Whose mission?

Students and international NGO seek to improve service learning at Avondale

The strengthening of a relationship between an Avondale student club and an international humanitarian organisation is reducing risk but may also reduce impact on mission.

An independent audit of One Mission initiated by the college of higher education in 2014 changed a policy that had seen the club organise trips through multiple organisations. The new policy will see the club initially organise all trips through the Adventist Development Relief Agency (ADRA) Australia. The primary reason for the change: to reduce risk for students.

ADRA’s experience—it began in 1956—and its worldwide network have helped it develop good rapport with local communities. Chief executive officer Mark Webster describes his organisation’s relationship with One Mission as a “collaboration.” “ADRA has learned a lot about short-term mission trips from One Mission. We began ADRA Connections only three years ago and over that time I’ve seen the way we run trips change and improve. I expect that to continue.”

Students at Avondale are hoping so, too. One Mission co-leader Jessica Hasse says there may be a downside to “tying our hands to one organisation.” While she believes a relationship with ADRA is beneficial, she also believes it limits the potential for One Mission teams to make a more lasting impact. “I feel ADRA designs the ADRA Connections trips to suit us with our restricted schedules rather the local community.” Hasse believes it is possible to run trips with other organisations just as safely and with just as much support.

Lecturer Jason Hinze served on the committee that established One Mission. He would like to see the student club “retain ownership of experiences.” He cautions against One Mission ceding too much control over where it goes and what it does. The consequence: “creating a touristy mindset to mission.”

Brad Watson does not want this either. The senior lecturer in international development studies speaks of the importance of developmental impact and of how achieving this impact is more likely to come through collaborating with well-established and respected organisations, such as ADRA. However, he concedes One Mission leaders should be involved in some of the decision making about the trips. If they are not growing in their role, the risk is students will “take a cowboy approach to mission thinking they know exactly what they’re doing but doing more harm than good.” Or they may simply lose interest. This is a risk Webster is keen to avoid.

“In the past, students have chosen an ADRA Connections trip because they were passionate about it, not because it was the only option. I don’t think that has to change, especially if we offer a range of options.” Communication will be key, says Webster. “It’s important leaders from ADRA Connections and One Mission talk with each other about how to manage the partnership. Students with a passion for overseas service remain the core element of what makes an ADRA Connections or a One Mission trip successful.”

Dr Wayne French, the chaplain on Avondale’s Lake Macquarie campus, supervises the One Mission trips. He supports the change in policy. “We need to do everything possible to ensure the safety of our students.” He adds: “For now, the best way to ensure that is to work through ADRA. If we can get this relationship right—the level of consultation, the risk assessment—we can use what we learn as a model for working with other non-government organisations.”

One Mission, through ADRA Connections, is offering trips to the Philippines, Vanuatu and the Northern Territory this yearend.