This is finally happening. After eight years of studying the DRC, two trips to the African Continent, multiple jobs and 2.5 grueling years of graduate work, this is finally happening; I'm going to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The last time I posted in my blog was about the time that I started writing my thesis proposal. This was a long process which involved basically a 9-5 job of reading and writing every day for four months (first world problems, I know). Things started to get a bit more interesting in April of 2015 when I started submitting drafts to my committee and I had a paper accepted at a conference. In early June I defended my proposal to my committee and it was accepted without revisions, which was a very pleasant surprise. I thought that this would be my last defense for a while.
Over the summer I worked on my ethics proposal and accepted some contract work with Partnership Africa Canada which was great. I was also offered a job in the Central African Republic with the UN which would have been a dream but an inability to get an insurance and a disquieting gut feeling led me to decline the offer just two weeks before my departure date.
I submitted my ethics proposal in September and kept busy while I waited for my revisions. Inevitably the revisions arrived on my Birthday. They were minor but included a request to visit the Office of Risk Management to discuss any necessary permissions required to travel to a country with a travel advisory. The meeting was set for October 20th, the day after the federal election.
So the morning after the M.P. I had worked with and campaigned for was voted out of parliament for no other reason that Canadians were too afraid of another Harper majority (why this meant we had to vote out some of the best NDP MPs in the country, I will never understand/forgive) I headed over to the Office of Risk Management. When I arrived I was greeted by a risk analyst who indicated that the university had a blanket policy against allowing students to travel to countries with travel advisories. She told me that there had been no exceptions and that I could launch an appeal but that it was extremely unlikely that I would be allowed to go.
So naturally I panicked and the situation only got worse after my boyfriend broke up with me a week and a half later. This was one of the most difficult months of my life. I wasn't expecting to face another challenge to my research and I didn't have a backup plan.
Over the coming weeks I gathered my forces which included letters of support from an MP, a UN official and civil society members. I also prepared a risk-mitigation strategy that reflected my experience in developing countries and crisis management and prepared a presentation outlining the arguments outlining the reasons I should go.
In late November I defended my project yet again to a committee comprised of a lawyer, two risk analysts and the manager of the International Office. I decided to present without the use of a powerpoint presentation or notes because the group and room was so small which apparently impressed the committee and ultimately they decided to let me go.
I think the most interesting thing to come out of the interaction with this committee is that now that they have approved my research, they have become an incredible resource and source of support; completely defying my expectations.
Over the Christmas I booked my flight to Kigali, which leaves on January 30th. From there I will travel with Ian Thomson from KAIROS Canada to Bukavu in South Kivu, where I already have accommodations arranged.
With all of this being said, I'm re-launching my blog to share my experiences while I'm away! check back in coming weeks to see a description of my research, photographs and of course stories about what I'm sure will be an adventure of a lifetime.
