Lately, I've been thinking a lot about the role of the communications professional

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about the role of the communications professional. Obviously, the main purpose of a communicator is to communicate — about products, clients, whatever we are selling at that point. While we are capable of "selling" whatever product or message we are asked to by our clients or companies, should we? Or, should we really try to only "sell" those ideas, products, etc. that we truly believe in?

I have worked many areas of the communications field for the last eight years and the one thing that has remained consistent is my need to feel a sense of purpose in whatever my client or company is promoting. In some cases, it has been easy to find. For example, any of my work that addresses complex global issues, especially human rights, resonates with me on a very deep level. Of course, that makes a lot of sense since I chose to get a Master's degree in International Relations with a human rights focus.

On the other hand, I definitely have had clients where I didn't connect to their message or product. In some cases, I didn't even agree with what they were doing on an ethical level. In those situations, it has not been easy to find the purpose in the work. However, I have been lucky because it was the great teams, both on the client side and within my company, that turned the situation from a negative into something that was more positive. Sure, I didn't like the basic message, the product or the policies of the client, but I believed in the team members and wanted them to succeed. I wonder how I would have handled it had that not been the case.

Update on my volunteer work for CVT

So, a lot of people have been asking me about my post about volunteer work and wanted a follow-up to how things stand. Here's my best attempt though it will be brief.

Last Monday I went to the Center of Victims of Torture to discuss which volunteer opportunities would be the best fit both in terms of my interests and their needs. It was a great meeting and I'm really excited. The first step is going to be a lunch meeting next Friday between myself and their new Director of Communications.

In addition, they offered me some opportunities working with CVT's International Capacity Building project which works with 16 treatment centers throughout the world to expand their capacity to provide high-quality services to torture survivors; their International Services projects, primarily the New Tactics in Human Rights Project which uses an interactive social network to help human rights practitioners discuss tactics that are working or not working in the field; and, the Cambodia-Trauma Healing Initiative project which works closely with the Transcultural Psychosocial Organization of Cambodia and is close to my heart since I have a friend working for the prosecutor at the Khmer Rouge Tribunals.

I'm extremely excited about all the options and for the chance to combine my various skills into something that could be beneficial.