Over the past few years, several Tufts students have worked for Earth Train, an international, non-profit organization that, according to its Web site, aims to "provide young people with the skills, the practical experience, and the global network of support they need to develop into effective leaders in fields contributing to the quality of life."
Earth Train's latest project, based in Panama, has drawn the attention of Tufts undergraduates and alumni working in the field of sustainable development. Earth Train Panama offers workshops for students that focus on fine and performing arts, environmental awareness, and leadership training.
According to senior Anndell Quintero, Earth Train's strategy of combining promotion of the arts with leadership helps to build strong relationships. "Holding art and film events is a smart way to bring the community together and physically express the friendship between Earth Train and the locals," Quintero said.
A native of Panama, Quintero participated in a two-week program led by Earth Train in Panama last January.
Earth Train works with locals to develop sustainable living patterns that make sense for their particular climate and within the framework of their society. "The non-profit workers and the locals teach one another," Quintero said. "Together, they look for the best solutions."
Earth Train founder Nathan Gray describes interaction with Panama locals in terms of reciprocity: "In our dealings with neighbors in the valley where Centro Madro?±o is located and in Kuna Yala, our message has been, 'You're the experts on what it takes to survive here - we're dedicated to creating a positive learning experience for youth from within Panama and from abroad, and we can't do that without your help,'" Gray said.
Slash-and-burn agriculture is one of the significant environmental problems in Panama. "It's difficult to bring Western ideas of environmentally-friendly development to lesser-developed countries," Quintero said. "They have been using slash-and-burn methods for generations - they are not going to just abandon their practices and embrace organic gardens."
"There's almost a disconnect between what they use the land for and the long-term effect of many of their actions on the land," said Katherine Regan (LA '03), who took part in Earth Train's Pioneer Session the summer after she graduated from Tufts.
"My experience with Earth Train was a culmination of everything I had studied while at Tufts," Regan added. "I graduated with a double major in political science and environmental studies, and I became more and more interested in the connection between economic and social issues tied to developing countries, and the damage done to the
environment, as well as the incredible dependence on the land."
Earth Train faces the difficult task of striking a compromise that will further sustainable development without destroying local culture and economy.
During the winter program that Quintero attended, Earth Train set up demonstration gardens where Earth Train workers and locals tested different planting methods and arrangements to see which were most feasible from a practical and environmental perspective.
Earth Train also works to advance the political and social position of the Kuna people, who are indigenous to Panama but comprise the country's lowest class. "Earth Train is formally recognized by the Kuna General Congress and by the three Kuna caciques [chiefs] as an outstanding partner organization addressing their top concern: the advancement of their youth," Gray said.
"One of our priorities is to work with the video documentation skills of their youth so that they can create their own educational media," Gray added. Earth Train also seeks to promote Kuna eco-tourism and, with the benefit of gallery and theater space at Casa Arias, original Kuna arts.
Film work also plays an important role in Earth Train projects, since films provide a base of information for other organizations and individuals who want to learn more about the possibilities for sustainable development in lesser-developed countries.
Though the Tufts Institute of Global Leadership provided funding for Earth Train in its earlier years, it no longer supports the organization, due in part to concerns that the organization sometimes puts students at risk while attempting to teach lessons that could be learned through more accountable non-profit organizations.
Several Earth Train alums, however, feel that these concerns are unfounded, though their Earth Train experiences were not necessarily ideal.
"For me, EarthTrain was quite the learning experience," said junior Niyata Shah, another participant
in the winter program last year. "We were the first group to go down, and we had to do the nitty-gritty. We made pathways to the bathrooms and served as the kitchen guinea pigs. Some days we took hikes through primary rainforest, and others we interacted with the local community.
"Needless to say, each day was jam-packed with culture," Shah said. "We became good friends with the Kuna families. Now in Spain - and using Spanish every day - I look back on my time in Panama and miss it very much.
"When we were there, the organization was just starting, so we weren't able to get our hands on as many concrete projects as I would have liked," Shah added. "While frustrating, that was all part of the learning process."
Regan also found her Earth Train experience to be rewarding. "While there, we were able to partake in a hike into Kuna Yala, which is an amazing honor and shows the respect the Kuna have for Earth Train," she said. "Earth Train was the perfect chance for me to really experience everything I had studied in Tufts before I went off to the working world."
