First feedback about Grand Renaissance Dam case study

This week I had the opportunity to present some initial findings on my case study of Human Security Dimensions of Dam Development on the Blue Nile River in Ethiopia: the case of the Grand Renaissance Dam. I presented two separate times - one to the entire Wondo Genet Natural Resources College and the other to a group of graduate students taking a research methods course. Both presentations helped me a great deal to understand flaws in my work, what people expect from this work, and where I need to improve communication. A half-hour presentation was followed by one hour of questions...and this is just the beginning!

I came to Wondo Genet through the invitation of a Peace Corps couple finishing out their service at the College. Since arriving I have had the privilege to meet with the Ethiopian professors, International professors, US Forest Service folks, and Colorado State University researchers. Being back in the academic environment has helped get me back on track with how to analyze my work in a meaningful way. I was taught how to input my situation maps into an Access program in order to highlight relationships between concepts. This helps to identify relevant themes in the respondents answers to my interview questions. I feel super appreciative of having time to be able to actually work indepth on my data collection and have a peaceful spot in which to work. There has also been time to hike, go bushbaby hunting by flashlight, and rest.

On Wednesday I will present again at Addis Ababa University's Geography and Environmental Studies Dpt. 

I will post the PowerPoint Presentations sometime in the near future.