Andrew’s fight for the forest
For Staffordshire Graduate Andrew Taylor, research trips are very much part of his role as fundraising officer with the World Development Movement – a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that fights for economic justice and inequality.
Andrew graduated in 2006 with a degree in Journalism and Sociology, and completed an MA in International Relations the following year.
It’s a long way from Stoke to the Indonesian rainforest.
Making a difference
It was while working on his Masters, he found himself drawn to the idea of a career in the voluntary sector.
“I initially wanted to be a journalist,” he says. “But, I found myself selecting the political options within my degree.
“I knew I wanted to do something that had real social value, rather than perhaps the highest-paying job.”
One journey was to Indonesia in 2013 with the London based-NGO was to research the impact of coal extraction on local communities – an experience that was often traumatic.
Exploring Indonesia
He says: “Indonesia is a country of incredible diversity, fascinating cultures and some of the friendliest and most welcoming people I have ever met. It is also a place where huge areas of forest and the people that rely on it are under threat from palm oil, logging and coal mining.
“I saw first-hand the incredible damage that mining can do, both to communities and the landscape. It’s a strange and unnerving experience to walk through the beautiful forests of Borneo listening to nothing but the sounds of nature, only to then have it drowned out by the relentless drone of trucks as you approach a nearby mine.”
Work I strongly believe in
Nevertheless, Andrew could not imagine switching to a more conventional career.
“I am very lucky that I get to work for an organisation whose work I strongly believe in. I started volunteering as a fundraiser at the World Development Movement in mid-2008 in various capacities, and have been promoted since then,” he said.
Andrew is still in the charity sector, co-founding Fundraising Space as well as being a trustee for We Are Family Adoption.
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