Is this from a lack of responders, a lack of boundaries, or both? Willow Brugh // willowbl00 <http://blog.bl00cyb.org/> // stick figures for hire <http://viz.bl00cyb.org> schedule research <http://meetme.so/research>, work<http://meetme.so/gwoborg> , or social <http://meetme.so/willowbl00> time with me
0xf8a3976b56a2db35 On Fri, Dec 20, 2013 at 10:40 PM, Lindsay Oliver <[email protected]> wrote: > I think it would be incredibly beneficial to talk about our own > experiences of not doing self-care on the GWOBcast. Adding a personal > perspective can help people understand that there are real and lasting > effects when you don't care for yourself, especially in how it affects your > ability to continue the response effort. Would anyone be willing to > participate in such a cast? We'll be doing our next one 5PM PDT January > 8th, 2014. > > Lindsay Oliver > Program Director, Geeks Without Bounds <http://gwob.org> > [email protected] > > > On Thu, Dec 19, 2013 at 6:27 AM, Pierre Béland <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Thanks for this Heather. >> >> Yes this is a community of passionate volunteers that work so hard. I >> have worked in almost every HOT Activations and participated to the >> coordination of many of these. >> >> This Activation is very intensive. For the first 10 days, the core team >> people were often working 16 hours a day. And sometimes waking up at night >> to assure that nobody was waiting for an answer to an important matter. >> This Activation is ungoing for almost 6 weeks now. >> >> The media have recognized how sucessful was this HOT contribution to this >> Activation. We work in a context were we always invent new ways of working, >> bring new technologies, contribute to better logistic of the various >> humanitarian structures that make intervention. At the same time, this is >> a lot of responsability and stress. >> >> I agree that we should all take care to have some rest. We should also >> relativize about what we can do in such missions. I have learned over time >> that you cannot do more then do your best. And I see that from an >> Activation to the other we are more an more efficient and make the >> difference. This, the various UN Agencies and humanitarian partners have >> recognized. >> >> Let's also take care of ourselves. Let's also take care of people in our >> organization that make such success with these activations. Let's be >> careful to not discuss agressively. If we see people deeply involved in >> these activations that show signs of exhaustion, let's support them instead >> of throwing rocks at the, if I can say! If you are angree at what they >> say, I suggest that you first contact them personnaly and try to explain, >> to have a friendly discussion. If you see that these people look exhausted, >> tell them and try to finish the discussion on the positive point. >> >> regard, >> >> Pierre >> >> ------------------------------ >> *De :* Heather Leson <[email protected]> >> *À :* "HOT@OSM (Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team)" <[email protected]>; >> Willow Brugh <[email protected]>; Lindsay Oliver <[email protected]> >> *Envoyé le :* Jeudi 19 décembre 2013 8h26 >> *Objet :* [HOT] Compassion and Self-Care >> >> HI Folks, >> >> I've been thinking a lot lately about compassion and the volunteer >> community. This relates to HOT but also the wider network of Crisismappers. >> Last month I wrote on my personal blog[1] that we participate almost by >> instinct and we want to do something that 'matters'. One of the qualities >> we all share include compassion. We know that each communication and each >> edit is making a valuable change. We know that responders may use our work. >> This drives us to do more. >> >> For those us involved in multiple responses a year (either in HOT or >> across Digital Humanitarian communities), the risk of burnt out and health >> issues are high. I know for a fact that I completely burnt out after the >> Kenyan Elections in March. The Typhoon response has been going for well >> over a month. The tone of the mailing list has become strong, pointed. I >> did not engage in most of it because I was concerned that it was not >> healthy for me or potentially others. But, I read all the notes. They have >> been weighing on me. This note is not to reopen those discussions, but to >> ask us all to get out the wide-angle lens and do a pulse check. HOT is >> amazing passionate and talented community. I am in awe of the gifts you >> continue to give. >> >> As far as I know, traditional field responders go in shifts. There are >> trained professionals to help guide their journey. They are well versed in >> the results of not taking care of oneself. Can anyone speak to this with >> some resources? >> >> The StandBy Task Force has an in house 'community/ self-care team'. These >> folks work on taking care of the whole team. We watch the clock and remind >> everyone to log off, take breaks, go for a walk etc. Sometimes deep in a >> response I often found this advice to be extravagant. But, it forces me to >> really think about the pile of dishes and the breeze outside. The SBTF also >> time-bounds their responses to take care of the volunteers. >> >> HOT activations are lead by amazing folks and quiet participants doing >> all kinds of contributions. Each of you give hours and I dare say, >> weeks/months, in a long haul response. I know that we have not coordinated >> formally in shifts and more often we simply don't have a lot of visibility >> into all the moving parts that make a successful HOT response. This >> includes all the conversations around getting and using mapping. We also >> have not sought to have in house self-care mechanisms. >> >> This morning Geeks Without Bounds posted this article[2] about self-care. >> I think it is an important read for all of us. >> >> The space of digital humanitarians is new. We are all creating an >> ecosystem to make this possible. It really makes me focus on what matters - >> each of you. How can we better support each other? What outside help can we >> get to support those who are deep in response? >> >> >> 1. http://textontechs.com/2013/11/why-we-volunteer-yolandaph/ and >> http://textontechs.com/2013/11/heart-of-the-matter/ >> 2. >> http://gwob.org/blog/2013/12/18/self-care-and-humanitarian-response-worker/ >> >> >> I am wishing peace and downtime for everyone >> >> Heather >> >> Heather Leson >> [email protected] >> Twitter: HeatherLeson >> Blog: textontechs.com >> >> _______________________________________________ >> HOT mailing list >> [email protected] >> https://lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo/hot >> >> >> >
_______________________________________________ HOT mailing list [email protected] https://lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo/hot
