Aug 2, 2008
ACTAsia speaks at Bali conference
Bali Blog, entry five: Groups in China gather their forces
September 4, 2008 : 1:14 AM
To aid animals
By Sharon St. Joan, Best Friends Network
It's not that similar challenges don't exist elsewhere, but working for animals can be an especially hard road in developing nations.
Pei-Feng Su of ACT Asia for Animals spoke at the Asia for Animals Conference on "Sustainable Animal Advocacy." She mentioned some of the challenges facing animal people in developing countries, including China, where ACTAsia has been holding yearly workshops:
• Helping animals is not seen as professional work, but rather, as something akin to being a housewife.
• Industrialized animal use/abuse is sanctioned by society.
• It may be hard to find a vet willing to care for the animals.
• On a micro level, animal activists are seen as extremists or as sentimental.
• They are not paid, and there are no career prospects.
• There is a lack of family and peer support in a culture where family is very important.
• They often work in isolation.
• They lose friends who are outside the animal community, and they constantly experience negative views.
• There is a stream of problems; they are under-resourced and over-stretched.
• It can be difficult to recruit committed individuals.
"ACT" in ACT-Asia stands for Action-Compassion Together.
ACTAsia isn't just listing the problems, but is contributing real help.
Capacity building, the aim of ACTAsia's workshops, is actions that improve a non-profit organization's effectiveness.
The methods ACTAsia pursues are interactive workshops, information dissemination, support and working together with grassroots groups on selected projects.
ShenZhen workshop
Best Friends has been familiar for a while with the significant work that ACTAsia does.
On June 6, 2008, ACTAsia brought together key members of animal groups throughout China to take part in a three-day workshop in Shenzhen. Humane Society International (HIS), One Voice (caution-graphic content), Best Friends, and Refuge de Thiernay sponsored this workshop, "Developing Effective Animal Advocates in China," which was co-organized by Animals Alliance in China. Project Management and Companion Animals were the themes.
Shenzhen lies just north of Hong Kong. This was ACTAsia's third annual workshop in China.
One of the attendees, Shuai Zhang, manager of IFAW's Beijing Raptor Center, was enthusiastic about the project manager's training. She is quoted on the ACTAsia website: “We have never had project management training before, and I feel I have learned a lot from this workshop..."
Toward the end of the workshop, the participants put their newly acquired management skills to good use by outlining a project plan for their group's companion animal work.
An overall “ten point plan” emerged from the workshop to serve as a template for dealing with stray animal management in China. This could be really useful for the many groups working to help Chinese dogs and cats!
Throughout the workshop, communication and interaction between all the participants and the facilitators, was emphasized as a key to movement forward.
A project has a beginning and an end
Pei - Feng Su, in her talk at the Conference, stressed that project management provides reachable goals--with a beginning and an end.
As all of us may realize from time to time, this is important in order to avoid the feeling of being carried along in an endless stream of work. People feel a need for the satisfaction of accomplishing something.
She touched on the practicality of ensuring individual well-being. Without attention to how people are doing, the talents of these people may be lost.
As an example, if a shelter is moving, there is a great deal of stress involved in transporting hundreds of animals safely. Ensuring that people are not burned out is crucial. "Individual well-being is not a luxury. We need people--not emotionally exhausted people." Pei herself confessed to having at times felt insomnia and a bit of a short temper, which gave an understanding of the issue.
Going back to the general work done by animal groups, there are other challenges too--such as professionalism, along with scientific support, knowledge and skill. All this takes time.
The workshops held by ACTAsia are giving encouragement and a light to show the way for the courageous work being undertaken by the animal groups in China!
By Sharon St. Joan, Best Friends Network
It's not that similar challenges don't exist elsewhere, but working for animals can be an especially hard road in developing nations.
Pei-Feng Su of ACT Asia for Animals spoke at the Asia for Animals Conference on "Sustainable Animal Advocacy." She mentioned some of the challenges facing animal people in developing countries, including China, where ACTAsia has been holding yearly workshops:
• Helping animals is not seen as professional work, but rather, as something akin to being a housewife.
• Industrialized animal use/abuse is sanctioned by society.
• It may be hard to find a vet willing to care for the animals.
• On a micro level, animal activists are seen as extremists or as sentimental.
• They are not paid, and there are no career prospects.
• There is a lack of family and peer support in a culture where family is very important.
• They often work in isolation.
• They lose friends who are outside the animal community, and they constantly experience negative views.
• There is a stream of problems; they are under-resourced and over-stretched.
• It can be difficult to recruit committed individuals.
"ACT" in ACT-Asia stands for Action-Compassion Together.
ACTAsia isn't just listing the problems, but is contributing real help.
Capacity building, the aim of ACTAsia's workshops, is actions that improve a non-profit organization's effectiveness.
The methods ACTAsia pursues are interactive workshops, information dissemination, support and working together with grassroots groups on selected projects.
ShenZhen workshop
Best Friends has been familiar for a while with the significant work that ACTAsia does.
On June 6, 2008, ACTAsia brought together key members of animal groups throughout China to take part in a three-day workshop in Shenzhen. Humane Society International (HIS), One Voice (caution-graphic content), Best Friends, and Refuge de Thiernay sponsored this workshop, "Developing Effective Animal Advocates in China," which was co-organized by Animals Alliance in China. Project Management and Companion Animals were the themes.
Shenzhen lies just north of Hong Kong. This was ACTAsia's third annual workshop in China.
One of the attendees, Shuai Zhang, manager of IFAW's Beijing Raptor Center, was enthusiastic about the project manager's training. She is quoted on the ACTAsia website: “We have never had project management training before, and I feel I have learned a lot from this workshop..."
Toward the end of the workshop, the participants put their newly acquired management skills to good use by outlining a project plan for their group's companion animal work.
An overall “ten point plan” emerged from the workshop to serve as a template for dealing with stray animal management in China. This could be really useful for the many groups working to help Chinese dogs and cats!
Throughout the workshop, communication and interaction between all the participants and the facilitators, was emphasized as a key to movement forward.
A project has a beginning and an end
Pei - Feng Su, in her talk at the Conference, stressed that project management provides reachable goals--with a beginning and an end.
As all of us may realize from time to time, this is important in order to avoid the feeling of being carried along in an endless stream of work. People feel a need for the satisfaction of accomplishing something.
She touched on the practicality of ensuring individual well-being. Without attention to how people are doing, the talents of these people may be lost.
As an example, if a shelter is moving, there is a great deal of stress involved in transporting hundreds of animals safely. Ensuring that people are not burned out is crucial. "Individual well-being is not a luxury. We need people--not emotionally exhausted people." Pei herself confessed to having at times felt insomnia and a bit of a short temper, which gave an understanding of the issue.
Going back to the general work done by animal groups, there are other challenges too--such as professionalism, along with scientific support, knowledge and skill. All this takes time.
The workshops held by ACTAsia are giving encouragement and a light to show the way for the courageous work being undertaken by the animal groups in China!
