Collaboration

Collaboration within a group is dependent on the individual’s willingness to work together. Through collective contributions, diversity of each person’s strengths and weaknesses, and involvement in the change process, the collaboration will be a key concept when it comes to working toward a social change. Looking back at a different concept, it is very difficult to have collaboration without having a common goal or controversy with civility. Because of how this concept only can happen with other concepts before it, I would not consider this a super important concept amongst the others. Of course, it is very nice to have collaboration between individuals and it would be very difficult to enact social change without it. I truly believe that there are so many other factors before collaboration that have to go well to have effective social change. 

A time that collaboration was very important to me was when I went to Honduras in the spring of 2020. I went with a team that thankfully meshed really well and we were able to determine our common purpose very quickly with very few conflicts, which allowed us to collaborate on how we would go about our time there. As a team, we discussed each person’s strengths and weaknesses and determined who would do the best in what position. We all had to reach out of our comfort zone a bit, but I think that made us collaborate even better. When I had to have in-depth conversations with people that I did not know who were speaking in a language that I do not know, I had to rely on the people around me and collaborate with them to make the difference that we were trying to make in these people’s lives. I remember a specific instance where I was with 2 of my team members and one of our translators in a park and we started talking to a woman who was sitting alone. We were asking her some questions and sharing some of the reasons that we were there and as she opened up, it allowed the four of us to work together to have the best possible conversation that we could. That conversation was one of my favorite parts of the trip and I do not think I would have that memory if we had not collaborated and made a game plan before going into it. In the future, I plan to continue collaborating with those that I work closely with to ensure the most success in whatever we are trying to tackle together.