A Warrior Has No Safety Net


I walk on the precarious edge
of the new and the old,
wanting to shed
the locks and liesof a mechanical world,
eager to diveinto the smooth coolwater of abundant life.

*********
I am young,
I am a woman,
I live in a land where I can choose.

There are disco lights
and magnetic forces
pulling me into The Tunnel--
The Tunnel where everyone goes.

Almost everyone.

It vacuums up mall shoppers
and telemarketers,
executives and bartenders.
It promises clean sheets
and Mickey Mouse vacations,
automatic garage doors
and cell phone communications.
If you choose The Tunnel
you will never have to be cold
or hungry or alone.
There are pills to erase headaches
and drinks to drown hearthaches.

There are movies to make you laugh
and cars to move you fast.

If you don't like your face,
surgery will change its shape.
There is no need for God
The Tunnel will keep you safe.

But if you stop believing,
oh! If you stop believing...
The Tunnel will disintegrate
and leave you swimming in a septic tank.

*********
My choice is clear.
I am stepping slowly
into the quiet open land beyond.

There are no roads, no maps, no guides.
There is no insurance coverage, no training school.
Edible vegetation is sparse.

Rain trickles down my back
as I fumble with reeds to make a hat.
Through the mist
I catch a thread of song
and rise to see a band of barefoot sisters
approach with open arms.

With nothing more than faith and grace,
our dance has just begun.


- Kirstin George

Time is going so very quickly! It is hard to believe that we will be finishing the semester over the next few weeks - and that I am at the point where I will have to make some very real decisions about practicum placements!

After blanketing the English speaking Oxfam network (Geneva, Brussles, New York, Vancouver, Ottawa, London, New Zealand) with requests for information and internship possibilities I have only had form responses referring me to their job list page. I have not heard back from London or Geneva again, and would like to place a call to the London office early tomorrow morning. 

I have been speaking with Heidi of the Indian Insitute for Mothers and Child, and am very interested in their maternal health program and also the women's peace and empowerment program. I am sensitive that this is the location that Tiffany has chosen, and have been speaking with her regularly about her thoughts on being placed at the same location. Heidi is also sensitive to this, and has spoken to both of us about our feelings about doing internships at the same place. Tiffany has told me that she is ok with working in the same area, and we have committed to conitnuing to check in with one another about it. I am comfortable with it - Tiffany and I do not know eachother well and I wouldn't be concerned about us being dependant on eachother in a new environment - while it also would be nice to have a classmate to share/debrief/learn with. I want to be sensitive to Tiffany's needs, while not creating an 'issue' when there seems to not be one. 

I am drawn to the work that the IIMC is doing - they seem to have a great women's health program and I could become involved in the repoductive health initiatives. I am also interested in their rural development programs and there are some possibilities for me to partake in these as well. Through working with the IIMC I could gain an understanding of working within an Indian organization and could grasp a deeper knowledge of Indian culture and social work practice. 

This whole experience is helping me to see how I am choosing to live my life more clearly. I havn't been dealing with things in a sustainable way, and I am having health concerns arise to help me learn this. I am seeking ways of integrating school into my larger life, and will be letting go of a lot of the different directions that I have been going in over the next semester. I think that this will help.

At this point I am not doing extensive searches on many other practicum options. I would like to find an opening within Oxfam International if possible - and will continue to explore this further, but so far, nothing. I am confident and excited about the IIMC option as well - and grateful to have this as a possibility.

Finally having overcome jetlag (Yay!), I was able to make contact today with the Oxfam offices in London. While the woman who I had spoke to while I was there was not available, I was able to make contact with someone else. She did not think that a practicum in their office would be a possibility, but she told me that she was going to connect with her supervisor regarding the possibility. 

I also sent off emails to Oxfam's Geneva, New York and Brussels locations inquiring about an internship. After some serious time on the web I also discovered Oxfam's database of internships (in Canada and Internationally). There is one posting for an internship in Vancouver beginning in January 2010. I hope to speak to Lorne and Lise about this at our meeting tomorrow. Could it be a possibility for me to start my praticum in January? Would it be possibe to keep up with my course work through distance? This could potentially be a way for me to gain International Development experience from a Canadian context, gain experience with Oxfam in Vancouver (and open up possible employment possiblities) and stay with my partner when he leaves for UBC in January! Some exciting possibilities here... here is the link to the information about Oxfam internships: http://www.oxfam.ca/what-you-can-do/volunteer-with-oxfam/internships

I also sent an email to someone I know who is connected to Oxfam Vancouver. I asked her for more information about Oxfam, and their work in the Canadian context. I look forward to hearing back from her. 

After spending the last week in and around London, I am intrigued by the myriad of social services that have their headquarters in this area. By chance I was able to visit one of the central Oxfam offices, and I spoke with a woman who has been employed with Oxfam as an international social worker over the last five years. It was interesting to speak to her and gain a greater understanding of international social work in the European context, and to learn more about Oxfam's work. I was not aware previously of Oxfam's commitment to environmental work as it relates to social wellbeing around the world.

It would be an interesting placement to work with a group such as Oxfam as they have offices around the world and work in a variety of contexts. There are possible future employment possibilities here - as well as the benefit that Oxfam works with a variety of contexts and there could be a wide diversity of practicum possibilities. I asked for a few cards while I was at the offices, and will call to follow up with some of the people that I met when I return. It is exciting to be able to visit some possibilities in person.