My Volunteer Story

By Eric Roache, Founder, ForWorld Thinking

The first time I ever traveled overseas alone, I headed off to Australia and Nepal to volunteer abroad for 5 months. It was a nice transition stopping a month in Australia to save the rainforests for a young American who had never really been exposed to other cultures or the harsh realities of the developing world. Lush landscapes, crisp night air, and the familiar values and perceptions of Western culture in the other volunteers from Europe and America. It gave me a chance to get over being away from home, friends, and family, and to settle into life on the road before the real adventure began. As I rode the midnight plane from Brisbane to Kathmandu by way of Bangkok, I watched the moonlight glimmer on the Pacific and tried to quell the anxiety and doubt swelling up inside my stomach. That night was the quietest and clearest my mind had ever felt as I stared into the darkness, an eerie calm to counteract the knots in my stomach.

Hours into my stay in Kathmandu, I wandered the chaotic streets of the city, far from the safehaven of touristic Thamel, putting my complete trust in two other volunteers who arrived earlier than me as I followed blindly. It was a strange rush and an assault on the senses that put me oddly at ease, and from that day forth I knew I would be forever at home in the unfamiliar. That moment of truth was important, because it set the stage for everything to come, in Nepal and beyond, and it allowed me to embrace fully the experience of life in cultures vastly different from my own without fear.

I will never forget the day I arrived in the small Nepali village where I would teach. I was handed off to a gentleman who spoke almost no English, led through the village in the waning light of sunset to a house across the yard from school, and sat on the porch with no explanation as people gathered and watched but said nothing. There we all sat around together in darkness for over an hour until my host father, Damber, finally arrived to greet me. It was his house we sat outside, and his wife was one of the people waiting with me, but she did not invite me inside. This incident sticks with me because it taught me to show respect and deference to the place, the people, and the community in which I was living. I was the outsider here, and I could not count on anything I knew or had learned before, so I threw it all out the window and prepared to learn everything all over again through the eyes of Nepal.

The months that followed were astounding in their simplicity and beauty. But nothing had a greater impact on my life than meeting Himal Waiba. He was a fellow teacher at school, and I was immediately struck by how genuine and compassionate this humble young man was. It resonated in his every word and action. We quickly became like brothers, spending every moment we could together. Every barrier that might normally separate us only served to bring us closer together because of our openness to one another. Never have I connected with another person on such a deep level with no effort and no need for words. Himal changed me, he inspired me, and he helped me to become the person I always wanted to be but never knew I could before I met him.

To me, that is the clearest example of the benefit of cross-cultural exchange. When you let go of everything you know and give in to your experience, which international service forces you to do, all your walls come down. You allow your whole understanding of the world to be changed and opened by others with a different set of values, beliefs, and experiences than your own. And in the end, that paradoxically shows you that we are in fact the same after all.

Together, Himal and I have since embarked on a journey of community service, global community building, and cultural exchange. To learn about the orphanage Himal founded in Nepal and find out how you can help, visit Joining Hands Nepal.

The Dangers of Good and Evil

Small government is good and big government is evil. Social services are good and corporations are evil. Invisible Children is good and Kony is evil. Nationalism is good and Western interventionism is evil. Ralph Nader is good and Republicans are evil. Democrats are good and Ralph Nader is evil. I could play this game all day with a million issues. We are living in a hyper bipartisan world these days, where issues are boiled down to black and white for convenient and bite-size consumption. You're either on one side of the issue or the other, with no room in the middle. How serendipitous it was that as I was preparing to write this post the past few days and thinking about these issues I happened to finally watch the documentary "An Unreasonable Man". It must have seemed an odd inclusion to bring Ralph Nader into the discussion, but he so expertly highlights the tricky nature of this subject as he has been on both sides of the fence when all he wants to do is tear the fence down.

I also brought Kony 2012 and Invisible Children into the examination of where we are as a society and how we dialogue for the same reason. First, Invisible Children is admired by all and looked at as a revolutionary force in viral video and creating awareness of social issues. Then, within days they are being torn down for everything from their salaries and expenditures to oversimplification of the issue, all the way to dangerous exploitation. I am not going to comment on the video, its content, its creator, or the situation in Uganda. For one, I am nowhere near qualified to speak to such things, and many have explored those issues better than I ever could. But more importantly, it is the aftermath of Kony 2012 and the ensuing debate that I find more interesting. Is Kony evil? Is the LRA evil? Is the Ugandan Government good? Is Invisible Children good? Can anything ever be that simple? How many have headed out into the world with nothing but the best intentions and gone off track? How many people have drifted along a dangerous road only to stumble onto an unexpectedly noble path?

I had a recent workshop where we discussed the art of persuasion. It is widely known that if you skip logic and effectively appeal directly to emotion, you will win the masses every time. It can be seen again and again throughout history. Historical figures who are generally accepted as evil were usually masters of this art. So it seems quite dangerous to use this emotional form of persuasion to bring the general public around to one's way of thinking. But doesn't it make sense if you are on the side of good to also use this form of emotional persuasion to stand a fighting chance? Here is the problem: what happens when a person is so convinced of their own righteousness that any means of persuasion are acceptable to bring the general public around to their view? This is both how the general public can be left tragically misinformed and how those with good intentions can end up monsters.

What does is say about our society and freedom of speech when a man who has something vital to say and who has an audience eager to hear it is shut out of the public forum by the system? Such was the situation Ralph Nader found himself in during the 2000 presidential campaign. If you have two opposing voices being heard, one is good and one is evil, and it doesn't even matter which is which. The point is there is no room for the third voice, for what is there left for it to be? If you're not good, and you're not evil, then you must be inconsequential. How can that be when so many of us live in the middle? Because the reality is that there is no good and evil, only people trying to live the best they can in the circumstances life presents to them. The more we open up the global dialogue to include voices from every perspective without rushing to react, but instead listen and try to understand, the more we will begin the see all the shades in between these false ideas we hold of good and evil. And when we see the full spectrum, we will see there are no ends of the spectrum, but that it is more like a circle. And when you take that old model of a spectrum with two diametrically opposed ends, such as good and evil, and bend it to turn it into a circle, suddenly good and evil can be one and the same. It's just a matter of how you look at it. Just ask Ralph Nader or Jason Russell.

Communication = Communi(ty) + C(ollabor)ation

The world has changed rapidly over the past few decades, and access to information is widespread and easier than ever. It has moved us in the direction of a new understanding of what communication is and can be. One of our big goals at ForWorld Thinking is advocating for and promoting cross-cultural communication, or global communication. Global communication long ago left the realm of simple one-way information sharing, but we are seeing now that it is also shedding the limitations of two-way dialogue and transcending into a space of virtual collaboration. One of the most exciting and now infamous features of the "Arab Spring" was the role social media played in connecting people and moving them into action. The tools we have at our disposal provide the opportunity to work together in real time with individuals from every corner of the globe. The possibilities are almost too much to process at the moment, but it is changing the way we think about communication.

The race everyone is in these days is figuring out the best ways to use these tools to bridge divides of all kinds and break down the remaining barriers to us becoming a true global community. Community is a word that can draw any number of wildly different definitions depending on who you ask, but I believe the key component of community is collaboration. In the past, the idea of community being a local thing made sense, because you could only collaborate with your neighbors. But now, with the internet having blown the doors wide open to cross-cultural, cross-generation, cross-everything collaboration, our idea of what constitutes community has to change as well. A community does not have to be based on race, generation, geography, or anything. It only has to be a group of individuals who come together to collaborate because they believe in something. Communities centered around ideas or passions collaborating, that is the new definition of communication.

The other great shift we are seeing and which we should all be embracing in our efforts to build a real global community is the multi-channel approach to communication. Online communities used to be separate, you were in the Myspace community, or the Facebook community, or a community that formed in a niche website's forums, or in an online gaming community. But now, communities have broken free from the restrictions of a single channel and instead use all channels to strengthen and consolidate themselves. That means the bond that holds the community together has to be a strong idea or passion, otherwise it would not be able to survive. The next step then is to figure out how to bring these smaller communities of ideas together into a global community. I imagine a giant virtual convention, or marketplace, where each community has its own booth, and the ideas and passions mix and mingle and communicate with one another. And these ideas and passions coming together, no matter how disparate any individual 2 may be, makes the whole global community stronger and more understanding by virtue of simply communicating. We need to keep moving away from segmentation and toward unity of purpose, even if we don't always agree (more on that next post). It is a lofty goal yes, but it is one we strongly believe in and we are determined to help work towards.

Reflections on the Journey to 501c3

By Eric Roache, Founder & Chairman

We are thrilled to announce that we are now officially recognized by the IRS as a public charity under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code. What this means to us is that the long journey of organizing is almost complete, and now we can turn our attention 100% to the job of fulfilling our mission. A lot of changes will be coming in the next few weeks and months as we move into the next phase of our journey as an organization, but I want to take the opportunity of this milestone to reflect back on the past year briefly.

One year ago, ForWorld Thinking was just pages of notes written feverishly in the foothills of Nepal. I would spend free mornings and evenings kneeling on the cement of my barren guesthouse room with my notebook set on the edge of the bed, huddled in my north face jacket and winter hat against the bitter cold. There I would write and rewrite plans, ideas, mission statements, trying to organize all the thoughts in my mind. Then in the day I would meet up with Himal and we would set about doing the work of setting up his orphanage, Joining Hands Nepal. After a month, we moved into the house that would become a home for Joining Hands Nepal. After another month, the children arrived and we set about the work of building a family. The next two months flew by as Himal and I cared for the children and taught daily English classes in the morning and evening, and Himal attended to business outside the house during the day while the children were at school and I kept fine-tuning my vision of the organization that was to become ForWorld Thinking. They had their first international volunteer just before I left Nepal at the start of summer, and our joint vision was complete.

The biggest thing I took away from those 4 months in Nepal to start 2011 was the thing that solidified our mission: passion to create change exists everywhere. We do not need to try and make change everywhere around the world, we simply need to find the passion that exists in people everywhere and encourage it, support it, and invest in it. I cannot expect to go into Nepal, or any country, fully understand the complexities of the social problems, and come up with solutions to solve them. What I can do is seek out a local community member who innately understands the problems, has the passion and knowledge to come up with solutions, and give them my trust and support. And I can give them a forum to educate people around the globe about what the problem is, what the solution is, and how outside supporters can best help. You see, just like every major change in an individual has to come from within him or herself to be sustainable, every major social change in a community has to come from within itself to be sustainable. This is a huge issue that I will come back to again next week in another post.

For now, what is important is that this realization was demonstrated with beauty and grace by my good friend and partner in change, Himal, as I watched him build a family with those children in such a short time. And now, 1 year after we moved into that house together in Panauti, ForWorld Thinking has received the blessing of the federal government to work for the public good and build a global community which includes Joining Hands Nepal and all of you supporting us. We look forward to that community growing bigger and stronger every year.

About My Days in Nepal

By Phi-ngan (Nirmala), Volunteer, Netherlands

Now I’m back at home, sitting at my desk. Just two weeks ago I was in Nepal at the Joining Hands Nepal orphanage in Panauti. It feels like yesterday but at the same time months ago. Being back in Holland feels kinda weird. Now, I can take a shower every day, use the air conditioner, put the lights on at all times, access the internet, not be cold at night, use toilet paper, etc... But I miss the gorgeous landscape , eating with my hands, the wonderful people I met, the excursions; but what I miss the most are the children: their laughs, playing with them, braiding their hair, singing ‘papegaaitje leef je nog, ieaa deeaaa’, playing the thumb game, and all the hugs.

My favorite part of the day was dinnertime and after dinner, when we played games together or just chatted. And when we had electricity Himal would turn on the TV or use his laptop to put on some music. It was so funny to see the children mesmerized by the TV screen. And Didi thank you for the delicious meals everyday! Ekdam mitho chha! Especially the dish with the pickles in it. Very spicy but soooo good. Jammie

The second favorite part of the day was when the children came back from school. Because our room at the orphanage had a nice view so you could see the children come back home. And they were always walking in a line. Brian at the front, then Johnny or James, then the girls Clara, Maria, Louise and at last the two oldest Rachel and Christina. I don’t know why you walk like this but it is so cute and funny to see it! And when they’re back they are shouting HELLO SISTER! HELLO GRANDMOTHER! HOW ARE YOU? HOW WAS YOUR DAY? So SWEET.

It was such an amazing time, a wonderful experience that I will never forget! Himal, I have to thank you for the care and hospitality. I loved how you wanted to show us everything and taught us new things about your customs and traditions. You made me feel very welcome and I definitely want to visit you guys again some time. So I’m not saying goodbye but take care and stay healthy. See you in the future! You guys rock!

With lots of love,
Nirmala/Phi-ngan

People Everywhere Are 'A Lot Like You'

I had the great pleasure of watching an engaging documentary, 'A Lot Like You', over the weekend at the San Francisco Asian American Film Festival. The aspect of the film that resonated most with me personally was the way it approached cultural identity. It touched on so many important cross-cultural issues in the exploration of just one character, including being a mixed-race individual, being an immigrant in America from a vastly different culture, being a first generation American, and exploring your roots in another country and culture vastly different from your own experiences in America. It is so essential for people to keep exploring and talking about these issue in highly visible mediums such as film, and for those works to be exposed to as large an audience as possible. The only way to get rid of prejudice born out of ignorance is for people to connect with people from all different backgrounds and cultures and to begin to see pieces of themselves or people they love in them. Films like 'A Lot Like You' are the future of making cross-cultural exchange and understanding available and relevant to the masses. Now we just have to figure out how to replicate the viral success of Kony 2012 with sensitive works of art like this film, and we will move closer as a global community. Here is an excerpt from my review of the film for our friends at Art With Impact:

[One thing] I will say is that the feeling the viewer has after going on this journey with her, and the connection we feel to not only Eliaichi, but her family in Tanzania, is nothing short of remarkable. Herein lies one of the special powers of film for me personally: the ability to make a culture and a group of people so different from our own so familiar and relatable. The world needs more films like this, and it needs them to be exposed to a wider audience. Because if you can see a person from the other side of the world who lives in such different circumstances with such unfamiliar problems, and you can see yourself in them, then suddenly that distance between you and them becomes nothing. That is what will bring us together as a global community and inspire people to act.

Check out the full review both on Art With Impact's blog, and also over at the filmmaker's blog.

Our First Year Anniversary in Nepal

By Flore (Phul), Volunteer, Netherlands

After many days of practicing the songs and dances, preparing stuff like publicity, (enormously spicy) food and speeches, last Thursday Joining Hands Nepal finally celebrated their first year anniversary. It was great! So many people sat on the roof to watch how lovely the children were singing and dancing. The kids looked beautiful with their traditional Nepali clothes and make-up. And a lot of important supporters got their moment to say something about the orphanage. There were even special guests from The Netherlands (the founders of Travel Act, a company through which many volunteers have come to Nepal and sent back many good reviews about Joining Hands Nepal). Himal was terribly tired but very glad after this wonderful day. The anniversary let me, as a volunteer, seriously think about how many things you can accomplish in such a short time. The same with the story about the children. It's really good how fast they have gotten used to this 'new' life, including a new house, a new family, going to a new school, taking care of yourself and others, and much more. I'm happy for them. They must be proud. Because I, now a part of the Joining Hands Nepal family, am also appallingly proud!