GSIF Post #4

1. Give three examples of how you can use nature as a model / mentor / measure for your own designs (and life).

In the way that nature approaches to addressing problems via system thinking, I can approach the task of how to address CSR in India by addressing every issue as a component of a larger system rather than an independent aspect with unrelated consequences. When working with a multitude of organizations and companies, it will be important to understand that every situation will be different, and that one set of rules or practices cannot apply to all completely. Secondly, nature creates in the most efficient way possible. In my approach to this project, and life in general, I can focus more on quality rather than quantity. Instead of trying to build up as many connections and completing as many tasks as possible, it would be most sustainable to work smarter and integrate where I can. Lastly, to make solutions sustainable and self-replicating, it helps to refer back to the origin of the problem. Just as Janine Benyus described how shells begin and end their calcium carbonate build up by releasing a protein, it can help to see the gaps of CSR between companies and NGOs and where it makes sense to locate a self-organizing solution.

2. Pick one of Life’s Principles. Explain how you might apply it to your work and life (could be unrelated to your GSIF projects).

As a Regional Core Team Lead in my temple’s Hindu organization, I lead a small team in designing and implementing various projects to be carried out across temples in the Northeast region throughout the year. As it is nearly impossible for a small team like us to get active feedback and know exactly how our material is used at every single temple across the region (with over 30 centers). Therefore, I would apply being locally tuned and responsive to the needs of these centers in order to create practical material that will make significant change. I can do this by taking a backwards approach — going to these centers and asking what issues are they facing in terms of delivering content, managing their center’s activities, etc. Then, with that continuous feedback, programs and projects can be designed that address those needs.

3. How do you envision integrating the Cradle to Cradle Design concept into your project (and life)? Give one compelling example.

Our end goal is to deliver a rubric and information of the best practices that companies can follow when performing their CSR. In making this product sustainable and part of a closed cycle, there will nonetheless be practices and patterns we observed in the process that were deemed inefficient for making the most out of CSR.

Instead of discarding these practices and the research along with it, we can disseminate these findings as well, in a sort of warning for “Things you should not do” and explain why these practices and behaviors led to unfavorable effects. This can be a continued cycle, where the CSR practices are constantly evaluated for what is efficient, practical and implementable for bringing about real change, and which practices should be discarded or revised. Therefore, this will lead to saving time and effort for research.

4. Give three examples of something very interesting you learned from a friend that was a completely alien concept to you.

1. A friend this semester, who majors in Computer Science, showed me the details and coding for every website, and how you can pull up this information and edit it so the text on a website changes. This does not lead to permanent change on the website itself, but was nonetheless very cool to see the analytics behind it. I know nothing about computers.
2. My mom (who I consider my friend) taught me the basics of Indian cooking, from using certain spices to being careful with temperature and cooking time. It was very interesting to truly learn about where food and spices come from, something I never gave a second thought to. Now the infinite combinations of texture, flavor and spice fascinate me.
3. My friend from high school taught me much about Chinese culture, coming from a very traditional Chinese family herself. This was a unique perspective that I have not seen before, as anything I had learned about the culture had come from the outside – from the view of textbooks or media. From her, I gained perspective of how similar I found her balancing of traditional and modern norms to what I experienced at home, growing up with Indian culture. Chinese culture was not a completely alien concept to me, but her insight gave me a way to look at ways of living that were different from my own in an introspective way.