Exactly a week to go before I fly out to Bogota.....ahhhh!!! I have last minute things to buy, people to say goodbye to, packing to think about and my visa is hanging in the balance! I've had quite a few complications with the whole visa application and although they seem to have been ironed out, I am still not sure exactly when the visa will be ready to collect...Anyway, I'm keeping all my fingers and toes crossed. I'm going to stop procrastinating now and get on with downloading music onto my ipod so that I have enough music for the year!
Solo me queda una semana en Inglaterra....ayyyyy! Tengo que comprar unas cositas, despedirme de la gente, hacer la maleta y todavia no se si me daran la visa! Tuve dificultades en cuanto a mi aplicacion en el consulado y aunque parece que se arreglo todo, no se cuando estara lista para coger! De todos modos estoy cruzando los dedos....a ver.....Ahora me toca poner musica en el ipod....
Friday, 9 January 2009
Wednesday, 7 January 2009
Why PBI?
I found out about PBI about two years ago when I heard a former volunteer speak about her experiences at a Human Rights conference. It was the first time that I actually thought, "YES! This is the kind of work I've been looking for, this is exactly what I want to do!". So I embarked upon the lengthy application process which involved intensive interviews, several months of study and a week's training in Spain. And I made it! I'm flying out to Bogota in just over a week...
I was attracted not only by PBI's core values (non-violence, non-interference, non-partisanship) but by the fact that they have not been compromised during the organisation's 25 years of experience in conflict zones across the globe. I was also extremely interested in PBI's unique method of decision-making, based on "consensus" which seemed like an antidote to my recent and disappointing experience of hierarchical management at a UK-based charity. Although I am aware that it is extremely difficult and time-consuming to arrive at a consensus, I believe that the process of sharing the burdensome responsibility of decision-making in often stressful situations while maximising each individual's expertise and personal experience more than compensates for this perceived weakness.
Por que PBI?
Hace dos anhos conoci a PBI durante una conferencia sobre los derechos humanos cuando un ex voluntario comparto sus experiencias con la organizacion en Colombia. Era la primera vez que habia pensado, "Si!!! Esto es precisamente lo que quiero hacer yo!". Entonces empeze el largo proceso de seleccion atraves de entrevistas, estudios y una semana de formacion en Espanha. Y lo consegui! Dentro de una semana me voy a Bogota!
Me llamaron la atencion los principios basicos de PBI (no-injerencia; no violencia; no partidismo) sobre todo porque se los habia mantenido durante 25 anhos de trabajo en zonas de conflicto atraves del mundo. Tambien me intereso mucho el metodo de "concenso" o "horizontalidad" para tomar decisiones porque asi todo el mundo esta comprometido en el proceso (muy importante cuando hay situaciones dificiles) y se aprovecha de la sabiduria/experiencia de cada individuo. Me imagino que no es siempre facil llegar a un acuerdo, sin embargo me parece muy importante valorar las relaciones y el proceso tanto como el resultado.
I was attracted not only by PBI's core values (non-violence, non-interference, non-partisanship) but by the fact that they have not been compromised during the organisation's 25 years of experience in conflict zones across the globe. I was also extremely interested in PBI's unique method of decision-making, based on "consensus" which seemed like an antidote to my recent and disappointing experience of hierarchical management at a UK-based charity. Although I am aware that it is extremely difficult and time-consuming to arrive at a consensus, I believe that the process of sharing the burdensome responsibility of decision-making in often stressful situations while maximising each individual's expertise and personal experience more than compensates for this perceived weakness.
Por que PBI?
Hace dos anhos conoci a PBI durante una conferencia sobre los derechos humanos cuando un ex voluntario comparto sus experiencias con la organizacion en Colombia. Era la primera vez que habia pensado, "Si!!! Esto es precisamente lo que quiero hacer yo!". Entonces empeze el largo proceso de seleccion atraves de entrevistas, estudios y una semana de formacion en Espanha. Y lo consegui! Dentro de una semana me voy a Bogota!
Me llamaron la atencion los principios basicos de PBI (no-injerencia; no violencia; no partidismo) sobre todo porque se los habia mantenido durante 25 anhos de trabajo en zonas de conflicto atraves del mundo. Tambien me intereso mucho el metodo de "concenso" o "horizontalidad" para tomar decisiones porque asi todo el mundo esta comprometido en el proceso (muy importante cuando hay situaciones dificiles) y se aprovecha de la sabiduria/experiencia de cada individuo. Me imagino que no es siempre facil llegar a un acuerdo, sin embargo me parece muy importante valorar las relaciones y el proceso tanto como el resultado.
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