-Nathaly Rodriguez
Ten things that make me feel human:
- Being able to go through various emotions, being able to feel
- Being able to remember the past and look forward to the future
- Reading a book and feeling as though I am inside the story
- Celebrating accomplishments and failures with friends and family
- Drinking water
- Eating good food, especially food that is from my culture
- Long summer days where I spent most of my time outside riding a bike, swimming, or doing some type of activity
- Listening to music that matches my emotions and being able to say a song connects to a certain memory
- Dancing by myself for fun and dancing with others
- Talking to people and getting to hear different stories
Philosophy of Engagement
- Why should I engage?
There are certain needs in Almaty that are not being met. The citizens there have tried various actionable items, however, they have yet to fix the issue of air quality. This is where it may be helpful to have an outsider perspective. Often when people have worked on a problem for too long, they need to take a step back to be able to see the bigger picture. There are people who are dying because of the lack of air quality and that should be more than enough reason to engage and allow them to see the problem from another angle.
2. How must I engage?
Engaging with purpose and respect are key components in this process. The people of Almaty have indigenous knowledge about their environment that we do not. This means we have to ask questions and be active listeners. After taking their accounts for consideration, it is still important to check the accuracy of what we are told and compare how they perceive their environment to the actions they take versus the actions that they “should” be taking. It is also important to obtain an understanding of what people are willing to do for their health.
3. With whom must I engage?
Currently, there are students in a university in Almaty who are ready to work on the project. It is crucial that we communicate with them to have a better understanding of what they can do before we arrive and what they can do when we are there. Another component is figuring out who stakeholders in our project are. If we go the route of filters/ filtration of the air, it would be the people willing to invest in the
- What kinds of challenges, opportunities, and approaches should I care about?
I care about the challenges and opportunities that will move the project forward. Current challenges include figuring out where the main sources of air pollutions are coming from, what the pollutants are, and what level of knowledge people have on the effects of air quality. With this information, we can face the challenge of developing a sustainable, self-sustained solution for Almaty.
- What might my epitaph read?
Initially, I thought it should read nothing as epitaph cravings are extremely expensive and somewhat a waste of time. However, in relationship to the Air quality group, I hope it says they got to see their mountains again.