Blog Archives

experiential

7/20/2013

Research is indefinable.

It is such a vague word encompassing a world of possibilities and rabbit holes.

The research paper in the spring semester was a comprehensive understanding of what was expected, however this summer was the first time I was doing field-abroad research, which was daunting at the start.

I still don’t know if I’m doing it right or if there is even a right way, however learning how to research has been just as important as the research notes I’ve been posting.

I’ve learned first to be observant of how things can tie together even if it would not be assumed possible at first. As we attended a variety of lectures from inter-disciplinary sources in three countries, I took thorough notes of each not only to keep track, but to also log any potential connections that were unexpected.

Which reminds me, notes are the first and foremost essential key to research. When taking notes, always write down the questions that pop, because I always forgot them or they were an open door for side research after the lecture.

Tying things together demands a keen and adaptable observance and a fine sense of how to read between the lines of messages, context and actions.

After all of the notes and questions and connections, reflection is essential. It’s also ideal to reflect as soon after as possible, because even notes can become senseless in time. Questions could be answered in the fresh reflection also.

Reflecting and writing are my research building blocks. Until I solidify some aspect from what I learned in a holistic piece, I feel jumbled and scattered as if the puzzle has exploded out of the box, and it’s hard to piece a puzzle together without finding initial fits.

One of many advice bits Malinda Seneviratne has given me applies to research especially. He said when you reflect on an experience or event, you must accept there will always be ways you could have done better, but you learn from it. Don’t doubt or pout on it.

The only way I could personally accept the lesson of admitting what I could have done better, though, is knowing that I did my best.

DILAKSHANA

7/20/2013

I realized I never tied up or updated my experience with Dilakshana since my “Water in the coconut” post, which I wrote my very first day on the job.

I spent the following week working in the office with her, however there was only two days that we worked on translations. I asked her if there was anything to do or I could help with, and she would politely smile and say “No, Chelsea.”

I began to see the situation was as if someone had given me a foreign volunteer who didn’t know the language of the newspaper, which was my main responsibility, to direct and provide work to.

Obviously, she didn’t have anything for me to do, just as I would have no idea how to handle that situation.

As I did my research in the office most of that week, I was thinking of who I needed to contact for more work but also having simple but wonderfully insightful conversations with Dilakshana.

Turns out, she did research before graduation that is similar to mine. Once showing immense interest in her topic, she emailed me her abstract, which was a one-page gold mine.

I have attached this document below with her permission.

Between her experience and research of media within a NGO, she had helpful points to note for my own.

She said the government censors the majority of media in the country, indirectly including Sarvodaya’s. She said they are free to publish social and agenda related news within the organization, however nothing political or too stirring was allowed.

She ensued their news could still highlight issues in regards to where they are focusing projects and why, however the organization’s media is in a sense very restricted like much of the country’s.

While I asked her questions about NGO media, she was interested in the freedom of our own and especially the use of social media.

Though I learned a lot personally and about Sarvodaya in my little chats with Dilakshana, I had to hop offices the following time for my work, which ended our conversation snippets.

We still see each other daily in the canteen or around headquarters and just as beautifully as she would say “No Chelsea,” she says “Hi Chelsea.”

dilakshana.docx
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to-do list

7/20/2013

Dr. A.T. Ariyaratne, president and founder of Sarvodaya, listed four things when asked what are the key challenges for the future of Sri Lanka.

Though he named points in particular to his country, his ideals are applicable worldwide.

First was the protection of the environment from greedy development, because it is a source not only of food but also a way of life.

Environmental issues are also causing multiple sweeping health issues across the nation posing problems unknown and under-researched to tackle immediately.

Next was the cry to end interactions and dealings between groups with violence. He said Sri Lanka has had enough conflict and it is past time to use alternative ways to solve the divide. For this to happen, he added, leadership is key.

Third was to analyze and change the unjust economic systems. He said as long as developing countries are exploited, it will be easy to spread anti-capitalist sentiment. A key to this is to be aware of our economic situation and all that entails.

Last was the issue of human rights and having the courage to expose those who violate them. Dr. A.T. Ariyaratne said it is disheartening to think the logical fix for this, which is to unite and use all religious efforts no matter the diversity to counter it, even leads to conflicts.

He dreams of total spiritual trust between religions so there can be a unification, an erosion of differences to attack social issues.

I could expand, but I believe the simplicity of this outline is enough to present the complexities that make this in incredibly daunting list of issues to try to heal.

I will add though, if the founder of a well-experienced grassroots organization in what is considered a tiny country knows issues within his own realm that are synonymous with the priorities of the globe, that is the answer as to which sector is the most refined and knowledgeable and should be relied on for future sources and advice.

media hemispheres

7/20/2013

Taksim taught us the real meaning of westernized media.

What our family and friends were reading of the protests back home naturally had them worried that we were still traveling through Istanbul.

Once there, however, we realized the accounts and interpretations they were consuming were not even close to what we witnessed.

This was later reemphasized by an article bashing western media’s presentation of the Egypt protests, which sparked the question of how often does this happen and why has it become our media culture in the mainstream.

From the outsider’s perspective, Khaled Shaalan sums up his analysis of the situation.

Our media relies our their specialized correspondents or experts, however it is obvious these specialists have not been shaken out of their western lens. They still interpret situations and pose the news in a way that caters to the typical mainstream style of victimizing groups, creating others and analyzing from the top down instead of in the streets within the minds of the people.

Shaalan reverted me back to Morocco when he mentions the “emergence of a true grassroots democratic alternative in the Arab world’s largest country.”

Though he is speaking of Egypt, the fear of these movements in various countries is a challenge to western domination. It is something westerns do not understand, are not used to and therefore fear.

Instead of reporting from the angle of the people, which is the ground level demand for their democratic freedom, western news is focusing on the usual and droning up angles or applying thinking that is much out of date and touch with what is actually happening.

Between these instances and the cry for true and understanding American journalism in Morocco, it is obvious our media is under well deserved scrutiny from non-westerners and will continue to be if we treat them as such.

Math finally makes sense

7/20/2013

The last words written in my notebook from Morocco are from Lotfi Lamrani. He said to reduce the equation of any situation, movement or issue to the lowest deductive number to properly solve it. Simplify things.

In a way, Leonardo da Vinci agreed “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” It is the sophistication in application here of seeking change and creating solutions.

Today’s world is overwhelming. The amount of information, contrasts, people, conflict, misunderstandings, division, governments it goes on is just too much to think about.

However, to filter and change issues, we must learn to narrow our focus and cleanse from the most accurate and reduced point possible. Similar to global change happens locally, the more you magnify efforts in a simple or reduced arena, the greater affects and influences it will have.

Sarvodaya is also adapting to the approach Lamrani had foreshadowed.

The NGO is so expansive and has been working for over five decades that it’s network and web has become too spread out and starting to lose success due to strained efforts.

The organization is striving to reduce their programs and units in the next five years to channel more energy where it is needed instead of exasperating work in too many fields, some of which are becoming irrelevant or unnecessary, and by determining the most important needs of Sri Lanka now.

Local grassroots are renowned for focused efforts, which is a quality needed to approach the 21st century. Much like what I have learned about research, it is best done from a specific angle with a particular strategy in mind. It is the most effective way to filter, reduce and target the appropriate needs and solutions.

This can be applied to peace journalism not only in the sense of writing stories with a particular angle and “face,” but also in searching for the solution of the conflict, which needs to be found.

Also, simplifying the situation requires extensive research and knowledge of it, so the peace journalist could understand what the reduced equation would ultimately look like.

Sita and more

7/20/2013

Stories are all we have.

Stories are all histories, beliefs, our imaginations, our dreams and the parables from which we pull meanings from to apply throughout life.

I am compelled to think that one day, perhaps my eventual master’s work, will revolve around the value of stories. For now, it makes sense I am attracted to media, because the profession revolves around finding, listening to and sharing stories.

Professor Meddegama of the International Buddhist Academy in Sri Lanka held our attention like a magician or entertaining grandfather as he carried us through thousands of years of Sri Lanka’s history with one vehicle, stories.

He said everything is about stories, and the value of storytelling, whether fiction or not, is it captures the essential values and cultural aspects of societies.

What was even more interesting was to learn that when he was a child, the stories of their history or religion were published in print media, which is how they learned them.

Today, these are conveyed through a new channel, television.

This is just a touch of localized media as a note to self.

Malinda Seneviratne, Sri Lankan poet and editor of The Nation newspaper, also said the stories we listen to as children are what wires our roots of meanings and understandings.

Fiction, mythical, altered clashes with factual, plausible and valid when any story is told. The beauty of this though is stories are elements which are fluid and malleable, yet the value of sharing these narratives is timeless as well as sustaining.

Stories are creative outlets connecting ancestors to future children. They are the network with which various histories can be compared or fused. Storytelling is a craft, an art, a gift, which must be nurtured so they can continue to be shared.

One way to do this is through writing.

Seneviratne said there is always something to write about. There are always stories to be told. What makes them timeless when written however is the passion of the writer.

The other dynamic of sharing stories today is recognizing the various outlets in which it is done.

I was once told to consider social media and blogs as the modern campfire, the central location of people coming together to share ideas, opinions, experience and history through their stories.

No matter how close we fuse with technology or what platform we access them, stories will never fade, not as long there are humans. If the entire population was one body, the pulse of its blood would be what we all share together-stories.

A NOVEL SPIRIT

7/18/2013

Research of the spiritual self was not expected in my itinerary of the trip.

In preparation of immersing into religious societies, however, I don’t know why I did not expect to log inspirational spiritual advice and observations. This aspect refreshed my thinking that the ultimate goal of peace journalism is to attain humanitarian relief and resolution.

There is no other explanation of what drives this type of work than the spiritual self bonding within the network of others’ spirits all sharing the same quality, humanity.

Lotfi Lamrani said the novel of the universe is the interdependence of people and their experiences. There is a beauty in the teaching and learning from each other, which is what fuses our connections together.

The key to all of these fusions is spirituality.

The Imam in Azrou said he has learned from his religious role that his spirit grows when leading and meeting other people, when he shares the same spirit with another person it feeds his own.

When engaging with others, we often forget how much our self can affect their self. Sinharaja Tammita-Delgoda used a man analyzing a painting as an example of projected individualism.

We are constantly tossing our own experiential projections onto others and our environment. As our individualism interacts with others, it’s curious to wonder how our world is constantly at war thanks to our masses of projections onto people we label as others.

This is a result of not acknowledging the differences in others’ spirits and instead disconnecting from them, which hinders our own.

Sarvodaya recognizes the need for inner peace and strength to tackle the struggling societal peace or lack of. The only way to influence the situation around you is to be balanced within.

This was the mission for establishing their Vishva Niketan Peace Center.

The movement believes people must regain their strength and personal spirituality to re-enter society without breaking down. We are always engaged with the external world, so to be a positive model in the worldly healing process, a painful and seemingly endless one, the individual must tap into their inner conflicts and face those first.

It is challenging to attain inner peace when the tension of the world burdens us, but there is a need for self peace to balance the lack of in society.

Sarvodaya believes their organization has sustained for more than five decades, because it is a religious establishment. The organic growth is seeded in the people, and their spiritual presence is the key to its success.

Sarvodaya members believe in finding peace and centering within their movement and themselves so that spirit can be carried like a light to the outside world as they work for the development and awakening of the collective human society.

sense of style

7/18/2013

I’ve had many people ask me the past few days how do I write so much.

My answer is writing is breathing for me; it’s natural and necessary. The question I have learned to ask myself is how to be most adaptable to the various styles of writing I have been doing.

Day to day, I transition from writing assignment to writing assignment, but each one is a challenge of a new voice, different style and refined angle.

I move from proposal writing to blogging to experience reports to journaling or even feature reporting two Saturdays ago for The Nation.

Though this is a challenge to balance, I learned the first week at Sarvodaya that a media writer entails all of these styles and more. To define oneself as a writer, there is an expectation of flexibility mixed with basic grounding values of crafting a solid piece.

When I met with Chamindha Rajakaruna, Sarvodaya Director of Partner Coordination, to discuss my work outline, he asked what type of writing I had experience with. He was quick to state his need of someone who can write proposals and formal reports, not just blog posts, so he hoped I was able to do so.

In that conversation I learned to value all platforms of writing and to be open to whichever one would be assigned.

This reminded me of the many people in the past few years who assured me that even if I don’t pursue journalism, the ability to write effectively opens many or any door, as long as one is willing to exercise the skill in all forms.

Knowledge of how to write in these various ways can be learned in a classroom, but the most expansive way is to read examples of each.

Writers are collectors of materials, hybrid characters who absorb what is around them. The more one reads, the more polished the writing becomes, because there are examples to parallel or contrast.

So, as I continue on after this position into numerous more in life, I hope to be challenged with diverse writing tasks, ones that will push me to learn and adapt to unknown styles.

This flexibility is key for writers not only to succeed in the demand of work, but also to distill from all the styles one of their own.

MESSAGE VERSUS FACT

7/18/2013

When discussing alternative forms, I immediately questioned if the various genres of literature count as peace journalism.

There is a river of writers throughout history who are considered the ultimate capturers of their time, something we would call journalists today, but they did not write in the realm of hard facts and objective observations.

They immersed themselves and their writings in the world around them, which still logged the issues, news, movements, characters and more of their time. All of which are the main focus points of news articles today.

What separates the traditional journalist from a creative writer is the validity of facts or sources.

Journalists are restricted to quantitative reporting with qualitative qualities to carry the story. It is more about specific quotes or figures or events, whereas creative writers focus on the message and mold whatever crisp descriptions it takes to get the point across to the reader.

A few personalities of our trip captured this distinction between the two but considered each completely equal in value and importance.

Malinda Seneviratne said truth is malleable. There is no real truth, because each side of every story has their own version of it. It’s all true, but it’s usually never the same.

He said media can be irrelevant sometimes, because locals know what happened. They don’t need the news recap, because they are the living stories of what actually occurred.

It’s essential to reach out to those who lived the experience being reported and to ask them questions that will encourage them to share their thoughts and memories in a story narrative. No, their answers won’t be punctual to facts, but is that necessary to capture whatever happened in their human experience?

This is a direct relation to peace journalism. The reporter must work outside the realm of authorities and typical sources and immerse in the stories and strands of the locals.

Seneviratne said the challenge in this type of writing is it demands the writer to stay true to the voice telling the story. This style requires an empathy and understanding of the interviewee yet a distance to capture their story within the context and in a way which only highlights their message, their memories and their voice.

Jean Arasanayagam mentioned the importance of distance in a writer also. She said to be outside of an experience allows the writer to note the situation then capture those moments for eternity.

This creative conversion of enfacement into literature she said must be shared.

She also said, however, the creative mind sculpts distortions. This is where the division between creative journalism and traditional journalism is evident.

Creative writers of all genres capture scenes by playing off of a specific moment or observation then memory or imagination fills in the rest of the background. This would not be considered factual for reporting, however, it is still an effective way to immerse a reader in the topic at hand.

Creative literary genres are also just as susceptible to scrutiny and criticism for their topics as journalism articles are.

Many fiction writers in Turkey have been sued for their messages and unveiling of silenced issues. If writers who blatantly claim to be creating stories from the mind not from reporting are accused, then it’s obvious the message is just as controversial no matter what style it is written.

Writers of all platforms face criticism and even discrimination. Turkish women writers, for example, are rarely translated or sold in many bookstores. Their work is captivating and pioneering in the field of literature, yet they are censored or not recognized.

If the voices of fiction are being threatened, then the writing obviously presents a challenge to some sector of society.

Does challenging or revealing particular issues through writing sound like what you read in the newspaper or online? Could the various platforms of writing overlap or are they to remain as distinct? The real question is do readers value one over the other, or is it just a matter of preferance.

REGIONAL RAINBOWS

7/16/2013

An aspect of peace journalism includes localization of knowledge and even media.

Though it was not applied to media directly, regionalization was a key topic in the Fes council discussions in Morocco, and it was applicable for local knowledge as well as a small-scale version of globalization.

The council members said regionalization of change and social movement requires courage and dedication to thoroughly research the culture of the area, plan the appropriate structure for that culture and also to attempt to unite the multiple regional cultures under one purpose.

The range of differences in social and political structure is the main challenge. How do you unite various groups when there is such diversity? Also, how do you have time or resources to tailor plans for each local region?

Though taxing, it is the most efficient and mindful way to approach social change in the 21st century, whether its on regional levels in Morocco or nations across the globe.

There cannot be a cookie-cutter plan that is the same for each place. There must be specific models and policies to apply for both successful implementation and also preservation of culture authenticity.

In Sinharaja Tammita-Delgoda’s lecture in Sri Lanka, he pulled from Friedman and said the shapes of souls are what define different nations.

To aid these various molds in development and democratic change, there must be an exchange of information both from authorities or researchers as well as the local group.

Not only does the lifestyle and mindset of the multiple places need to be understood and threaded into the planning, but there is also a need for disconnected regions to have access to information needed as to how to handle what will happen or to understand what is being implemented.

If this approach can succeed in regions in Morocco, why could it not be applied on a grander scale?

It is critical to understand people and their society before changing any part of it. It ensures success with their structure and also preserves the uniqueness of it.

This ties in with peace journalism in a few nodes.

First is the necessity of local knowledge of the area or conflict one is reporting from. Next is the relation of solution proposals through reports. The solutions offered should be applicable to the area through the eyes of the locals, for they know better than outsiders what would work best for their people.

The preservation aspect also plays in, because it is critical for international journalists in general not to exploit the wide range of customs but also, especially, not bunch them under one cultural umbrella.

That is a challenge when writing from a narrowed locale for foreign audiences is readers may read that specific story then use it as a generalization for the entire nation. There would be a cry for an explanation as to what is the norm of the national culture in contrast or parallel to the local region.