Abra la Puerta a Chile Verde: Outdoor Environmental Education in - - PDF document

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Environmental Sustainability Across Cultures / Spring 2014 Lily Busher, Malcolm Johnson, David Richards, Jamie Shannon & Michiyo Weinstock

Abra la Puerta a Chile Verde: Outdoor Environmental Education in Limache, Chile

Baba Dioum, an African environmentalist, stated at the IUCN general assembly that, “in the end, we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught." Environmental educators regularly refer to this quote as the basis for their programs due to the truth that still rings true today. As an

• utdoor environmental education (OE) NGO based out of California, there is nothing we

would like to see more than children experiencing the natural world in a way that inspires them towards conservation. Our plan is to generate an OE program that utilizes traditional ecological knowledge and covers a wide range of environmental topics. In order to implement the program, we require support from government officials, teachers/administrators, outdoor professionals, and private funding. Currently the Ministerio del Medio Ambiente (Ministry of the Environment) has a division for environmental education (EE) that includes three programs: EE program support, funding for programs, and local community coordination. It is essential for us to work within the means of each program to ensure the success of our program. This paper outlines the background, economics, program details, and cultural implications of OE in Chile. Hopefully we can inspire children to conserve and love what they are taught through our program. Biocultural Background Chile, like many Latin American countries, has experienced a history that is rich with cultural implications. Over the years, Chile was conquered by Spanish conquistadors and only achieved independence after significant struggles. Following independence, Socialist president Allende maintained control and significantly changed the Chilean culture for his own needs. After years of turmoil and the mysterious disappearance of many citizens, Allende was overthrown and a social democracy was put in place. With a history of violence, valuing the natural world has been very low on the Chilean agenda. Currently, the economy in Chile is growing rapidly, mainly due to the transition to the global economy and resource extraction. The following section will discuss the economic implications on culture and nature. With the conquistadors came Catholicism, this is now practiced by over 70% of Chileans. The dedication to religion has had consequences for culture, with most people holding God above other values. Before the conquest of the Spanish there were hundreds of indigenous cultures present in Chile, some of which are still present today. This vast cultural diversity can be seen in the cultural heritage of every individual in Chile. Additionally, there exist multiple

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national parks and protected areas throughout the area, mostly established by Allende in an attempt to preserve the rich biodiversity of the nation. The main theory for the richness

• f biodiversity is the designation of Chile as a Mediterranean-Type Ecosystem (MTE). Other

MTEs are equally as diverse, such as the coast of California. Since we are familiar with many of the challenges that a MTE faces, we are qualified to assist in the creation of programs in a similar ecosystem. Chile also suffers from high population density within its major cities. In many cases, children spend their entire lives within the city, never experiencing the biocultural diversity of their own nation. We hope our project will get kids

• ut of the city so they can take pride in the green Chile.

One major challenge for our project would be bridging the culture gap between the US and Chile. On the Country Navigator, seven out of nine of the indicators were ‘red,’ which meant they were vastly different. Attempting to be culturally sensitive requires a shift towards Chilean culture for Americans since we are the ones farther from center. Other factors to be aware of when presenting our program include: ensuring the group believes that we will have a long-term commitment to the area; highlighting the importance of Chile to support the patriotism found throughout the country; being sure to have a more personal introduction with everyone in the room (such as shaking hands); and being sure to be more relationship focused than task oriented (start with conversations about family). Working in Chile is not impossible it just requires cultural sensitivity. Economic Background Since 1990, Chile has experienced rapid economic growth and became the first South American country to join OECD. Their economic growth relies on exports of natural resources, such as mining, forestry, and aquaculture, which accounts for 40% of GDP. While these growths resulted in positive trend such as exponential growth in GDP and significant reduce in poverty, severe environmental degradation has become serious problems in

• Chile. Particularly, booming business in mining and forestry sectors has given little

attention to environmental issues and human health. Development Challenge As introduced earlier, booming business in extractive sector has led to severe environmental issues such as air pollution in the Santiago metropolitan region and water and soil contamination caused by acid mine drainage at the Copper smelters in northern

• Chile. To combat these major health and environmental challenges, the Chilean government

must strengthen environmental policies to incorporate the notion of “sustainable development.” We define it as equitable development: 1) Sustain equitable improvement in quality of life without compromising future generations expectations and rights to enjoy nature, biological diversity, clean air and clean water, and food safety. 2) Ensure socio- economic development and environmental sustainability are complementary each other. 3) Improve social equity including eradicating poverty. 4) Achieve international competitiveness regarding business and safety standard.

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Policy Implementation In Chile, these environmental concerns led to robust policy implementation. 1) Health- In order to export to the other OECD countries that have higher safety standard, Chile needs to meet rigorous compliance with demanding environmental standard. In fact, Chile is a pioneer in the use of trading mechanism such as I) Tradable air emission permits. II) Nationwide trading of water rights. III) Individual transferable QUOTAs for fishery. 2) Technology - As a late comer of economic growth, Chile is jumping to more advanced, efficient and ecological technology. 3) Environmental management – Domestic programs have shown progress in air and water protection, biodiversity conservation, and waste management. 4) Environmental education – Environmental awareness and education are inevitably important to motivate private sector and individuals to maintain a healthy environment while ensuring viability of profitable business. Call for Environmental Education We believe that scientific knowledge gained by environmental education will help Chilean to better understand environment and why it is important to know the state of

• environment. These information and knowledge will stimulate public participation,

communication, and active dialogue to sustain both environmental and profitable business that benefits local community. In the long term, we would argue that environmental education and awareness especially to next generation through experience-based programs such as cataloging living species in nature is most effective way to achieve such goals. Program Details Limache Outdoor Education School Under the Chilean government’s Chile Verde program, which supports the development of environmental education programs, the Limache Outdoor Education School in Limache, Chile, plans to work toward the program’s initiatives by implementing and monitoring an outdoor education school in central Chile. The school builds on the country’s program and goals to further environmental values and corporate responsibility, both of which are appreciated by Chilean culture. Limache, Chile The decision to position the school in the city of Limache came because of its prime

• location. This small sized city in the Valparaíso region conveniently sits close enough to

both Santiago, the capital, and the Pacific Ocean, but far enough to experience a sense of

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nature and adventure. Most importantly, the city is only 25 km from La Campana National Park, which will serve as the primary location for outdoor education. The park itself is home to one of the last remaining palm forest of the Chilean Wine Palm tree. This 80-km2 forest varies in valleys and mountains, and offers a wide range of learning opportunities. Hiking trails throughout the park will be the best means to demonstrate the park’s biodiversity. Limache is also only 50 km from Lake Peñuelas National Reserve. The United Nation’s Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated the reserve a biosphere reserve. This signifies that because the biodiversity is so rich, it is imperative to protect and share for educational purposes. The reserve is most known for its bird species. More than 120 bird species come to this reserve for protection, breeding, and food. The reserve will be another central part for the outdoor education school. Finally, the city is 43 km from Valparaíso and 103 km from Santiago. Valparaíso is a coastal city with biologically diverse beaches and tide pools. The ocean and its ecosystem will be part of the curriculum. Santiago is the largest city in Chile. With 6 million people, it represents 35 percent of the country’s total. Much like other large cities, much of the population has not had the opportunity to discover other environments and nature outside

• f the city limits. The outdoor school plans to change that, and give those opportunities to

see what is outside of the busy city. The Outdoor Education School Curriculum The school itself will be a one-week intensive program for students of the ages 8-15. These students in groups of about 40 will be supervised and taught by 8 Chilean naturalists, well versed in ecology and marine biology. The camp will have a classroom and sea lab, which will prepare students for outdoor hiking, tide pooling, and general art, writing, and

• music. A sample week will include a day at each location listed above. For evening activities

the students will be able to present what they learned through art, writing, and music. This school has the potential to touch, invigorate, and inspire students! Cultural Implications After discussing the logistics of our proposed program, we switch gears to discuss some of the cultural implications of working with Chileans. We start this section of the presentation by having all group members greet the students and professor in the classroom as we would in a Chilean business meeting. One student shakes the hand of the professor, generously thanking him for taking the time to meet with us and making sure to ask about his or her family. After everyone is greeted, as they would be in Chile, we launch into the formal presentation.

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Cultural Factors to Consider When Negotiating with Chileans:

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Personal relationships, family and connections (Chilean culture is highly relationship oriented- no business can take place without first having built a personal relationship)

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Importance of long-term commitment (Chileans look for long-term commitment with a partner they trust)

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Chilean patriotism (Chile ≠ Argentina!)

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Presentation and preparation are highly valued (come prepared and look good!)

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“Inherent sense of courtesy” (Chileans have a habit of saying what they think you want to hear rather than giving honest response- this is important to keep in mind when negotiating)

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Tu vs usted (knowing which tense to use when addressing colleagues) Next, we launch into a discussion of some negotiation tactics drawn from Influencer. Tactic 1: Focus on sense of personal accomplishment Source of Influence: Personal Motivation Chilean strategy: Be sure to ensure productivity by encouraging Chileans throughout the process and pointing out how much you’ve accomplished so far. “Chileans can be curiously self-deprecating” and often have a habit of talking about how disorganized and lazy they can be. In a business setting, this can lead to slow progress

• r unproductive meetings. To ensure that negotiations stay on track, make sure to

recognize progress and focus on how much individuals in the group have accomplished thus far. Tactic 2: Extract intrinsic satisfaction through immersion Source of Influence: Social Motivation Chilean Strategy: Engage the group in activities similar to the proposed program. Since the proposed project is an experiential outdoor education program, we believe that involving the Chilean group hearing the proposal in some activities similar to those contained in the program would be beneficial. By immersing them in an experience similar to the one we are trying to create with our new program, hopefully we can increase buy in from the Chilean team. Tactic 3: Don’t come in with a sense of cultural dominance Source of Influence: Personal Ability Chilean Strategy: When approaching negotiations with Chileans, be humble and remember to emphasize a long-term commitment. It is very important not to come in with a sense of cultural dominance since Chileans are especially nationalistic and proud of their culture. This also ties into where they fall on

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the task-relationship orientation scale; they are highly relationship-focused, so this needs to be considered when entering negotiations. The American negotiators need to keep in mind that relationship building may take a bit longer than they are used to, and to respect this part of the process if they hope to make progress. Also, Chileans look for a long-term commitment from business partners, so it is important to make sure that a healthy relationship exists between both parties to build trust. Tactic 4: When facing resistance, talk to the group about what they want Source of Influence: Social Ability Chilean Strategy: Appeal to Chilean nationalism & family values. Make a special effort to be accepted by the group. If facing resistance, look for a way in through one person. Chileans are highly group-oriented, so getting in with the group is going to be an essential part of the negotiation process. By appealing to Chilean nationalism and (largely Catholic) family values, the team will be more likely to be accepted and the important relationship building can begin. If breaking into the group does not appear to be working, getting one or two people on your side can be a good place to start. An ally or two, especially those in influential positions within the group, can be extremely helpful in breaking down barriers or reservations that others may have. Tactic 5: Be persistent and don’t rush business Source of Influence: Personal Ability Chilean Strategy: Take time to build rapport with your counterpart Chileans tend to be more relationship oriented. When conducting business, having a personal relationship is necessary before any agreements or negotiations can take place. Americans who wish to work with and influence Chileans must remember to be flexible and adaptable. It is vital to perceive the need to talk about family, personal well-being, and create a friendship before conducting business. While this may be difficult for Americans who tend to be more task oriented, finding the personal ability to surpass one’s limits and meet a Chilean on their terms will result in better negotiations because the Chilean will be more receptive to new ideas if s/he does not feel rushed. For our program, our meeting would not have begun without first socializing over coffee and catching-up with our friends in the audience. Tactic 6: Use personal and social motivators as primary tactics Source of Influence: Personal and Social Motivation

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Chilean Strategy: Recognize that Pitutos (family members, friends, and other connections) and the favors they provide are the key to business success in Chile. In Chile, most new connections are formed through introductions by personal friends or family members. Americans must be conscious of being an outsider coming into an environment of well-formed connections. It is important to make friends with people who can provide further introductions before pitching a new idea. For the purposes of the

• utdoor education program we are proposing, we would need to form alliances and

relationships with educators and government officials before we could present our plan to a larger audience. Once our plan is presented, we will have already built a network of support among the key stakeholders, which leads to a greater chance for project

• completion. This strategy is both personal and social motivation because on an individual

basis, people must be influenced that our program is desirable. Then, those individuals form a larger group that can harness their motivation and create a sustainable program. Tactic 7: Identify the most powerful/influential person in the room Source of Influence: Structural Ability Chilean Strategy: Decisions are made from the top so deal with the most senior person you can access. For our audience, we would be dealing with top government officials from the Environmental Education Unit who designate funding and design environmental education

• curriculum. Furthermore, there would be teachers who use the curriculum in their

classrooms in the audience. While our own pitutos may be of varying ranks within the hierarchy, it is important to greet and direct attention first to the highest ranking members in the room according to norms of cultural respect. Additionally, the highest ranking official should be greeted by the highest ranking member in our American team. In our presentation, we demonstrated this by having Jamie (our designated team leader) personally greet Professor Fordos (our designated top official). However, in order to not

• ffend the rest of the audience, every team member greeted everyone in the meeting and

paid special attention to our closer friends who helped arrange the meeting in the first

• place. The influencer strategy structural ability calls on influencers to change their
• environment. Our greeting accomplishes this by changing the dynamic from foreigners

presenting to an unknown audience to close friends and new acquaintances coming together to discuss a new idea. Tactic 8: Don’t try to change their culture, work within it Source of Influence: Structural Motivation

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Chilean Strategy: The majority of Chilean executives believe that corporate social responsibility has a positive influence on employee productivity and corporate image, hence Chile Verde. Our outdoor education program has a good chance for success in Chile because of the existing Environmental Education Structure and cultural belief in social responsibility. The Environmental Education program “Chile Verde” exists, but there is not a strong connection between classroom instruction and hands-on experience. This is the need that

• ur program will fill. It is essential to honor the existing program structure and praise the

teachers for their current curriculum. We must show our desire to strengthen the program goals, not change them completely. Also, Chileans are already invested in social responsibility, so we need to emphasize our long term dedication to the program and country as well. Because there is already a strong program structure, structural motivation can be used to demand accountability and persuade government officials that our program adds a necessary element to make their program a success. Conclusion Chilean Culture and American culture have very different ways of relating, making decisions, and thinking. Because Chileans are closer to the middle of the spectrum from the Cultural Navigator, it may be easier for Americans to adjust their habits to more closely match those of Chileans in order to form a successful partnership. Chile has already made a commitment to environmental education programming because of environmental degradation practices in their country such as air pollution in the Santiago Metropolitan Region and copper smelters in northern Chile. The main information instruments the government is using to change their policies are scientific knowledge and understanding, public participation and dialogue, and environmental education and awareness. The environmental education and awareness programs are housed under the “Chile Verde”

• program. This existing structure inspired our program slogan, “Abra la puerta a Chile Verde”

(Open the Door to Green Chile). Beginning with our slogan, our outdoor education program uses all six sources of influence recommended by The Influencer. We would form close relationships, take time with the program negotiations, find strength in numbers among our connections (pitutos), harness collective motivation and add onto the existing Chile Verde framework. Following these strategies, our outdoor education program would be a success and our NGO would prosper from a sustainable relationship in Chile.