Ethical Behavior
The first evidence I have for ethical behavior is a certificate I received for completing an online certificate course on ethical behavior. I also have a plagiarism statement that was signed when turning in assignments for the GCD program. Both of these evidences show how ethical behavior is used in daily lives as well as in an academic setting.
I completed a Literature Review on the ethics of guilt and shame marketing for nonprofits, specifically U.S. based nonprofits dealing with children's issues overseas. This looks specifically at how children are affected by marketing that is aimed to make donors feel guilt or shame and donate to the organization, however this often paints the beneficiaries as helpless. This literature review looks at research done on the ethics of this topic.
I completed a seminar on ethics in the
workplace. It covered a variety of issues
that often come up in the workplace.
It looks at why ethics is important and
what can happen in a workplace when
ethics are not upheld and the problems
that can ensue when employees do not
uphold an ethical standard. This seminar
also talks about the importance of having
an ethical standard that is to be understood
and upheld by all employees.
Developmental Values
Humble
While I was in Haiti, we conducted a
Vacation Bible School for the children
in the surrounding villages. I was
humbled to see the amount of children
that walked for hours all day to get
to our property for our VBS programs
because they wanted to be with us
and learn about Jesus. We had children that
walked from villages very far away and then
would wait outside our gate for hours before
our program was supposed to stop.
I got the privilege of visiting a refugee
camp for a few days while I was in
Malawi. We visited an SDA church and I
was overwhelmed by their hospitality
and their gratefulness for us visiting
them. I was really amazed how long
some of them had been at the camp, yet
their faith that God was talking care
of them was so strong and I was
humbled by their faith and how they
were so strong despite their
circumstances. I was suddenly so aware
of how quick I am to question God
in my own circumstances.
Empathetic
After living in a village in Malawi for three months I became very
empathetic with the other villagers and people that live in similar situations. It takes a lot more work and planning in order to do simple tasks that others take for granted, like taking a shower. Walking to work every day over road floods, running in the rain and trying to plan laundry around the weather makes life much more complicated than just throwing it in the washing machine. Cooking was more difficult if I could not get the charcoal burner started. I understand much more what living in a village is like.
While I was in Haiti, I encountered lots of people selling things on the side of the road, sitting in the sun and trying to make money for their families. I felt empathetic because I have also had to sit in the sun for long periods of time and try to sell things. It can be boring and discouraging. Having the pressure of not being able to sell enough for the day to make enough money to support yourself or your family is a lot and it is something that makes my heart hurt.
Learner
I love photography and taking
creative pictures. While I was in
Africa I took a lot of photos of people
and things and honestly
it helped me meet some really cool
people and learn some
interesting things about the people
around me.
Photography is not something that I
am an expert at but something
I am always trying to improve upon
and learn more about.
I have been lucky enough to be
able to experience a lot of really
different things. I love trying
new things. Riding a camel was
very different than I expected.
It was fun and had a little bit of a
learning curve. I expected it to be
like riding a horse but the
movement of the camel was much
different than I expected. But I
caught on very well and quite
enjoyed it.
Servant
My class had the honor of visiting a Masaai village on a field trip with one of our teachers, who also happens to be a Masaai man. While we were there they were having a fundraiser for a widow so she could send her children to school. We were very moved by the circumstances of this women and how her community was gathering together to help her. We pooled our money and donated as a class.
While I was in Haiti, there was a lady that helped clean, and do laundry at the country property of the organization I was working with. Over the last few years the organization has helped build her a house. Slowly they have done things to improve her living situation. They recently put a new roof on the structure and made sure they had beds. We did as much as we could to help her family and feed her two boys, who often hang out on the property just to be with the people that work there. They have become our family.
Open
When I visited a Masaai village, they were preparing food for a fundraiser for a widow and her family. She was trying to raise money to send her children to school. They invited us to eat with them as they had just prepared a goat. I was a little apprehensive but ate along with them and actually really enjoyed goat meat. It was definitely a new experience. I try to be open to new experiences, especially new foods. I will try almost anything at least once. I think it is important to be able to try things you wouldn't normally do it is what makes life exciting and beautiful.
I think it is important to be open
to different people and experiences,
especially ones that don't look or
dress like you. People often see
people who dress a particular way
and it makes them nervous or
uncomfortable and I think it is
important to be particular open to
learning from those people too.
Instead of being uncomfortable about
people that are different than you,
take time to be open and learn from their
experiences and view of the world.
This is part of what makes the world so
great.
Accepting
When I went to Haiti I was nervous because I went alone and was meeting up with a group that I knew was all friends. I was very accepted into their group and I fit right in, a lot better than I thought I would. I try to be accepting of all people in all situations but it is very nice to be on the receiving end of that. It makes it easier for you to be more accepting of other when you yourself are accepted in situations when you are not sure you are going to be.
In one of the discussions we had with our online class, we talked about the difference between needs versus rights. I think we need to be accepting of other people's needs and rights. People from different cultures and places often have different needs and come from having or experiencing different rights. It is important to be accepting and understanding of the needs of other people. People come from all kinds of backgrounds and that means they often have different needs, that can be anything from dietary needs, medical needs, religious needs, and so many other things. Being open and understanding is one of the best things you can do to supporting people and making friends.
Adaptable
It is important to be able to adapt to your surroundings and the place that you are at. I have a hard time living where I am and not wanting to be somewhere else but traveling over the last year has been good for me to learn to live where you are because you won't always be there. It is easy to get homesick and wish that you could be with your family and friends and have your heart and mind be always somewhere else. However, investing in the place that you are is one of the best things you can do and it makes life so much richer. Invest in the friendships around you, learn the language, eat the local food, you won't ever regret adapting to where you are.
Trustworthy
One thing I have experienced while being
in other cultures is how trusting they are
with their children. They able to just pass
around their children and everyone looks
out for the kids, no matter whose they
are. I loved being able to hold the babies.
They trust me with their most precious
items and I love being able to carry around
babies and smiles and laughter are
universal, even if the baby can't understand
you they know you love them by your smile.
I received a Citi Certification for ethical behavior after completing the online seminar course. I believe when you show ethical behavior, it makes you more of a trustworthy person.
Committed
When I visited a village church in Kenya, they just asked me to teach children's sabbath school. They didn't know me or anything about me but they trusted me to teach their children and I had a lot of fun doing it. I think people see your commitment to helping them and to their community by how you treat and interact with their children. Communities always want to invest as much as they can into their youth because that is the future of their community. Invest and being committed to a community is most shown through loving the little ones.
The four- hour trip from the country property to the city in Haiti, turned into an all day event with lots of obstacles, road closures, crossing rivers, getting stopped by the police, but we kept pushing through and were committed to getting to the city. Commitment is most shown by how you continue to persevere and not stop when things get hard. I think this is a great example of continuing to persevere because this was quite the day with one thing after the next and I have never wanted to just get out of a car quite like I did that day.
Innovative
This Sustainability paper talks about the pillars to sustainable development and ways to make sure the development projects are sustainable long term and not just a quick temporary fix. I think in order to make sure that things are sustainable it takes creativity and innovation. It Involving local or beneficiaries into the plan is also always important into making sure things are sustainable. They often have very innovative ideas.
When we first got to Port-au-Prince, we
stayed at a hotel. They didn't have enough
rooms for all of us so they made one
out of this shipping container for me. It
was one of the most interesting places I
have ever slept. It is fun to see how
creative you can get in different situations.
Impartial
During several of our intensive
classes in Kenya, we had to rate
each other's presentations or projects.
In order to do that effectively you have to
be able to remain impartial. It is
important to not play favorites or just
give good scores because they are your
friend. It is important to be honest
because that is how we learn and grow.
Just saying nice things doesn't really
help anyone.
When working with children,
especially groups of children,
you have to be able to remain
impartial and treat them all the
same and not play favorites for
any reason. Children, especially
children in vulnerable situation
seek attention children need to
feel that they are special. Treating
all children in that way is
important and not excluding
others.
Team Player
It is important to always be a
team player, especially when working
on group projects and that was
something that we did a lot when I
was at the school in Malawi. My
colleges and I were always helping
each other get projects accomplished
and done the best they could be.
While I was in Haiti, we worked with a
local branch of the global organization
NAPS, which is a gospel outreach
organization that focuses on preventing
child hunger. We worked on a team
with them to prepare our VBS program.
It was interesting to be on a team with
people from a very different culture.
Integration of Faith & Practice
This Female Genital Mutilation Paper is an example of how sometimes there is a conflict of culture and religion. Sometimes values or practices of religion and culture can conflict. FGM is one of those topics. It is a harmful practice yet is deeply rooted in some cultures and it is a practice that is hard to let go of in some religious communities.
I had the honor of Teaching Sabbath School while I visited a village church in Kenya. I think it is important to get involved in local churches and communities. Not just in work related capacities, but as a member of the community that loves and cares. I love and care about children and their joy and I love to get involved in children classes whenever I can. When you love children you show their parents and families that you care.
Preaching at Church is a great way to share with your community what you do and see as a development worker. I think it is important to have support and prayer for the things you are doing overseas or in vulnerable communities.
This Seminar Certificate shows the training I completed about how to share religion and the gospel when in the development field. Helping people and meeting their physical needs is such a big part of the gospel and what Jesus called us to do. By meeting people's physical needs you can also help meet their spiritual needs.
Professional Decorum
This Seminar Certificate shows the seminar I took about being able to hold yourself in a professional manner as well as being able to act professionally in any and all situations. Professionalism is more than just the way you dress and can be more about the way you conduct yourself and maintain professionalism in work situations.
I think it is important to always dress professionally, especially when working in other cultures. Every culture has its own dress code and dressing outside of that can be distracting at times. In order to eliminate as many distractions to your message as possible it is important to make sure your dress is not an issue.
I often have a hard time being taken seriously. I look young, and people think I am younger than I am. I always try to dress professionally so that I am taken seriously as a professional and not a young person.
I think it is important to be aware of how the locals dress and dressing to their specifications will gain you more respect. Taking notes and cues from the locals you are working with can help you build relationships. I went shopping with some local ladies in Nepal and they had so much fun helping me pick out local dress for me to wear.
