After nearly 7.5 years working for International Rivers, today is my last day in the office before maternity leave. I don’t know what the future will bring, but I know it will be exciting and full of learning new things, just like my time here has been.
When I started as Campaigns Assistant in March of 2008, I was only a few months graduated from UC Berkeley. I had gotten to study abroad in Chile for a semester, and felt incredibly lucky to land a job here in Berkeley that included 20% of my time dedicated to a campaign aimed at stopping five dams in Chilean Patagonia.
When I started working here, my plan was to become a campaigner. I even told the woman interviewing me (former Campaigns Director Aviva Imhof and my future boss), that my goal was to someday have her job. (I was mortified that I had actually said that and thought for sure I wouldn’t get hired!)
Supporting campaigners with their communications needs was part of my job as Campaigns Assistant. I got to learn and then manage the system we use for sending email blasts and hosting online advocacy actions. Growing up, I’d always loved to read, but never felt confidence as a writer. I preferred to make other people’s writing better. But due to my inability to read something without editing it (I’m one of those people who points out errors on restaurant menus to the servers), I eventually got roped into helping edit articles, publications and reports.
This was also the time when social media was becoming popular. I had a Facebook account when I was at UC Berkeley (back when you had to have a university email address to join Facebook), so was excited to take on managing the Facebook profile for International Rivers. And then Twitter happened. I found myself more and more interested in the communications aspects of campaigns, and then of the communications needs of the organization as a whole.
I’ve had many different job titles and duties over my time here (probably more than anyone else, as I kept switching every year or two). From Online Organizer to Social Media Coordinator to my current (and longest-held) title of Community Engagement Manager, the bulk of my time here has been spent in communications. It was a natural progression for me, and has really instilled in me how important it is not only to do the work on the ground, but to make sure as many people as possible know about that work – and care about it enough to want to get involved themselves.
Through first editing and then writing emails for campaigners, I gained skills and confidence in my writing ability. Through taking a public speaking class and MCing various events for International Rivers, I got over my near-debilitating fear of public speaking, something I’ve had most of my life. I now love to write and speak in front of audiences, both of which have helped immensely in my work here.
I especially love to write and speak publicly when I can let my passion for the issues come through. I loved blogging and presenting in front of crowds about the Patagonia campaign as the Patagonia Campaign Coordinator. I love writing email blasts asking people to take action for a particular campaign, whether it’s aimed at protecting the biodiversity of a river, or protecting the rights of indigenous communities who are in danger of being forcibly pushed off their ancestral lands to make way for a big dam. And one of my favorites skills I’ve learned over the past few years is writing fundraising appeals.
You know those letters and emails you get asking you to donate to International Rivers? I’ve written or edited a lot of those. You might ask why I love that part of my job so much. My answer is that through asking you for financial support, I get to boil our work down to the most important parts and explain why what we do matters. Why your support for our work actually makes a difference in the future of some of the world’s most important rivers, and the lives of so many millions of people who you and I might never meet, but who are relying on us to help them defend their human rights and their homes.
Being able to explain those things to you is a privilege, and every donation that comes in as a result is a truly-appreciated gift. If you care enough to make a donation to International Rivers, it shows me that I’ve done my job well. And that’s real job satisfaction.
As I get ready to bring a new human into the world, I’m bringing a lot of the skills learned here with me. I’m bringing perseverance in the face of adversity – things I learned from the amazing activists I had the privilege of meeting through the Patagonia campaign, the annual International Day of Action for Rivers, at Rivers for Life 3, and of course my brilliant colleagues. I bring an appreciation for the importance of using language well, and knowing how the power of words can hinder or help any cause. And I bring a dedication to fight for justice in our world, at any level we see it.
I don’t know what the future will bring for me and my work at International Rivers, but I do know that each one of you I’ve been able to connect with has impacted my life. Thank you to all my colleagues, all the activists I’ve met from around the world, and each one of you who has supported this organization with your online actions and financial contributions over the years. As long as we continue to stand strong together, we can protect the awe-inspiring arteries of our planet called rivers. I’ll be thinking of all of you the first time I dip my newborn baby into the fresh running water of a Northern California river.
As my fellow activists in Latin America say, ¡El pueblo, unido, jamás será vencido! United together, we will never be defeated!