"Community-Based Learning 101: 5 Things I Learned from CBL and 5 Tips to Make the Most of your Placement Experience" by Destiny Magnett
Participating in the Community-Based Learning (CBL) course while studying in Amman was one of the best decisions I made. I knew I wanted to do CBL, because it was important to me to spend time outside of Amideast learning about Jordanian culture and society and practicing my Arabic. During the semester, I worked at the local office of a fairly large, well-connected International Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) which specializes in locally-driven peacebuilding. I worked mostly in the office in person, but was also able to work remotely and sometimes in the field. Over my time with this organization, I was able to work on projects related to youth empowerment, interreligious engagement, and preventing violence in all its forms.
5 Things I Learned:
1. Local actors are the key to sustainable change
One of the reasons I enjoyed my placement experience was because of the commitment they had to partnerships with local CBOs and community members. In many cases, it can feel like NGOs and their foreign donors are removed (both physically or ideologically) from the communities they serve. But at my placement, most of the employees were Jordanians, and, furthermore, the projects had high levels of involvement from local community members from across the country.
2. Political sensitivities can have significant impacts
When I came to Jordan, I knew to expect some differences from the U.S. in what was or was not acceptable to criticize openly. However, this came to light particularly during my work in CBL. Often there were topics or platforms which were designated as “sensitive” that had to be handled with particular care, so as not to put any of the relationships my organization had built locally at risk. Gaining a greater awareness of these sensitivities, and hearing stories from coworkers who have previously worked in other sensitive political contexts in the region helped to contextualize the breadth and limits of NGO work on causes which are, or can be perceived as, political.
3. Money matters
In the NGO world, fundraising is of course vital to operations and staffing. However, I didn’t quite realize just how much time effort goes into just the proposals before awards are even won or projects are even implemented. Not only does the organization have to be constantly aware of new funding opportunities, it is also important to understand the relationship between money and development in the context of the country and region in which work is being done. My time in the classroom with Professor Mjriam (check out her CBL tips here!) was also really helpful in understanding the larger implications of the economic elements I observed while at my CBL site.
4. Bureaucracy is everywhere
Having interned in government offices previously, I was somewhat familiar with the obstacles bureaucracy can pose in operations. The NGO bureaucracy was somewhat different from that of a government, though, in that their structures span all over the world. At the same time, though, regulations within the organization are always subject to the parameters donors (most of them foreign governments) provide.
5. Three months is not long enough
Ultimately, in the grand scheme of things, three months is an incredibly short amount of time to spend with an organization. Most of the projects for the organization I worked with last between one and three years, with the long-term sustainability going on for even longer. Because of this, the time I spent working on these projects was really little more than a glimpse into the true lifecycle and long-term evolution of the projects. Even in a short time, though, I became really attached to several of the projects I worked closely on, making it sad to leave after such a short time.
5 Tips:
1. Use Arabic as much as possible (but don’t pretend you know more than you do)
Using Arabic outside of the classroom can be intimidating at first, but working in an office is a great opportunity to practice and learn! That being said, it’s also important not to overstate your abilities or be afraid to speak up if you didn’t understand something that was said in Arabic.
2. Say yes to coffee breaks, lunches, and smoke breaks
Some of the best conversations I have had with my coworkers were in informal settings. Getting coffee or going outside for a cigarette (even if you don’t smoke) can be great chances to get to know the people you work with on a more personal level. It can be really great to hear about people’s unique paths to community work and may even reveal an option for future study or work you wouldn’t have otherwise discovered.
3. Try to get time in the field, not just the office
During my internship, I was able to get out of the office sometimes to meet with local consultants or attend events related to our projects. In every instance, these trips were hugely enlightening in showing the impacts that projects really have. It was also great to see how observations and feedback from the field directly translates into making adaptations to approaches for peacebuilding in the present and future.
4. Network! Ask for informational interviews and connections
Networking isn’t just on LinkedIn (though you can find me there too), and, in fact, the connections I’ve made in real life throughout my CBL experience have been incredibly helpful in thinking about my future plans for graduate school, work, and more. Taking the time to ask for conversations can never be a bad thing!
5. Keep a journal
Journaling about my CBL experience has been very helpful in reflecting on my experience holistically and over time. I try to write entries once or twice a week, talking freely about the things I’ve been working on, learned, felt surprised by, or want to know more about. It has been helpful to have these entries to reflect on periodically both for professional work, like grad school essays, and in the context of the readings and discussions we have each week in the classroom.
Note: Though I’ve done my best to anonymize this post, the ideas and reflections shared in this post are my own, and do not necessarily reflect those of the organization I worked with during my CBL experience.
Destiny Magnett is a senior at Grinnell College studying on the Area and Arabic Studies program in Amman, Jordan this fall.
