Networking for Positive Community Impact

By Jim Lescault

Networking for Positive Community Impact

I am grateful and honored for the opportunity I had to visit some of the ITD fellows I met in Amherst only six months prior. Visiting in their Chiapas, México, and Guatemalan communities I witnessed how they are approaching local economic sustainability challenges and supporting self-determination and empowerment practices.  As a community media specialist, I was especially interested to learn how each person and their organization were communicating internally and externally.  I wanted to engage in reciprocal conversations and learn how they utilize networking mechanisms for coordination, governance, recruitment, training, marketing and if they had, and how they addressed a digital divide.

Our travels were extensive, yet allowed time to visit sites such as “Mujeres Sembrando La Vida”, “Women Sowing Life”, in Zinocatón, México.  A cooperative with over 200 members, incluisve of many weavers who were assisted in maintaining their cultural identity traditions and textiles, all the while improving their economic independence.  A vibrant and easy to access website made their beautiful handmade work available for all to see and better yet to purchase: https://www.mujeressembrandolavida.com/.

The physical environment could not had been more dramatically different between Chiapas and Guatemala City, with 1.2 million population, all seemly wired to social media.  I was met by Alejandra Ramos Rivera, an ITD fellow assigned to Amherst Media and  given a tour of her place of employment, the National Radio Station, TGW, Guatemala’s first radio station. 

The federally funded station, restrains from politics but emphasizes the country’s rich musical history, as well as talk shows featuring Indigenous communities. 

I saw the station as an opportunity for ITD fellows working in those communities to reach out and request coverage for public awareness of their efforts. Discussions were started on cultural exchange programming, which would include Amherst Media.

Alejandra continues to interview Guatemalan women who have defied social constraints and “glass cielings” to post podcasts that could inspire younger women to pursue education and careers of their own choosing, beyond social expectations.

Grecia Mercedes Ramírez Ávila has worked at American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) Guatemala since 2018, as a Trade Manager, supervising ten committees, as well as communication strategies, including social media. One of her goals is to generate enhanced employment opportunities, especially for young women.  To help fulfill that goal, she has offered her services to Orfanato Valle de Los Angeles, a loving and  protective Franciscan community that serves 200 youth.

Grecia plans to utilize her extensive businesswomen contacts to invite speakers to address graduating high school girls around issues such as financial planning, social media security, and preparedness to enter into the workforce.  She was inspired to explore implementing a “Dress for Success Program” as well as a “Job Shadowing Program” from one of our conversations. Mutual learning and inspiration was a hallmark of our time together.

Throughout my trip I was often asked by the fellows about which of their cohort I had seen; many times they already knew because they stay connected and in tune to each other.  They are aware of their collective capacity, and intent on making real, lasting, positive change. ITD has helped make that possible for them.