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Written by Shivani Saxena
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AID-2005 Conference was my first AID conference. I have been with AID
for about six months now and so am one of the new volunteers.
Initially, I had doubts about attending the conference - wondering that
I won't know anyone there and not knowing what to expect.
Travel to a different city for 2-3 days seemed too big a task.
Fortunately, some people who had attended AID conferences before
convinced me to change my mind and made sure I purchased my tickets. I
thank them now. Under the impression that the conference was to start
on Friday, I reached Minneapolis a day before the conference, surviving
the flu and a three-hour flight delay. As I got off the light rail
unsure about what to expect, Sudha was there to greet me with a warm
smile and we reached Sanat's place which was the hub for all the
activity that day. I was amused to see how everyone felt very much at
home there. There were AIDers from other chapters - different people
working together on different things. It really looked like a major
event was due. There were internet cables, phone lines, and several
computers. Work was going on in full swing and people were moving in
and out constantly. I also joined the group and spent the rest of the
day with them. By night time, we had about 50 people and a grand
dinner.
More people came in the next day and I believe there were about 150
people from 28 chapters attending the conference. It was a great
opportunity to meet so many of the people with whom I had exchanged
emails or had heard about. I hope it adds some personal touch to the
multitude of emails we send and receive on various groups. I got a
chance to discuss experiences of volunteers from various chapters - old
and new. The sessions were informative and provided the holistic
picture of AID that I did not get in any of the CSHs I attended in the
past. The importance of chapters, the relationship between AID-India
and AID-US, campaigns and cells, experience of people who have worked
in India - are some of the things I learnt. It was a pleasure to see so
many people interested in issues I care about and it was comforting to
know so many people take them seriously. Now that we have found each
other, hopefully we will make a difference.
While I saw people working together with fun I also witnessed some
heated discussions during the conference. Both seem natural in a
get-together of generally like-minded and strong-willed individuals. As
the organization grows in size and scope, there are inherent challenges
it has to overcome. Still, when I see the quality of people involved, I
am assured that such challenges will only make AID a stronger
organization.
We were privileged to be hosted with AIDers from other chapters. Almost
every night I had discussions with others till wee hours of the
morning. We would spend time analyzing the proceedings of the day and I
would marvel at the perspectives of other people which would at times
be quite different from mine. There were many interesting
conversations.
The three days passed in almost no time and soon we were taking
pictures, exchanging contact information, and bidding farewell.
Overall, there was a lot to learn and I returned with so much food for
thought that I am in the ?digestion mode' even two days after the
conference... |
