me about the tsunami is how it is so much easier for people to come together as a community and respond to a natural disaster. We're not as quick to act as an international community when it comes to wars and atrocities against human rights. Interestingly, a recent poll in the Globe and Mail newspaper in reference to the scale of the tsunami relief showed that 69% (2309 votes) answered No to the question “Is the world a more compassionate place than it was 60 years ago when the Auschwitz death camp was liberated?” Even the tsunami relief has political undercurrents… which country should get major support, should we support those who say they don't want it, who should control and distribute the goods…. It just took a little while longer to come out.
Kim: When something of that scale happens, how can anyone deal with it as one individual?
Kim: From my own personal perspective and in looking at it from my CD perspective as well, I was torn for quite some time on whether to donate and where to donate. At first, the enormity of such a disaster is paralyzing. But the overwhelming responses from people in Canada and around the world made me want to jump on board and contribute. Suddenly, I didn't feel like my efforts would be futile because I was joining in with others. It was the strong feeling that a community was coming together to help out that motivated me. My next quandary was where to donate. I know enough about international development history and large bureaucracies, including the big non profits, to be concerned about whether my contribution would actually reach the people who needed it. I finally decided on an organization that does a lot of developmental work after a disaster rather than an organization that provides immediate crisis response; which is where most of the individual donations in Canada were going.
Just after I sent in my money I got a really interesting email with a detailed letter that had been passed on from a friend who received it from someone who got it from a British Columbia activist who lives and runs a resort in Thailand . His note is too long to repeat here but he talked about all the wool blankets and other relief goods coming from people in the northern hemisphere to a country basking in 35 degree (Celsius) weather. More to the point, he also talked about getting $1000 together from his Aboriginal friends in BC to buy a traditional fishing boat used by the local native people in Thailand in a community that had been damaged by the tsunami. That boat would help to feed a small village on an ongoing basis. He doesn't have a charity number and he isn't a big name NGO. But he was committed to making sure the people who needed support most would directly get the benefit of donations he could gather and I believe he is making a real difference at the community level.
Kim: We've jumped around a bit here. What's up for 2005? What are some of the community development issues/opportunities currently happening in your part of the world?
Kim: Hmmm. More exercise, more time off, more social time with friends etc etc. We'll see if I can actually manage to keep that up. I have some ideas for where I'd like to be moving in my work but if there's anything I've learned over the past four years of consulting, it's that my ideas seem to take a back seat to whatever the “community” needs and demands come my way.
Having said that, I am working on one project and several others are lingering in the wings. I will continue to work on issues and opportunities around labour market development of skilled immigrants in small communities. There are many fascinating CD topics on this issue such as inter-cultural understanding and unique challenges of working with highly educated and experienced people who have a lot to offer but have several barriers to employment that are new issues for most service agencies.
I also expect to be working more with another government branch to train and advise them on program evaluation. More precisely, the challenge here is whether they might be able to utilize a process and participatory evaluation approach for continuous improvement rather than trying to find the penultimate set of standards against which to measure lasting results of psycho-educational programs. These programs are run by community organizations all over the province and there are almost as many standards as there are individuals in the programs.
Finally, I am looking at the possibility of working with a land developer in designing and executing a community process for a proposed land subdivision. The main issues seem to be NIMBY (not-in-my-back yard) and groundwater supply. This project combines my environmental management background with CD and I'm quite looking forward to bringing opportunities for respectful dialogue and collaboration. I really believe it is possible. We'll see if it can be achieved.
Kim Walker is an independent community development consultant who works out of her home in Victoria, British Columbia (Canada). When she's not talking to herself, she shares her thoughts with Charlie, the neighbour's cat who comes almost daily to sit in her sunny window seat, watch the world fly and skitter by… and sleep like only cats can do. |
