Tribewanted: Vorovoro

Kaz’s Chief-cast

Why would you like to be chief?

As a born wanderer and a student of social psychology, I am pulled to this opportunity like moth to flame. One can no more put into words why they fall in love with the one they choose than I can explain quite why I have fallen for Vorovoro, the Fijians who have welcomed me and us as family, and the Tribewanted experience in general – though I will try to articulate why I feel the need to run for chief. I have been to the island twice now (once after the coup and the cyclone, and more recently for the 1st September celebrations), but I have found that I’ve almost been able to contribute more online than during my two short visits. I would love to have a solid 4 week stint during which to get thoroughly stuck in and contribute something more lasting to the project.

I have traveled all over the world – grew up with a foreign parent, thus landing us all over Europe and the Middle East, and a parent with a penchant for archeo-astronomy, thus landing us all over Central and South America. I have hiked to the highest waterfall in the world, sailed down the Amazon river, beheld the pyramids in Egypt, stood awestruck at Uluru in the Outback…and, quite simply, I have never felt so absolutely compelled to return somewhere as I have to Vorovoro. The chance to hold a leadership role, if only for a month, in a multi-national project like this one, contributing and learning, is one I feel compelled to pursue.

What relative skills would you bring to this role?

Management of large projects (from 50-person cast and crew musicals to 20-person technology teams). Infinite curiousity and patience. Enthusiasm. Creativity. A welcoming and attentive nature. Resourcefulness and gumption – I have been well-trained in improvisation in any situation, can find out where to get answers if I don’t have them, and am never stopped when I meet a challenge. I can meke with the best of ‘em (I was a dancer for many years, tho’ this is probably about as useful as my kickboxing skills). I’m an inventive cook. I’m good at synthesizing seemingly random things into something lasting and impactful. And, if you’re into Malcolm Gladwell, I’m a Connector, a Maven, and a Maverick – believe it or not.

What, other than your skills, makes YOU the right person for this role?

I think it’s important to have a chief who can speak softly and carry a big stick, if that makes sense. There’s no need to be loud or overbearing, in fact, I have found some of my best time on the island to be my most quiet and still in a visceral sense. Listening can be more powerful than speaking in terms of leadership. And respect is earned by taking action rather than demanding it. These are hallmarks of my life as I have been a school tutor, a camp counsellor, and a Resident Assistant in college.

In my professional life, I have worked as a project manager, producer, and film director. So, wrangling people, while keeping an eye on dynamics, is second nature to me. I am fascinated by the similarities and differences in cultures and feel comfortable bridging those gaps. And having been to the island twice now, I’m sensitive to what it’s like both to be new on the island and to return and would feel very comfortable greeting all kinds of members. I’m also passionate and opinionated, which are necessary ingredients for anyone who is jumping into the midst of a project like this.

What would you like to achieve as Chief?

In all civilizations, after basic needs are met, people begin to focus on the arts and crafts of the culture. We have made enormous progress with infrastructure on the island. And, I think it’s time to focus more on the arts – both learning more about the Mali traditions and also allowing our own tribe to contribute.

During the week of 1st Sept, learning meke dances which tell our story felt incredibly special. This definitely prompts me to wonder more about how we can integrate the local arts to further beautify our growing village. The Grand Bure is a perfect example of an exquisitely executed part of our village – there is artistry inherent in the building. I think that other parts of the village could stand for some attention.

Specifically, though, I’d like to use the arts and cultural input to raise money for the school (see below for details).

As Chief, you will be given a small pot of money with which to leave your legacy. How will you spend it?

I would like to produce a limited edition of 50 Baby Zaishus -
sustainably-made, multi-purpose table/chairs – painted by members of our larger tribe. Check out my chiefcast for a demonstration of how this works and my profile gallery.

I mentioned this on the forums and have been looking into the logistics
since I first visited Vorovoro and then met with one of the Zaishu designers in Sydney. The Baby Zaishu is meant for children and is a symbol of sustainable, portable community – the nomadic spirit that is embodied by tribewanted. We would sell these through our website, with cross-promotion through http://www.zaishu.com/ and give the proceeds to the school.

What are the logistics?

- We would pay for the raw wooden pieces (this is quite a sum upfront, even though we’d get the costs back – so we might need to consider raising some funds in advance through the Dream Foundation).

- The lovely Laura Kyle and her husband have offered to cover the shipping costs for the raw materials from Australia to Fiji.

- I would source acrylic house paints and bring materials to the island for the stencilling and silk-screening (I’m still working on the best way to do this).

- We could hold a couple of workshops, perhaps with local artists, on the tapa and masi traditions. And then each week, a group of tribe members could paint a portion of the Zaishus.

- After that, we’d cross-promote and sell them as one-of-a-kind functional art on our website and the Zaishu website (which is huge in the international design community and works with other international benefits groups – see examples here: http://www.zaishu.com/news.php). If it makes sense, we could also host a couple of small gallery shows. I have interest from a gallery/shop focused on susatinable products in Los Angeles (http://www.reformschoolrules.com/), and perhaps in the UK and in Australia.

- The trickiest bit is how to ship the individual Baby Zaishus when people order them. Someone suggested that members could take one back with them to their country and ship from there. But we might also want to coordinate with the burgeoning Fair Trade groups in Fiji.

- Lastly, we’d make back the initial costs and donate the profit to the Mali District school.

I also have other ideas about how to incorporate the arts with our tribal experience, whether it’s running photography workshops with the kids at the school, providing them with single-use cameras for documenting their lives, having more weaving lessons with Va or painting/decorating other areas of our village.

Tell us something interesting about yourself

I am the daughter of two rocket scientists and am self-publishing a mixed media and poetry book with a story told through email exchange.

In one sentence, why should the tribe elect you Chief?

I should be elected chief because I bring a unique artistic and practical expression of our tribewanted goals to the project along with an indefatigable energy for finding solutions and making things happen (and I take very seriously a vote of confidence from the tribe)...