Over nine years experience in International Development, approaches to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), socioeconomic impact assessment, and documentary filmmaking? more

James Howard, a Canadian based in Beijing, has spent a combined five years in China, and is back for a second time to work in the country's growing environmental sector. With an impressively diverse background, James is setting his sights on two distinct areas: NGO's and other organizations striving to improve the livelihoods of China's impoverished rural areas in a sustainable, equitable manner, and corporations working to adopt a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) framework into their management strategies.

James possesses a multitude of essential skills and experience to offer both the non-profit and private sectors.

Experience James offers an organization!

- Led a feasibility study of an ecotourism project in rural Guatemala, requiring skilled facilitation of communication between stakeholders and network developing (in Spanish);
- Extensive background in environmental economics and has completed several CSR case studies for companies in the automobile, fishing, chemical and forestry industries;
- Has produced and directed successful documentaries that address the struggles of rural economic development, and has a demonstrated talent to integrate filmmaking with the effective promotion of community development projects;
- Masters degree in Environmental Studies (Fall 2004), with concentrations in International Development and Sustainable Business Management Strategies;
- As a professional videographer, has filmed in many countries and has shot footage for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and Beijing Television;
- Excellent spoken Mandarin (also reads and writes over 3500 words), and intermediate levels of Spanish and French.

Essential Intangibles!

- Natural leadership skills, with an uncanny ability to inspire the best from people;
- Excels at both the practical and the creative;
- Strongly understands China's environmental, social and economic challenges;
- Loves living and working in China, and is committed to the country's long-term sustainable growth and well being;
- Adaptable and nimble, he can easily relocate to where he is needed;
- Has a passion to help others, believing he was put on this earth to help improve people's lives!

His Story!

James first spent over three years in China studying Chinese and producing two excellent documentary films to the end of 2001. The second film, 'School of Hope', documented the plight of rural women's education in China. It followed the path of four poor rural women from Sichuan as they studied computers at the privately run Practical Skills Training Center for Rural Women in Beijing, and continued to work in the city after graduation.

Using donated money, the goal of the project was to recruit poor rural women the remote hills in Mabian Sichuan for the opportunity to study computers at the Training Center in Beijing, and help them acquire jobs in the city afterwards.

He interviewed local government employees, school leaders and participating students about the plight of rural women’s education in China. He filmed the students' progress for over a year, starting from their homes in Mabian all the way to when they were working in Beijing and sending money home to their families.

The film has screened in China, The USA, Canada and Bermuda and has helped raise thousands of dollars in funds and equipment for the school. As the story of rural women's lagging development in China is more relevant than ever, the documentary continues to screen in Beijing, having enjoyed three more public screenings in the city in 2006.

During the filming period, he also flew to Mongolia to do camera work for a television documentary called 'Juggling Dreams', about a group of homeless children trained to perform in Mongolia's National Circus. It aired on CBC Television in January 2002 and was nominated for a Gemini Award.

Not enough!

However, James felt it wasn’t enough to make documentaries to promote the issues he believes in. He felt he also needed to better understand the various socioeconomic factors that create persistent conditions of poverty. Thus, he returned to Canada to develop his economic background from his undergrad days, and earned his Masters in Environmental Studies in Toronto. He concentrated on participatory approaches to International Development, Sustainable Management Strategies in the private sector, and Environmental Economics.

As part of his unique program, he was also able to take MBA courses and carried out several CSR case studies of innovative North American companies looking to differentiate themselves. As James has long believed in the endless business opportunities for creative, environmentally and socially responsible companies, he felt this was a particular highlight to his program.

For his thesis, James spent the summer of 2003 in rural Guatemala to conduct a feasibility study for an ecotourism project in a protected nature reserve. Here he:

- Applied elements of Participatory Action Research and the Sustainable Livelihoods approaches to development;
- Lived with a village family for 5 weeks to gain insights to the needs of the people and establish trust of the villagers;
- Facilitated a participatory village meeting and interviewed villagers in Spanish (his third language!) to obtain their feedback on the ecotourism concept;
- Interviewed local NGOs, businesses and government organizations to create collaboration opportunities;
- Videotaped interviews, village meeting and general lifestyle of the local people;
- Produced an assessment report and documentary film, discussing areas of the project’s potential.

After graduating in the fall of 2004, James felt China was still in his heart. So in May of 2005, he returned to embark on his second long-term journey in this vast and rapidly changing country.

Currently, James is conducting volunteer work for the Cultural Development Center for Rural Women in Beijing, the NGO dedicated to improving the lives of China's impoverished rural women and the one that runs the school from his documentary. There, he is doing fundraising and promotional work, as well as providing practical English training for rural women employees at the center.

If you feel James can also contribute to your organization's success, please contact him at 13146076181 or james@jameshoward.info.