According to the DONA International website, our organization has certified 13,000 doulas in 56 different countries around the world. WOW! How amazing is that? I have spent the last week talking to some of the 165 DONA approved doula trainers from around the world, and have learned that many of those outside the United States are feeling largely ignored. That’s a problem that definitely needs to be addressed!
International Inclusivity
Including our international members means recognizing them as part of our community and celebrating them too. It means making sure that their voices and concerns are also being heard in the board room where organizational decisions are being made. Celebrating holidays and days of remembrance in the countries where we have members is honestly the bare minimum. Are we as an organization providing equal access to resources and opportunities to our members in countries other than the United States? Are we excluding our international members by not specifically having a board member to bring their perspective to policy discussions?
If DONA International is going to live up to this name, we need to make sure that our members outside the US feel supported and celebrated. Do they have the materials they need in their first language? Do they have access to continuing education opportunities? Are their needs being addressed through committee work and other initiatives? Who’s asking them?
Not Just Language
Keeping an international perspective means understanding that sometimes the entire picture for doulas around the world looks drastically different than here in the United States. Linguistic inclusion is just one issue among many that needs to be considered for our international members. As an organization, we need to not assume what our members abroad need, we need to directly ask them what their biggest issues are and how we as an organization can help them. Are there bills in the Parliament of Canada that DONA could help support? What types of collaborative relationships could we help doulas in Mexico form? What are specific challenges are doulas in Greece experiencing and how could DONA help?
Perspective & Goals
As an anthropologist who has traveled to 3 different continents, lived in Berlin, Germany for a year with my family while doing my dissertation research (see picture), and speaks 2 languages fluently (English & German), I have lived with an international perspective for a long time. As an undergraduate I created my own international studies major at Indiana University and did research abroad. I know that the United States and our issues are NOT the same as in other countries around the world, and that the assumption that Americans are and should be the center of all things is offensive.
If we are going to grow the doula profession, we have to keep that international perspective in mind when we are designing our goals for this organization. We have to remain member and mission centric, and that means not being so focused on the US that we forget our international colleagues. One of my goals as president elect would be to ensure that the international perspective is always being represented. While yes, some issues definitely cross international borders, not all do. Even those issues that do transcend borders do not always function the same or necessitate the same solutions and changes to be addressed in all contexts. Our leaders need to listen to all members and include them in our organizational goals. I will 100% do that as president elect.