Testimony on Human Rights in China, Essay Example

Introduction

A team-based environment requires a unique understanding of the dynamics of the team and its overall direction and purpose in meeting the required objectives. There must be a continuous focus on strength and opportunity within the team-based environment. It is important to identify the specific factors that are represented by the team and each of its members so that their contributions are viewed individually and as part of the team dynamic in order to effectively address the goals of the team and its focus on high quality performance and in meeting the designated goals and objectives. This is an important and meaningful approach to understand how to best move forward to meet the needs of the team and its level of cohesiveness. This process is instrumental in evaluating the conditions under which the team is able to succeed in its efforts to be productive and each member is able to provide value to the team environment as a whole. The following discussion will address our team dynamic and the overall direction of the team approach in greater detail and will recognize the areas where our team was successful in meeting its goals and objectives to achieve the desired outcomes.

Body

Our team was established in support of a group known as STAND, a student anti-genocide coalition that was comprised of individuals and volunteers who were interested in promoting awareness of the realities of human rights violations and genocide throughout the world. We formed in response to a classroom requirement and decided to support STAND and its efforts to better understand genocide and how it impacts different societies. The concept of service learning within the classroom setting is of critical importance and provides support of an organization in need of volunteers and encouragement from the community in order to achieve its desired objectives. This process is instrumental in shaping the outcomes related to community-based group’s focus and motivation towards achieving greater awareness of an issue that they believe is important to share with others.  Our team was formed in response to the challenge to form a coalition and support system for the community-based organization and to recognize the value of understanding the purpose of the community-based group and our objectives in reaching local residents and students on a wider scale. This experience was critical in supporting a learning experience that would engage us in the actions taking place within the community setting that have an impact on different groups of people. This was an important step towards the discovery of a strategy that would serve our team well as we moved forward with task development and other tools that were likely to impact the community organization in a positive manner.

Our team was introduced at an event with guest speaker T. Kumar, the International Advocacy Director for Amnesty International USA (Amnesty International). Mr. Kumar has been a public speaker and advocate for human rights and in speaking out against many of the violations that take place throughout the world (Amnesty International). He has been largely instrumental in providing information to Congress and to other organizations in a public advocacy role in order to acknowledge human rights violations throughout the world (Amnesty International).  During a speaking event that was held on March 25, 2015 at Clark University, Mr. Kumar spoke regarding the human rights abuses that have occurred in North Korea in recent years, and also demonstrated his commitment to providing information regarding human rights violations that cause significant detriment and harm to many people. All guests were offered different types of food that our team had prepared for the guests who were present for the speaker. This was an important step in our identity with the group and what was required to ensure that we would be successful in meeting its objectives. This event was also very important because it provided relevant information regarding our group and the significance of human rights violations and their impact on those affected throughout the world. This supported the objectives of STAND and their efforts to promote awareness of genocide and human rights violations throughout the world that occur against many different population groups, including those residing in North Korea and other countries. This event also provided a valuable learning framework for our team and facilitated greater public support for the cause and for the people who have experienced negative consequences in North Korea.

Our team established its support for and aligned with Liberty in North Korea, a group who has been instrumental in providing information and raising awareness regarding the actions taking place in North Korea that impact local residents in negative and detrimental ways. To be specific, our group has developed support for the refugees of North Korea who are likely to have an opportunity to escape negative living conditions and to have a better life in a different location. This organization was deemed influential because it conveyed the importance of the Resettlement Assistant Program, which is effective in providing additional support and guidance to refugees so that they are able to become self-sustaining over a period of time. This is of critical importance because it conveys the realities of their circumstances and the level of support that is required to engage these individuals to become more independent with the appropriate financial and community-based support. This organization served as an important reminder of the many challenges that people throughout the world face that must be addressed in a timely manner in order to prevent serious complications such as genocide and human rights violations. These actions have been condemned by the organization and therefore, its support lies in the prevention of these activities and the support of those who are affected.

Although Liberty in North Korea and STAND were the organizations chosen by our team, the original idea for our team concept was to provide support to the Chinese International Scholar Association (CSSA) and its spring festival. This is an event that is held in conjunction with Chinese New Year in order to support this community and their family-based traditions and myths within the Chinese Community. Unfortunately, this experience turned out to be unsuccessful and was not pursued by our group because important knowledge was held back regarding the group and its economic intent. However, this served as a learning experience for our group as it began to evolve and to communicate regarding the ideas that the members brought to the table. In addition, this experience enabled our members to better understand the importance of business ethics and also social responsibility, as both elements are of critical importance in sustaining any community-based organization for a long period of time. This experience enabled our team to learn that many organizations seek high profits above all else and are willing to compromise their ethical principles in order to receive a greater return on their investment in many cases. This is a critical factor that impacts many organizations and often contributes to disastrous consequences, thereby creating an environment in which the original intent of the group to help others no longer exists. This is an important lesson learned by each member of our group and provided further support in developing a cohesive and united front regarding the overall objectives of our team and what is required to provide the desired level of support to a community-based organization that will translate into positive outcomes for those who are served.

The team was also involved in another important event that was held in support of STAND, known as a Dance-A-Thon. This event was held on March 27, 2015 in the Grind and required a $3 entry fee from all participants. This event offered different performances and lessons from workout and dance groups on the Clark University campus in order to educate students regarding the group, and all proceeds were collected to benefit the charity Liberty in North Korea. The flyer that was created for the event provided a summary of the work of this group as follows: “The charity focuses on refugee rescue, resettlement, and raising awareness about the plight of the North Korean people.” Therefore, it was important to have an event of this magnitude in order to raise awareness of the events in North Korea and the genocide taking place in this country against its own people. This event included such groups as Clark Yoga, Irish Step Dancing, Ballroom Dancing, Dance Society, a disc jockey, and raffle prizes. This event was very successful and those who attended and participated had a good time in spite of the serious nature of the subject matter, as they gained new insight regarding the actions currently taking place in North Korea. This was an important step towards the discovery of an environment in which increased knowledge, awareness, and change are possible with perseverance and inner strength. These characteristics also support our team dynamic effectively and encourage the development of leadership skills through this process. It was important to identify the specific areas where `our team members might best contribute because it supported the group dynamic more effectively and encouraged the success of the two events that were held, based upon individual growth and development within the group setting.

Summary of the Group

Our team was comprised of the following members: Scarlett, Ann, Xin, Qi, and Jacky. When our team was established, a meeting was held in order to effectively address the needs of our members, as well as their personal preferences. Once our team decided to support the STAND club and North Korea Liberty, each member was asked to address key strengths that would provide a positive and rewarding experience for our entire team and for each of our members. This reflects the importance of understanding the skills and strengths of each team member and how these opportunities would facilitate greater cohesiveness within our group dynamic. For our group, it was important to openly discuss strengths so that each member would be assigned a specific set of tasks that were based upon his or her own personal skillset. This was an important step in the discovery of new approaches to our team dynamic and in evaluating how our team would best be able to achieve its desired objectives within the team setting. In accordance with this discussion, our team members were assigned different sets of tasks, such as the following:

• Scarlett was assigned the task of contacting the Director of STAND, Zachary Peloquin, in order to identify and discuss an event that would be designed to benefit North Korea Liberty and its overall purpose. In addition, Scarlett was asked to contact Jacob Mattleman, the Assistant Director of Admissions, in order to determine if a bake sale was feasible on the date of the open house. However, this event did not move forward and the Dance-A-Thon was identified as a fundraiser for the organization and its purpose.

Clark University STAND Presents

• Zachary was assigned the task of contacting and scheduling T. Kumar for the event for Clark University STAND Presents with a presentation entitled “Amnesty International Advocacy Human Rights Abuses in North Korea.”
• Qi was assigned the task of reserving the room in which the event would be held, along with setting up tables and picking up the food that was ordered for the event
• Jacky was also assigned the tasks of picking up the food and setting up the tables
• Ann and Xin were assigned the tasks of picking up the food and also developing promotional activities to attract participation for the event
• Scarlett was also responsible for ordering the food from Acoustic and picking it up for the event

Dance-A-Thon

• Qi and Jacky were assigned the tasks of setting up the room and the tables, along with purchasing food for the event
• Ann was assigned the task of selling tickets for the event, making a poster to advertise the event, and making Korean food to be provided at the event
• Xin was assigned the task of selling tickets for the event, ordering pizza from Blue Jeans and chicken wings from Wings Over Worcester, and also making Korean food to be provided at the event
• Scarlett was assigned the task of scheduling the lineup of acts that would take place during the event and also buying Korean food to be provided at the event.

Each of these events served as a turning point for our team and all efforts to improve our communication and overall camaraderie during the development, rollout, and execution of these two events within the university community. In addition, these events provided support in understanding how our group worked together in a collaborative manner in order to meet expectations and to also convey the importance of recognizing these actions as beneficial to the organization and its cause.

This process was also largely instrumental in supporting those within our team who were considered to be natural leaders within the team dynamic, thereby enabling them to develop and hone their skills in the team-based setting. This was an important reminder that an effective and confident leader is necessary in these cases in order to achieve the intended results, and also to demonstrate the value of a strong and dedicated leader in moving our team forward with its chosen objectives. This process also encourages communication between our leader and other team members so that we all have an opportunity to share insights and to address any issues that may emerge within our group setting.

In order to achieve successful results within our team dynamic, it was important for each of us to be proactive in working towards a set of important solutions that would have a positive influence on our team goals and objectives. This is an important step towards the discovery of new ideas that would enable our team to communicate effectively and to exercise a high level of creativity and communication in working towards a set of solutions to improve our participation within the community. This was an important and meaningful step for our team dynamic because it supported a greater understanding of the issues that our group faced as we sought to better understand the objectives of their chosen community organization and their recognition of the different needs within the local community that might be served by their support for the group.

The group participated in a number of meetings that were used to work towards meeting the goals and objectives of the assignment. This was an important step towards enhancing the level of communication among members, along with understanding each team member’s role and the expectations that were identified. This is essential because it provided further evidence of the overall needs and expectations of our group and how specific goals and objectives would be achieved in accordance with the designated timeframe. Our members had his or her own responsibility to meet the objectives of the group and to complete each individual task; therefore, these criteria were necessary in order to fully understand our role in meeting the learning requirements in a timely manner.

For our group, there was an important need to develop specific ideas that would promote an improved understanding of community-based learning and what is required to meet expectations to serve the community organization in a successful manner. Therefore, consistency in the actions taken and open communication are critical to this practice, along with other opportunities that are designed to facilitate action within the tasks that were identified. It was important to develop a framework within our group that enabled our members to communicate and share ideas effectively regarding the needs of our group and our overall mission to support the people of North Korea. Therefore, our team members were required to research the organization and some of the problems taking place within North Korea in order to have a better understanding of the issues that led to the formation of the community-based organization and to the development of its mission.  From a learning perspective, these ideas were necessary because they conveyed our team member’s commitment to the team and our overall focus in supporting change and progress. This process was particularly important for our team members because it conveyed the learning curve within this exercise and also demonstrated that our team members were focused on change and progress within our team.

Conclusion

The concept of community-based service learning is essential for students because it captures the essence of advancing concepts and the ability to effectively contribute to a community organization with a specific mission and purpose. This reflects a series of challenges that must be addressed that will have a lasting impact on the organization and on the ability of our group to achieve a level of cohesiveness that will align with the organization’s goals and objectives. This process is instrumental in the development and growth of new ideas and approaches to manage our team dynamic once it is formed and to recognize the value of communication in this process at all levels. When communication is strong, it is evident that our team will experience a higher level of productivity and strength among our membership.

The work that was performed by our group was largely effective in generating new ideas that came to fruition and that led to two successful events to support the organization. This was an important opportunity to enable our team to work together on two separate projects, to recognize the strengths of our members, and to be proactive in working towards objectives that supported the work of the community organization. It was important for our team to perform this exercise in order to evaluate our ability to work in a collaborative setting, to manage and resolve conflicts as necessary, and to identify areas where there was high potential for growth and development among our membership. This was a learning exercise that had significant potential in enabling our members to discover their strengths and their roles as part of a group dynamic. It was important to evaluate these issues and to identify the areas where our group was strong and productive, as well as areas of weakness and other limitations. This experience was necessary and timely in order to discover how our team dynamic operated and whether or not it was successful for our members. As a result, the support established by our group in its efforts to achieve success in this assignment and in working together towards a set of mutually identifiable goals and objectives was essential. This process is instrumental in determining the success of our team and how we performed as a unit, as well as on the basis of each individual team member and how we contributed to the group and its overall level of focus on the tasks at hand.

Works Cited

Amnesty International. “Testimony on human rights in China before Congressional subcommittee on April 9, 2013.” 10 April 2015: http://www.amnestyusa.org/news/news-item/testimony-on-human-rights-in-china-before-congressional-subcommittee-on-april-9-2013