News and Views
Vol. 9, Aug. 1998
INTERNATIONAL VISITOR’S PROGRAM
Introduction
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has a worldwide reputation
in developing and implementing policies and procedures for the conservation of
natural resources. NRCS promotes the sustainable use of private land by
providing information, delivering technical assistance, and encouraging
voluntary adoption of conservation measures by private landowners. The
goal of the International Programs Division (IPD) is to enable NRCS employees to
share natural resources conservation knowledge with people in other countries
and to participate in collaborative efforts that will result in mutual benefits
to NRCS and our foreign partners.
Over the past 15 years, NRCS employees have participated in programs and
observational opportunities for approximately 4,500 persons from over 130
countries at facilities in the United States. The highest number of
visitors were from China (514), Canada (250), Mexico (245), Japan (225), and
Guatemala (210).
The IPD usually develops and coordinates assignments for international
visitors. There are times, however, when NRCS employees are contacted
directly by universities or other institutions in order to provide assistance to
these visitors. When this happens, please inform the IPD of the request
received and the assistance provided. We would like to document all
participant activity in our annual report.
Types of Visitors
Foreign nationals are designated as students, experienced technicians,
scientific and technical exchange participants, administrators, observational
visitors, farmers, or volunteers. Specific programs are prepared for each
category. Programs may be specialized and of short duration or may last as
long as one year and involve academic study. Most of the programs are
hands-on and field oriented and are individually tailored to the needs,
capabilities, and desires of the visitor to provide maximum benefits.
Programs are conducted by NRCS employees in the course of their normal
on-the-job duties rather than in a classroom situation.
Students. Many people are brought to this country for both
undergraduate and graduate work in natural resources conservation and related
subjects. In addition to their formal academic training at a college or
university, students gain practical experience by participating in informal
on-the-job programs with NRCS in the field during vacation periods or after
completion of their academic training. They are usually expected to gain
enough knowledge and experience during this period so that they are able to
conduct similar work or studies in their home office.
Experienced Technicians. Scientists, engineers, or other
officials who have been working on-the-job in their home country come to the
U.S. to see and to learn new skills and in many cases to update their academic
training with or without obtaining a degree. Technicians work with field
office staff members, conservation districts, and other partners as they assist
in developing individual conservation plans and applying soil and water
conservation measures on all private land.
Scientific and Technical Exchange Participants. Exchange of
technical knowledge and information between NRCS employees and foreign
governments is a continuing effort. Participants work with their NRCS
counterparts in the U.S. to share data and new technologies for natural
resources conservation.
Administrators. Policymakers visit NRCS to study the way our
work is planned, organized, and administered. They usually spend a short
time in National Headquarters, institutes, centers, state or field offices to
observe the function and operation at each level. This is an important
part of the international program -- without support from the top, the people
will have a difficult time adapting and using the principles they have learned.
Observational visitors. NRCS employees may make available to any
visitor the ordinary assistance that common courtesy requires. Visitors
usually have limited time available and typically have specific objectives to
accomplish. This assistance does not include tours that entail travel
expenses or absence from usual duties for an extended period.
Farmers. American farmers have made great strides in reducing
cropland erosion using soil-conserving practices such as crop residue
management, contour tillage, stripcropping, and land retirement. Farmers
from other countries visit our farms and local organizations serving farmers to
discover for themselves many of the fundamental aspects of our way of life.
The time they have with us is usually short but the value of showing them the
importance of natural resources conservation is great.
Volunteers. Foreign nationals sometimes participate in our Earth
Team Program, working at a particular site to gain knowledge and experience.
Funding Sources
NRCS has no funds to sponsor programs or observational activities, with the
exception of our scientific and technical exchange program activities.
Financial support is usually borne by a sponsoring agency -- such as foreign
governments, international organizations, or private foundations. In a few
cases, foreign nationals are independently financed.
Benefits
NRCS has a commitment to help individual landowners and local organizations
and governments identify and address natural resource issues and problems.
We have a real opportunity to help people from other countries plan and apply
effective conservation measures. Many countries have been conserving
resources for thousands of years and have established their own programs.
Our involvement in international conservation efforts has brought different
technologies to NRCS that include: better nutrient management, erosion
control and residue management; improvements in conservation buffer, water
quality, bioengineering, plant materials, and agroforestry technologies; more
effective animal waste management and disposal systems and small dam design and
maintenance; and better understanding of desertification, climate change,
environmental indicators, and non-point source pollution control.
Visitors should be encouraged to think of possible adaptation of NRCS methods
or policies when appropriate. The benefits of our assistance will be
measured by the extent that their home conditions can be improved. We can
logically help them explore the possible changes that can be made in their
present system, but we should avoid trying to tell them how they should change
their systems. Without a clear understanding of their local conditions, it
is very difficult to make appropriate recommendations for changes.
Better assistance can be given if we understand something about the country
from which they come and the jobs they have at home. Remember that most of
our visitors are very important officials in their own country. They are
people of prestige, influence, and standing. Do not underrate them if they
are not always up-to-date on all our technical advances. We anticipate a
continuing need for hosting international visitors, and we encourage you to
recognize that our International Visitor’s Program is an important part of our
job. We invite you to consider the ways in which the Program has, or can
be, an influence in your career -- in your personal as well as professional
development goals.
Hospitality and Community Service
We must assume that our visitors are unfamiliar with our customs, our
methods, our slang, our language, and other matters -- at least until we have
talked with them and found out what they know about these things. It might
be a good idea to use visual aids to illustrate or demonstrate the subjects
under discussion. We should avoid trying to impress our visitors with the
biggest or the best in our country and we should not stress the highly advanced
stage of our agriculture as compared with that of other countries. Encourage
them to ask questions, but do not assume they are not interested if few
questions are forthcoming. Because of their culture and traditions, many
foreign nationals are reluctant to speak out.
There are many ways in which we can make our visitors feel at home and avoid
embarrassment in a strange land. They are interested not only in
agriculture, but also in American customs, institutions, and our way of life in
general. Advice and assistance on where to stay and eat, help with
transportation problems, what to do and see on weekends or holidays, contacts
with local churches, and help in case of sickness are a few ways in which you
can make the visit one to be remembered.
Contacts with the press, radio, or television stations can serve as a means
of showing them they are welcome in our communities as well as provide for
dissemination of interesting and useful information to the public. Visits
to private homes, community clubs, and organizations offer special experiences
of seeing how we live and observing how we carry out our daily tasks. Some
will be proud to speak to groups about their native land or the purpose of
their visit to this country and how they will use the knowledge, skills, and
information gained when they return home.
When our foreign friends return to their countries, we believe they will have
achieved some competence in natural resources conservation, will be in a good
position to contribute to the development and maintenance of their agricultural
resources, and will have a better perspective of the United States.
Author and Editor: Gail C. Roane,
International Programs Division, PO Box 2890, Washington DC 20013, USA; Tel:
1-202-690-2212; Fax: 1-202-720-0668
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