Transcripts For KCSM Taiwan Outlook 20130804 : vimarsana.com

There is an promotion of educational exchanges with countries in africa, including tanzania and sierra leone. On todays program, we are delighted to have jeanpascal lombart, supervisor of Student Volunteer Groups National Tsing Hua University at the at the National Tsing Hua University. Welcome to the program, father jeanpascal. Thank you. Its a pleasure to be here. Im happy to have the opportunity to share what we are doing with the taiwanese students. It is the 60 year im going to take a team to sierra leone sixth year im going to take the team to sierra leone. There will be two other teams going to tanzania and one from Tsing Hua University in july to midaugust. I look forward to sharing that with you. Lets backtrack. Tell us about yourself. You were born in france. Why did you decide to come to taiwan in 1998 . I belonged to an International Group of priests. During the course of my formation, i went to tanzania for two years as an experiment to discover if that is the kind of life that i want to live. Then i went along with my studies and towards the end, when i was about to be a priest, i was invited to apply for the country to serve. I had three countries in mind. Tanzania was number one because i knew the language. Taiwan was number two. It was the beginning for our group. I was encouraged to apply for it. They told me, we need people like you. I dont know what that means. [laughter] the third was the Central African republic. The action is because my father lived there for 15 years before he was married. He was growing coffee and cotton. When i was a kid, i had those stories about central africa. So this is how i applied. And it was accepted. Before you came to taiwan, you had never been here. This is a very dramatic change of climate, people, culture. How did you get to adjust to the lifestyle and cultural, environment in taiwan . I knew two persons when i came to taiwan. I suppose that both work with you . Not exactly. One of the work and flew with me and taiwan in taiwan and the other works with me in the Senior High School who i had met in paris. I told her, im going to that was the first step of building up a network. Cecilia is her name. The adjustment is through those people, both those who know me from france. We discussed what we see, what we hear, what we eat, and the language learning. The local taiwanese people when you make the effort of learning the language, people are so grateful and attentive to make it happen. They tell you, your chinese is so wonderful after one week. You believe it in the beginning. [laughter] that makes it easier. You feel welcome and encouraged. Learning chinese is a big challenge. Its a very difficult language. As things go on, it becomes more and more interesting and you have a sense that you belong here. You get to know more people and more people get to know you better as well. Father jeanpascal, what was your motivation to set up this educational volunteer group at the National Tsing Hua University . Back in 2008, when you started, what was your motivation and factors that helps you decide that was the right thing to do at the time . I discovered afterwards that it was a good idea. In the beginning, it was an invitation, teacher of Tsing Hua University university. I stressed on the importance of building relationship before moving towards a collaboration. He told me, we are trying to do that and Tsing Hua University through the National Volunteer program. We have teams going to knit how, indonesia nepal, indonesia, and ghana. Would you present a proposal . I thought for five seconds and accepted. I made a few phone calls to tanzania. I tried to look at the United Nations Development Goals to say what is the progress and needs of tanzania in that area, to lay a background, foundation for the service. With the idea that the first stage would be anyway to build up the contact, discover the people, let the people discover us, and take it from there. To, what can we do together . The motivation was to allow Young Taiwanese to have a similar experience to the one i had when i went to tanzania. That is, to discover that the world is bigger than my hometown , that you can actually become friends with foreigners. This could change the direction of your life. Its also a learning through experience. I like to teach people, but not in the classroom. I like people to learn from experience. I try to create that environment for a good experience. Father, back five years ago when you first started doing this, people probably ask you two questions. Why tanzania . That is a country far away from taiwan. Most people and in taiwan know very little about tanzania. You will have difficulties and challenges in getting the students and sponsorship you need to support the programs. What do you say to those questions . You mentioned that people know very little about tanzania. That was one of the reasons why i chose tanzania. My idea was to open the horizons. I feel that taiwan is in the position on the mainland margin of mainland of china. And there is no taiwan connection between connection between taiwan and africa. I had this contact, i had the language. Plus, tanzania is a poor country. Tanzania is a country where people speak english and swahili, but you can get by in english. Its a peaceful country. Safety was priority number one for the university when they told me, you can present a project, they said safety was number one. I said, ok. I have those contacts, members of my congregation, 150 of them work in tanzania. We are there for about 150 years. I felt confident. You said also, challenges and difficulties that motivate me. I dont like to walk the traveled road. I like to open new roads. That is something im discovering after being in taiwan and starting different things. I have the spirit of starting new roads and going where people have not been, or less traveled road. I feel we learn more than just walking the highway. Going along in these programs, how did you get the students at the National Tsing Hua University interested in going on the trips with you . They probably knew very little about tanzania as well. They would say, i would like to go but i know very little about the country. How can you help me prepare . I think they knew the same about tanzania as i knew about taiwan when i came. They had the same spirit of adventure or discovery. A number of them told me, it is unique in my life to discover africa. This is still the case for the students who volunteered in our teams, in addition to the project, there is a attraction of going to this place where very few people have been. People like to come back and say i had an experience that no one else had. And going and sharing and making friends. The second one, i felt they were attracted by the logic of the program. We dont define a project here in taiwan in an office. There is no paper. Believing that we know what the people need, we go there. We meet them. We have a few activities together. The first year there are courses, intercultural exchange, talking about taiwan, trying to learn the language in tanzania. So that is basically the process of getting to know each other better. Father, ihat thought. We need to take the first rake on the program. Break on the program today. Welcome back to the second segment of our program today. We continue our conversation with jeanpascal lombart, a supervisor of Student Volunteer Groups at the National Tsing Hua University. Excuse me for interrupting you earlier. We were going through the process of asking you, what was some of the reasons that you needed to provide to students at the Tsing Hua University to convince them this is the right thing for them to do. I think i did not need to give too many reasons. They were really attracted by the idea of giving one month of service to the people who have needs, and trying to contribute what they are learning or what they have learned both in the classroom and in the clubs in the university or through their volunteer service. To see that this can be useful and lifegiving for people. Plus, the challenge of building up a project which could be defended or which could be presented to sponsors. For me, its a very important part of the program. To convince people that what youre doing has a value and youre able to make it, you have to convince yourself he convinced yourself. Be convinced yourself. The first part of the training is between six and nine months of preparation. The students meet every week. I tell them when i recruit them, about 10 hours every week. Between meetings and personal preparation. One of the big tasks is to prepare a project book to be presented to the university, the ministry of Foreign Affairs, education, and businesses so we sponsor. To be prepared to answer the questions. Why go so far when there are needs and taiwan in taiwan . The duration is very short. Do you speak the language, is it safe . All those questions. Im going to give you another questions, father. What kinds of changes or impact do you think your Student Volunteer Groups will make in a country like tanzania . It is the opportunity to discover that you can become friends with foreigners, that you can contribute your own experience, what you have learned in the classroom. Also, the skills. Maybe from taiwan, more or less a project evolves towards computer education. I feel that is something that taiwan can contribute there. The experience of making a difference in other peoples lives through very simple and not so costly projects, it increases your own selfworth and sense of purpose. At the same time, discovering that tanzanian people also have things to teach to us that we can learn from them, and maybe this encounter can change some of our values or perspectives in life. For example, just one experience we have which i found very interesting. Taiwanese students at least and perhaps taiwanese eagle in general are very work focused towards achieving a rest people in general are very work focused towards achieving a result. When teaching the tanzanian teachers the use of computer software, the students were focused on that. They were a bit disappointed because the tanzanian teachers were a bit slow. Some of them missed the classes or were coming late. The break was long. They were focusing on preparing the next class, so they stayed in the classroom while the tanzanian teachers were going for the tea break. After we discovered that the tanzanian teachers were saying, why do the taiwanese dont come for the tea breaks . Thats the important time. We get to know each other and share each others stories. We discovered that without building the relationship we could not achieve the goal. I think we shared the focus from taiwanese culture of achieving the goal, but also we learned that without building the relationship and being attentive to the rhythm of the other person, you would not achieve that goal either. That kind of learning is applicable in the Work Environment today, and anyplace you go. Priority to relationship and knowing each other. If i dont feel you respect me and care for me, im not going to give my 100 for you. Are their students in the middle of the mission who come up to you and say, father, i cant take it. This is much tougher or more difficult than i anticipated, i would like to go home early. Has that happened . When and if that happens, how do you resolve the concern may be over the cultural shock, adjustment into a different environment. What i try to do is before going, i told him there is no turning back. When you get in the plane, we go together and come back together. There is no real option. There is option, but really you go for the whole trip. We get to know a little bit the country. But also, one of the important things they will discover is africa is not so terrible. Its not difficult. Its a very enjoyable and good place to live. It is safe, people are welcoming. You dont sleep under a tree. You have water. People knowing that we are foreigners, we come from a more developed country, they will make all efforts to prepare clean, and varied food for us. Water for our showers. The hospitality we get, it is amazing. We learn also about hospitality. That is one of the values that african cultures have to share with the rest of the world. You let everything you have at hand because there is a guest. It is also based on the belief that the guest is a blessing. If we can learn that, that is wonderful learning. The other person is a blessing for my life if i take the effort to welcome him or her. I can certainly appreciate the fact that, you bring in the least taiwanese students over to africa and coming back. I would suppose most of the students have certainly benefited from this experience. As a person in the maturation process, and given the fact that you continue to organize groups to go over to africa has that helped in terms of more and more students are now curious, attracted to the trips that you organize to go to places like tanzania . We have taken until now, about 100 students to africa. Roughly 20 per year . Yes. Good. We have 45 going into three different groups this year. For three years we had only one team. After three years, we started the medical team. Now we are starting sierra leone team. We have set up an organization or association which carries on the concern of the volunteers after they come back. That is what they have started for one month in tanzania or later on in sierra leone, who is going to take it over after us . Who will pass on the information and contacts so it is an incremental process, not starting from zero every year . We have set up that organization. We have more and more people who contact us. When we do fund raising, we have to advertise. Not only the business or people who can sponsor us here, but students who are curious and interested. Last week i got an email from a student from Taiwan University who was asking, can i join your group . There are people who are interested, i feel, and thats what we want to promote. Going abroad for volunteer service is something which should be part of a curriculum of a Young Taiwanese, if we want to get in a global village, global society. We have about a minute left in this part of the program. How has the trip changed you . We understand that tanzania is a country you have been many times before. How has the trip of student volunteers that you have been organizing in the last five years, how has the trip changed your life . It has made me love more taiwanese and tanzanian people. It has allowed me to see a purpose in my life, in my journey. Going to tanzania for two years and then coming here for 15 years. I was always wondering, why did i go to tanzania . When i saw my students interacting with the tanzanians, i thought, this is the purpose of my life. I want people from different cultures to come together and discover the richness in each other and build Something Different than competition, ignorance, or prejudice but rather collaboration, friendship , peace building, discovering each other. You have certainly done a wonderful job in the last five years. We need to take another break. I will be right back. Welcome back to todays program on taiwan outlook. I am wu raykuo. We continue with jeanpascal lombart. Father, we understand this is the year, 2013, that you organize and lead a Student Volunteer Group into sierra leone. This is a country that many people in taiwan taiwan, myself included, know very little about. The country is generally not well depicted. This civil war, a lot of violence and bloodshed. Has the country changed in the last five or 10 years . I think their perception is very representative of 95 of humanity regarding sierra leone and africa in general. That is precisely why i like to go to africa to change this picture a little bit. And to help people discover that in africa, and in this case, sierra leone, people want to go on with their life. They have big dreams. They want to build up their country. They have gone through a very painful events at the civil war, which finished in 2002. They had three peaceful democratic transitions of power. What they want is to be part of humanity. They have been seen as a pariah, a dangerous place. They have big dreams for their country. I went there last october after having this invitation from a member of my congregation who is from sierra leone and is working there. When he heard that taiwanese students go to tanzania for service he said, could you send a team to our country . I said, i need to go and see first. [laughter] so you went in 2012 . Last october, for one month. I went to the places we are going this july. And met the people. I discussed with them, what can we do together as a first stage, where are we going to stay, how was transportation, and so on. It is safe. People are waiting for us. I believe that just the same as the students coming back from tanzania have shared good stories, hopeful story, joyful story about tanzania, i believe that will be the same experience in sierra leone. Given the fact is sierra leone has gone through transformation in the last 10 years, it is still a different country from tanzania. At different stages of development. Of course, they will have different needs. How would you design the program for sierra leone and little differently from the program that you have designed over the last five years for trips to tanzania . They have different needs. I think one of them which is not addressed by a program but rather by an attitude is, they need healing. There is suffering. There has been a lot of suffering. I remember talking with somebody. I was very careful not to touch on the issue of civil because i know it is an open wound still. When you touch it, people fear. But i build confidence. I talked to someone. He says, we can forgive but not forget. That person, 40 years old, started to cry in front of me. The pain is still there. To address the needs, it is not only us who decide what are the needs we are going to address. We go there and we tell the people we want to do something that would be beneficial for you