The feeling of happiness- whenever I see any of my family members, close friends, my dog.
Sadness
Excitement
Anxiety
Being hungry
Thinking, having knowledge- this is the feeling I get when I study something new or learn something new
Nostalgia- at random times I get nostalgic feelings about different memories
Empathy
Whenever I open a new can of tennis balls- I love tennis
Frustration- this usually occurs whenever I face an issue
Articulate your philosophy of engagement as it pertains to your work with GSIF
One of the main factors impacting the well being of citizens in Almaty Kazakstan is the air quality. The various different toxic particles in the air are deteriorating the citizens’ health and producing acute respiratory diseases, lung cancer (etc.). After doing background research on the government in the country my group realized there is little public or federal effort to fix this problem. My realization of their lack of effort served as a catalyst for one of the cornerstones of my philosophy of engagement. The imperative to act is an important aspect of my philosophy of engagement because there needs to be someone to step up and propose a solution for this collective action problem. It is imperative to act and engage because people are dying and it is only going to get worse. Also, the future of the city is at stake because their children are more susceptible to respiratory diseases. I will first have to engage with the citizens of Almaty because only they know the true struggles and drawbacks their air quality creates. I will engage with them by using my knowledge of their culture to gain real answers and stories. For instance, my advisor told us about how the Kazakhs are prideful about their grand mountains that surround the city. I could use this knowledge by asking how it feels not to be able to see the mountains because of the intense smog produced by the poor air quality. The main challenge that will face my group is how some of the solutions for the air quality might contradict or undermine the cultural practices of the citizens. For example, the women of Almaty often open their houses windows to let “fresh” air in every morning. It will be difficult to communicate to them that the “fresh” air filling their home is actually carrying poisonous particles and they should not open their windows. It is a tough decision to make if a solution should be enacted if it will help countless people but degenerate culture and history. Lastly, on my epitaph, I would put “everything is susceptible for change”. I would choose this mainly because it is a motto I live by. We can for the most part change any aspect of our lives through hard work and motivation.