Junior Branch
ALBUM
IJR 2021 Questionnaire Vy Nguyen
2021-2023
Email: vynguyen062003@gmail.com or Instagram: @itsvydawg
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QUESTION
1
Introduction/ Motivation
2
Supporting JBers
3
4
5
PAGE NUMBER
2
Vy Nguyen
12
Vy Nguyen
Reimagining JB
22
Vy Nguyen
IJB Team
28
Vy Nguyen
Managing and Building the IJB Community Vy Nguyen
34
IJR 2021 Questionnaire Vy Nguyen
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IJR 2021 Questionnaire
Introduce yourself and tell us about why you are running for IJR!
Question 1: Introduction/motivation Vy Nguyen 00:01
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Junior Branch
IJR 2021-2023 Candidate About Vy!
My pronouns are she/her/hers. I'm 17, but will be 18 at election! I live in Hanoi, Vietnam (I go to a high school in Portland, OR, but have been in remote learning for the past year.) Some of my favorites are making Spotify playlists for my friends, thrifting, kickboxing, and making Viet food. I have been working at a peerto-peer crisis line for two years and am the editor for my school newspaper :)
Vy Nguyen Hanoi, Vietnam
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I advocate for mental health, intersectionality and racial equity. I'm not sure what I will major in for college, but it will be a combination of psychology, sociology, and data science!
Gender and LGBTQ+ Inclusion WG IJB Representative
IJBC 2020
JASPARC 2020
IJBC 2019
Diversity and Inclusion Facilitator
Facilitator
Participant
IJR 2021 Questionnaire Vy Nguyen
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Like many others who share intersections with my identity, I have considered quitting CISV international programs before. Skin my shade, eyes my slant, mouth my accent, mind my culture, I did not feel protected in CISV. Going to IJBC 2019 sparked hope in me that there are ways I can channel this struggle into action. For the first time, I see so many people like me in our organization: young, Asian, or queer, and I took refuge in our unity in experience.
Question 1 Vy Nguyen
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Though there were conscious efforts at dialogue around equity and inclusion within JB and CISV at large, the conversations then were surface-level. Well intentions grew sour when the scene boiled down to a debate of living people’s rights. From day one, I have felt like I belong in Junior Branch, and so do the many friends I met here and had the chance to learn from and collaborate with. Hate and ignorance are not absent in JB, but the community has proven countless times that it is ready for progress and open to learning. Question 1 Vy Nguyen
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In 2020, I was given the opportunity to facilitate sessions on diversity and inclusion at JASPARC and IJBC. My team's intention was to guide people in the right direction to safety and inclusion, collectively brainstorm as we grieve, and introduce new tools along the way. We led region-specific sessions on anti-racism and LGBTQ+ inclusion, profiling these topics in-depth, and ran allyship spaces to amplify marginalized experiences. We supported affinity groups, creating the safe space that I wish I’d had at fourteen in CISV, picked on by fellow campers for getting upset because someone wrote "ching chong" on Vietnam's Stereotype poster.
Question 1 Vy Nguyen
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I decided to accept my nomination and run for IJR because I want to give back to Junior Branch after what the community has given me: a safe space to fully express myself, friends and mentors, and a nuanced perspective.
Question 1 Vy Nguyen
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I believe that I have the insights and skills needed to be a good IJR and lead JB towards sustainable leadership and social reformation in the next two years. My young age is not a limit to my capability, but rather an enabler of my impact. With the newfound accessibility that predominantly online structure provides, our IJB demographic is growing younger and reaching across levels of involvement. My age allows for approachability and up-to-date knowledge of what the youth wants and needs. Question 1 Vy Nguyen
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Even though the IJB community as a whole is socially aware and ready for progress, we still have a long way to go. I believe in changes, and though frustrated at our occasional motto “all talks, no actions”, I understand that changes do not happen overnight. Any project, any motion, any movement needs a strong foundation, and rushing to impose actions while neglecting volunteer capacity or the diversity of opinions is unsustainable. I have the negotiation skills required for an IJR, alternating between soft and hard when needed. As the mediator between Junior Branch and many groups in CISV, I would work to represent and advocate for our ideas for the collective consensus.
Question 1 Vy Nguyen
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Diversity and inclusion have seemed separate from other interests in CISV, a topic we honor once every four years. From my experience outside of CISV and inside in the working group on Gender and LGBTQ+ Inclusion, I recognize that, for JB to fully achieve its goal of fostering an inclusive community of youth volunteers, we have to factor equity and inclusion into all of our intentions and actively redefine them. Focusing only on quantity puts quality in jeopardy, and I believe it is not ethical to knowingly expand membership while upholding an unsafe environment. Question 1 Vy Nguyen
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Junior Branch has the capability to and should spearhead changes in CISV. We are young, diverse, versatile, and innovative; we are the future of CISV.
Question 1 Vy Nguyen
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As an IJR, a huge part of our role is working with JBers from different levels of the organization One of the main groups we work with directly are the NJRs. How can IJB better support NJRs in their roles and what would you want to see implemented as IJR?
Question 2: Supporting JBers Vy Nguyen 00:02
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Support for NJRs comes in four levels: Regional Team IJR IJB Team Conferences and meetings
Question 2 Vy Nguyen
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Regional Team From regional updates to troubleshooting, IJR and Regional Team meetings are incredibly useful in making sure that chapters are on the same page regarding goals and resources. In addition, they open up windows for cross-regional collaborations and interactions that normally would not happen outside of conferences.
Question 2 Vy Nguyen
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Regional Team (cont) While neighborhood allocation centralizes the goals and resources of NJBs with similar demands, inter-neighborhood/ region-wide collaborations are often neglected and should be greatly promoted. There should be more opportunities outside of regional meetings for NJRs to connect as a region and to their entire regional team, not just their liaison. Building personal connections within the region’s leadership should be emphasized as a yearly regional goal.
Question 2 Vy Nguyen
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IJR Junior Branch is as supportive and relevant as it is because there are international collaborations across all levels of leadership and experience. However, so often, IJR has seemed distant or untouchable to the rest of Junior Branch, especially among those without positions or of a lower leadership. Contacting IJR should not be the last resort, but simply a step in the process of seeking help to solve a problem. Outside of conferences, there should be opportunities for IJR and NJRs to check in, fostering an open and accessible line of communication and support. Question 2 Vy Nguyen
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IJR (cont) IJR can also support NJRs by offering more transparency of IJB's current progress. Some ideas include revamping IJB Monthly Digest or starting a similar IJR newsletter, and building more social media presence. This way, NJRs have a tangible grasp of the international structure and our present plan to pinpoint sources of support. This clarity benefits not just NJRs, but really all levels of Junior Branch and CISV.
Question 2 Vy Nguyen
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IJB Team The IJB Team sets direction and runs initiatives with the development of the IJB community in mind. For this reason, their work is directly related to NJRs’ duty. Building direct connections between the two groups is crucial because the IJB Team is addressing many current issues faced by chapters and NJRs. With the weight of their responsibility, the IJB Team needs more presence than a yearly update on their membership. Story takeovers and quarter updates are among ways the IJB Team becomes more accessible to NJRs and the general JB community. In addition, online approachability and accessibility mean a higher level of interest in joining the team, ensuring fresh perspectives and controlling burnout.
Question 2 Vy Nguyen
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IJB Team (cont) With online conferences opening a new venue for exchange and collaborations between JBs across the world, it is vital that IJRs and regional teams are able to track this progress and adapt the current IJB structure to new ideas The least we can do is to make sure new projects and initiatives have IJB official support and open access to our rich resource bank. Within the IJB Team, the Events specialist can take on the task of developing a list of resource referrals and share the supervision of current initiatives with the IJRs. We can even officiate a new specialist position on virtual education and events that work mainly with regional teams to ensure a region-friendly insight.
Question 2 Vy Nguyen
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IJB Team (cont) JB Set and the NJR Welcome Pack should also be improved to better accommodate new NJRs. JB Set can be designed to specifically address the NJR experience aside from chapter development and educational content, with questions on the expectations, delivery, and needed adjustments to the NJR Welcome Pack. These recommendations can be piled into an ongoing document of dos and don'ts for new NJRs, guaranteeing a smooth transition of knowledge within generations of NJRs and a global perspective. Question 2 Vy Nguyen
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Conferences and meetings There are usually many opportunities for NJRs to interact at conferences and meetings. There have been attempts in the past to consult NJRs on what they want for conferences, but these efforts should be more prominent so regional meetings and IJBC best serve the common interests instead of a selected few's observations. The facilitation team should consult JB Set responses to determine what is needed by the IJB community and how sessions and other content deliveries can best address them. Question 2 Vy Nguyen
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Over the past year, how we do CISV and JB has changed. This has given us a great opportunity to try new things and work on new projects. In your opinion, what are some ways that we can build on what we’ve accomplished during the pandemic? What are some new ideas that you would like to implement during your term? Question 3: Reimagining JB Vy Nguyen 00:03
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A goal of IJB in 2020 has been to expand our accessibility, and online function has greatly enabled its achievement. We have reached a large audience previously obscured from international conferences and projects. We have been able to break down cost and physical barriers, for participants only need internet access and a smart device to connect to the diverse world that is International Junior Branch. Confronting our traditional ways of content delivery, we have adopted versatile methods and returned to our previous activeness. Question 3 Vy Nguyen
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Though there are faint hopes for regional meetings in 2022, it is safe to assume that the International Junior Branch would not be meeting in person for the next while. We have to adjust our mentality and truly accept online as the new norm for the organization.
Question 3 Vy Nguyen
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As mentioned above, there are now many international projects run by local chapters, and it is essential that IJB continues this exciting momentum. We can sustain these efforts by recruiting JB specialists to oversee the adaptation of the current international structure. Documenting and highlighting projects developed in the past year in the IJB Infopack lets us celebrate our current achievement and inspires the innovative spirit, granting us an insight into how we can further assess for improvements.
Question 3 Vy Nguyen
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Further collaboration between IJB Team and the Risk Management Committee should be considered and fostered. Junior Branch should be further incorporated into current Risk Management efforts because JB events - online or offline present a completely different dynamic from typical CISV programs. Adjustments to safeguarding guidelines such as CPP or R7 are urgent. In addition, our experience with managing risks in online activities would really augment and polish existing policies.
Question 3 Vy Nguyen
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Past IJB Team activities such as the Movie Club or the Book Club should be continued, maybe quarterly, to maintain international platforms for educational discussions and sustain connection within IJB. Affinity groups can also happen outside of conferences and be managed by a new project manager position, strengthened with inputs from the educational content specialist and others from the IJB Team.
Question 3 Vy Nguyen
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One of the central roles of an IJR is to chair the IJB Team What are some traits you consider important in a leader? Expand on what you will bring to the team.
Question 4: IJB Team Vy Nguyen 00:04
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Each IJB Team member carries tasks that require different levels of support from IJRs and other members. With the constant overlap between initiatives, it is important to build a strong team dynamic to encourage and maintain a resourceful, collaborative environment.
Question 4 Vy Nguyen
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My training in crisis de-escalation and intervention grants me sharp attention to rising problems and a quick mind for conflict resolutions. I am a natural peacemaker and will make sure the workspace is safe and enjoyable to all. My active listening skill allows me to comprehend all perspectives and collate different opinions into a collective conclusion. To strengthen interpersonal connection within the team, I plan to continue previous IJRs’ efforts such as fun icebreakers at the beginning of meetings.
Question 4 Vy Nguyen
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One of the most important traits of healthy leadership is approachability and accessibility. I want to make sure Team members always feel welcomed to reach out to me, either for work support, advice, or just overall ranting. Burnout is very prevalent in JB, especially to members in various levels of leadership. With my mental health advocacy background, I will administer certain bonding activities within the IJB Team so members are equipped with self-care methods and other skills to protect their mental wellness and preserve energy and mental space for their CISV tasks. Question 4 Vy Nguyen
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Even before the virtual transition, the IJB Team was constantly reshaped to best respond to the latest challenges faced by the JB community. I am open to try out new ideas and always ready for changes. This flexibility also manifests in goal setting - as a leader, I understand my team best and know when to call the shots to make sure we are not too stretched out and not easily thrown off courses by obstacles.
Question 4 Vy Nguyen
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The IJB Community is entirely virtual, and we continue to see higher levels of engagement/participation online. What would be your 3 strategies to manage and grow this online community of active CISVers?
Question 5: Managing and Building the IJB Community Vy Nguyen 00:05
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My three strategies are: Open for all Quality and safety JB is what you make of it
Question 5 Vy Nguyen
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Open for all: Maintain accessibility of 1. International involvement a. Opening new opportunities for involvement in international and regional initiatives: conferences and meetings support, IJB Thinks, etc b. Fostering connections between JB leaders through conferences and other platforms => collaborations between JB chapters Question 5 Vy Nguyen
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Open for all: Maintain accessibility of 2. Knowledge a. Transparency in IJB changes and actions (Monthly jkjkDigest or more!) b. Continuation of online conferences' musts: takeaway oookit, publication of session slides, accessible online oooregistration, etc. 3. Partnership: Encourage the usage of appropriate online oooplatforms such as Discord for IJB engagement outside of oooconferences and meetings Question 5 Vy Nguyen
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Quality assurance 1. Provide tools and inspiration for local activities through conferences and the updated IJB Infopack 2. Adjust R7, CPP, and other risk management protocols to align with JB’s direction of online as a norm and inclusion 3. Actively advocate and advertise our current online resources 4. Standardize evaluation tools for online activities
Question 5 Vy Nguyen
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JB is what you make of it 1. Know what JBers want: continue including non-NJRs into JB Set or collect opinions on social media 2. A strong media presence with more frequent posting 3. Year-round regional/ international activities so there are a wide range of initiatives catering to all
Question 5 Vy Nguyen
Vy Nguyen
Junior Branch
Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed getting to know me and found my questionnaire helpful. Offers If you have any questions, or just want to talk, reach out to me at: Email: vynguyen062003@gmail.com Instagram: @itsvydawg Facebook: Vy Nguyễn
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IJR 2021 Questionnaire Vy Nguyen
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