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中国发展简报新任总干事陈一梅接受采访 Interview with Chen Yimei, China Development Brief’s New Executive Director
作者:谢世宏 |
2013-11-22
Introduction: We are delighted to announce that Chen Yimei will be joining China Development Brief (CDB) as its new Executive Director starting in November. To learn more about Yimei's career, her reasons for joining CDB, and her views on the philanthropy and civil society sector in China, CDB (English) Editor, Shawn Shieh, sat down with her for a conversation:
介绍:我们非常高兴地宣布,陈一梅从2013年11月加入中国发展简报(简称简报),成为新任总干事。为更多了解陈一梅的职业经历,她为何加入简报,以及她对中国公益和公民社会部门的看法,简报英文版主编谢世宏对其进行了采访。
1.You've spent much of your professional life working in the philanthropy and civil society sector. What did you do before coming to CDB?
你的职业生涯中很长的时间都在公益和公民社会部门。加入中国发展简报以前,你在哪里工作过?
In college I studied international relations and worked as a translator, editor, and research associate for the Center for Documentation and Information, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS). My research area was in international China studies. I also worked as an interpreter and program officer for CASS Bureau of International Cooperation. In 1997, I joined the Ford Foundation and worked as Assistant to the Representative of Ford's China office, first with Tony Saich and later with Andrew Watson, until April 2007. During those 10 years I spent one year (2003-2004) doing my MPA (with a concentration on NGO management) at the Harvard Kennedy School. In 2007, I joined the China Social Entrepreneur Foundation (now called YouChange Foundation) as the Deputy Secretary General at a time when it was just being established. In September 2008, I became the Country Director of Mercy Corps until January 2012 when I moved to the U.S. (northern Virginia) with my family for one year. Since returning to Beijing, I've been working as a consultant and volunteer for several Chinese and international foundations and NGOs.
我大学的专业是国际关系,毕业后在中国社会科学院文献信息中心做翻译,编辑和研究实习员,研究国外中国学。之后我在社科院国际合作局作翻译和项目官员。我从1997年去福特基金会任首席代表助理,直到2007年4月,当时的首席代表先后为赛奇教授和华安德教授。在这10年期间,我有一年——2003至2004年去哈佛大学肯尼迪学院读公共管理硕士,专业方向是非营利组织管理。2007年,我在友成企业家扶贫基金会创立阶段加入,任副秘书长。2008年9月,我成为国际美慈中国主任,直到2012年1月离职,和家人到美国(佛吉尼亚北部)生活一年。回到北京后,我为几家中国的和国际的基金会与非营利组织做项目顾问和志愿者。
2.What (people, ideas, experiences) have been important influences on you in terms of your philosophy and approach to working in this sector?
对你在这个部门工作的思想和方法影响最大的是什么(人,想法,经历)?
The earliest important influence was my time at the Ford Foundation, not just because it was my longest tenure, but also because it was there that I learned what an NGO was, and had the opportunity to meet and work with many excellent Chinese NGOs. Before that, I knew nothing about NGOs. By the time I went to the Kennedy School in 2003, I knew NGO management was going to be my field.
最早的重大影响来源于我在福特基金会的工作经历,不仅是因为那是我迄今职业生涯中时间最长的一段,还因为,我是那个时候知道了NGO,并且有机会结识并与很多出色的中国NGO合作。此前我对NGO所知甚少。而2003年我去肯尼迪学院读书时,已经确定NGO管理是我要学习的领域。
My other jobs also gave me exposure to NGOs, such as my time at YouChange and Mercy Corps. At YouChange, I had the opportunity to learn more about social entrepreneurship and gained hands-on experience in setting up a Chinese foundation. At Mercy Corps, I learned more about international development and how international organizations can work with local partners to benefit Chinese communities and make a global impact.
其他工作经历也都是加强对NGO的了解,如友成和美慈。在友成,我有机会更多了解社会创业家精神,并有了创建中国基金会的实际经验。在美慈,我更多认识了国际发展工作,也更了解了国际组织如何与本土伙伴合作,来服务中国社群,并产生全球影响力。
I also want to mention my experience translating two books written by Western scholars: Global Civil Society: Dimensions of the Nonprofit Sector, Volume II written by Lester Salamon, S. Wojciech Sokolowski, and Associates (I was one of the translators and co-editor) and Michael Edward's Civil Society. Global Civil Society which covered 36 countries and gave me a better understanding of civil society from a global and comparative perspective, as well as of trends in global civil society. Edward's book really helped me understand the history and theoretical discussions of civil society.
我还要提到我翻译两部西方文献的经历。一部书是萨拉蒙教授等所著《全球公民社会——非营利部门指数》第二卷(我是译者和编辑之一),另一部是爱德华兹的《公民社会》。《全球公民社会》这一卷研究了36个国家,这使我得以更加从全球和比较角度了解公民社会及其趋势。爱德华兹的著作则帮助我了解了对公民社会历史和理论的讨论。
During my career in the NGO sector, I have been lucky enough to have had the chance to work with many Chinese NGOs and their founders and staff, and to support their efforts to contribute to China's development. I am proud to have contributed to the NGO sector's development in the past, and look forward to contributing to its future.
在我的NGO职业经历中,我非常有幸有机会与很多本土NGO及其创始人和工作人员共事和合作,并支持他们为中国发展做贡献。我很自豪过去曾经为非政府部门发展做了点贡献,还期待未来会继续。
3. Why did you decide to join CDB to become its executive director?
你为何加入中国发展简报,任职总干事?
My decision was motivated by several reasons:
有以下一些原因:
First, CDB has played a very important role as a media platform reporting on development issues in China, and providing important services, such as quality research, to the NGO sector. Given the sector's dynamic changes, I believe CDB has the potential to play an even bigger role in serving the sector, and helping people outside of China understand the sector's development in China.
首先,简报一直以来是中国发展问题方面重要的表达平台,同时为NGO提供了有意义的服务,如高质量的研究。随着这一部门日新月异,简报有潜力在服务民间部门和帮助国外了解中国这个部门发展方面起到更大的作用。
Second, I chose NGO management as my career and feel it's important to have that hands-on experience working for a Chinese NGO. All my previous experience has been preparing me for this experience in working in and for the sector. I always wanted this opportunity to work more closely with the grassroots NGO community on development issues.
其次,非营利组织管理是我的事业,我认为在中国的民间组织亲身实践非常重要。我以往在这个部门工作的经历,为这个部门所做的,都为我现在做了准备,因为我一直就希望能够和致力于发展的草根社群更接近。
Third, I've known many of the CDB staff – Fu Tao, Zhang Gengrui, Liu Haiying, and Shawn Shieh – for years. I admire and appreciate what they've been doing for the sector. I like CDB's organizational culture, the way it has stuck to its mission, its humility and low-profile way of working, and its commitment to learning and exploring. So when the invitation came from them for me to join, I felt excited both with the trust given to me and with what would be achieved in the future by working with this team.
第三,我与简报团队不少人认识多年了——付涛、张耿瑞、刘海英、谢世宏等。他们为这个部门所做的一切令我敬仰和欣赏。我喜欢简报的组织文化——坚守使命、谦逊低调、执着于学习和探索。所以当他们邀请我加入时,我很兴奋,既因为他们给予了我巨大的信任,也因为和这样一个团队共事,我们对未来有信心。
4. How do you think your work at CDB will differ from your previous work?
你在简报的工作和以往的有什么不同?
This will be the first Chinese grassroots NGO I've worked with, and also the first time I've worked with an organization that does media, research, and advocacy. Besides strengthening its established work in the above areas by taking advantages of innovative ideas, additional partnerships and new technologies, I see an opportunity to develop CDB into a platform to build the capacity of China's NGOs and other development actors by offering professional services such as research and consulting. I look forward to working with the team to explore developing these areas of potential.
这是我第一次在中国的民间草根机构工作,也是第一次在报道、研究与倡导这样一个领域工作。我希望简报未来勇于采纳创新思想,建立更多合作伙伴关系,运用新技术,巩固其上述领域的重要工作。同时,我们可以提供专业的服务,如研究和咨询,有机会把简报打造成一个为中国民间组织及其他发展机构增强能力的平台。我期待着与团队一起去探索如何开发我们的潜能。
5. CDB is what some people call a grassroots organization, and CDB itself is committed to empowering grassroots NGOs in China. Yet grassroots NGOs still face many obstacles and restrictions. What do you see as the way forward for grassroots NGOs?
有些人说中国发展简报就是个草根机构,简报又致力于为中国的草根机构赋能。中国的草根机构还在面临着许多发展障碍和限制。你觉得下一步草根民间机构会怎样?
Looking back to 1997 when I started my NGO career, I think of how few Chinese grassroots organizations there were. Now there are so many and they are really growing quickly. I see these organizations playing a very important role in providing services to disadvantaged communities and promoting civil society in China. Now, they are able to work with the business sector and collaborate with the government more comfortably. They are now working to professionalize foundations, making the sector more diverse, dynamic, and effective. Yet more needs be done in addressing the growing number and complexity of social problems in China.
回顾1997年我开始进入NGO领域工作时,那时中国草根机构寥寥无几。而现在的数量比那时多多了,而且发展很快。他们为服务弱势社群和推动中国公民社会发展起着重大的作用。他们今天更加自如地与商业部门和政府部门合作。他们也在推动基金会专业化,使整个部门更加多元、有活力、有效。当然,要解决中国数量日益增加、难度也日益加大的各种社会问题,还有许多摆在我们面前的重任。
Looking forward, in regards to social development, grassroots NGOs will need to become more professional, both organizationally and in terms of developing more expertise in their professional field, in order to have more impact.
下一步,在社会发展方面,草根机构需要更加专业,既包括组织专业化,也包括其在具体发展领域中的专业能力。
Grassroots NGOs drive development agendas. This is particularly true for China which did not have modern private foundations until 2004 and both are much younger compared with those in the US or Europe. I see the dynamics between grassroots NGOs and foundations as one of the major themes of China's philanthropic development in the next 5-10 years as a more mature “philanthropy supply chain” emerges.
草根民间机构是发展事业的推动者。在中国尤其如此,因为我们2004年以后才开始有现代意义的私人基金会,与欧美国家比较,要年轻得多。我认为草根民间机构和基金会的关系将是中国未来5-10年公益发展的主题,而更加成熟的“公益价值链”随之逐渐形成。
I also think that NGOs need to develop international perspectives. This is not limited to efforts to learn best practices or draw resources from abroad, but includes efforts to respect different cultures and values while serving their own communities in China, and to understand how their own work might fit in with the global agenda for humanity.
另外,我认为NGO还需要开拓国际视野。这不止于向境外最佳实践学习和取得资源,还包括在服务我们自己在本土的社区时,要努力尊重其他文化和价值观,以及要试图理解我们自己的工作和全球人类发展议程有哪些契合。
At the same time, I think there is still a great deal to do to create a more enabling environment for Chinese NGOs so that they can contribute to social innovation in organizational development and the realm of public awareness and culture. It is time to think about the NGO sector as an integral part of an ecological system in which everyone has to work together if they want to thrive.
同时,我认为,我们还要更努力建立一个更有利于中国NGO发展的环境。只有如此,这些机构才能从组织发展,公众意识和公共文化上为社会创新作更大的贡献。现在也到了把非政府部门作为一个大生态系统中一个部分的时候了,只有各方合作才能生存。
6. The philanthropy/civil society landscape in China has changed a great deal in the last few years. What role do you see CDB playing in the current landscape?
过去几年,中国公益和公民社会发生了很大变化。你认为中国发展简报在这样的形势下可以起到什么作用?
As I mentioned before, CDB will continue reporting on, and serving as a voice for, important development issues and actors in the field, and at the same time can introduce new development approaches to be researched and considered for adoption in China. In the future, I think CDB can play a bigger role in providing professional services to Chinese NGOs by providing quality data and research on social development. CDB can also play the role of a bridge in channeling more financial, intellectual, and professional resources to Chinese organizations, and helping them to be more engaged in the process of improving communities in China and overseas.
如前面提到过的,中国发展简报将会继续就重要的发展问题和发展参与者进行报道,帮助其发声。同时,我们可以介绍新的发展方法,供中国进行研究和可能的调试和引用。将来,我想中国发展简报可以给广大NGO提供高质量的数据和社会发展方面的研究等更多专业服务。简报还可以更好地起到桥梁作用,将更多的财务,智力和专业资源引入到中国机构,帮助中国机构更多参与中国和海外社群进步的过程中去。
7. Much of your professional life has been spent bringing together Chinese and foreigners working in the philanthropy and civil society sector. You will be continuing that work at CDB. What do you think the international civil society community has to offer Chinese civil society in terms of experiences and ideas? What do you think the Chinese can offer to the international community?
你的职业生涯中,大部分时间都是在连接中外的公益和公民社会从业者。你在简报会继续这个工作。你认为国际公民社会的经验和思想对中国公民社会有什么意义?中国的对国际的呢?
I think the international civil society community can continue to offer expertise, and networking platforms for Chinese NGOs to be seen on the global stage. It can also provide new ideas about social innovation and entrepreneurship, and international development.
我认为国际公民社会应该继续为中国NGO呈现在国际舞台上提供专业和网络平台。它还可以提供关于社会创新,社会创业,国际发展等领域的新观点。
Chinese civil society organizations also contribute by being a part of international civil society and working together with international CSOs on common issues while serving local needs. I like to use the metaphor of international civil society as a big river flowing into the sea which represents the global development agenda, and Chinese civil society as a stream that feeds into that river while at the same time irrigating the fields it runs through.
中国公民社会组织的贡献在于,它是国际公民社会的一部分,在服务自身社群的同时,会与国际的公民社会组织就共同问题进行合作。我用一个比喻。国际公民社会是条流向大海的大河,这大海就是全球发展的目标;中国公民社会是一条小河,它在浇灌流经的区域同时,又会汇聚到大河,直至大海。
8. As China continues to internationalize, what do you expect from the interactions between China's civil society and international counterparts in the future, and how do you see those interactions affecting the development of Chinese civil society?
随着中国继续国际化,你觉得中国公民社会与其国际同行未来的互动会怎样?这些互动会如何影响中国公民社会的发展?
I see these interactions becoming more frequent and regular, and more organizations engaging directly with each other. I also see more virtual interactions taking place through internet and social media platforms. I think those interactions will increasingly become more specialized, addressing more specific professional needs such as developing expertise, technologies, and tools for addressing problems.
我认为他们之间的互动会日渐频繁和常规化,而且越来越多的机构会相互直接交往。另外,通过互联网和社交媒体平台进行的虚拟互动也会越来越多。我想这些互动会越来越专业化,越来越关注行业知识技能,技术和工具等具体的专业需求。
In terms of how these interactions will affect Chinese civil society, I think they will provide Chinese CSOs with more choices for developing their own ideas, platforms, and tools to help them better address the needs of their communities, and more opportunities to collaborate to achieve social progress in China and beyond.
这些互动如何影响中国的公民社会呢,我认为它们为中国的公民社会组织在开发自身的思想,平台和工具时,提供更多的选择,帮助他们更好地满足社群需求,而且提供更多合作的机会,实现中国及更广大地域里的社会进步。
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