Nancy Germeshausen Klavans Cultural Bridge Fellowship: Quito Summer 2006

Sorry this one might be long but the last week and a half have been chock a block filled with great experiences. It didn’t take me long to figure out that in order for me to have an interesting experience here at the UN i have to seek out the work.

Last week i made it known that i was seeking addiitonal projects and an incredible opportunity landed in my lap. I was asked to attend a two day private session for an advisory committee meeting on the prevention of genocide. Not necessarily fully understanding what i would encounter, i put on a smile and walked in to the meeting only to be faced with Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Romeo Dallaire as 2 of the 10 committee members. I was floored. I couldn’t believe that i would be in the same room with these two incredible men for 2 days. Read the rest of this entry »

Week two has come and gone like a whirlwind. During my time here at the UN i have been working on a conflict prevention report. It was interesting to be able to apply a few of my previous papers to a document that might become an official report from the UN.

The report had to speak about issues surrounding conflict prevention as that is rarely addressed – more often than not a conflict is dealt with after the conflict has begun. Through my research i had to delve into issues of state sovereignty, security and migration. Through our various meetings with different arms of the UN we had discussions concerning the role that gender plays in conflict prevention. Many felt that women had to be engaged in the process early on in order to ensure that they would not be marginalized throughout the whole process, nevertheless it is difficult to see how this stands out when pulling together a report that grapples with so many v. complex issues. Read the rest of this entry »

So here i am at the UN working in the Department of Political Affairs (DPA). It has been very sureal coming in daily to the very institution that i have for so long dreamed of. Ever since i can remeber (well more since i have been in high school) i have had this vision of the UN as the bastion of goodness in the world.

I walk in every day and am surrounded by people truly from all over the world. In my department i am working with an Irish women within the policy plannig unit (ppu). The DPA is a department that focuses on providing the political startegy and advice to the secretary general. So the deparment into 2 main themed areas: a) regional (country focues) 2)thematic areas. I work within the thematic areas as part of the ppu.

Today was very interesting, i got to work on a draft report for the Secretary General on the  prevention of armed conflict. I feel that my experience here is great to get an idea of how things work on such a grand scale and then to translate that into what happens on the ground when i go to ecuador.

New York itslef is also amazing. The city is always buzzing with people from all walks of life. Truly the energy here is tremendous and you can feel that so much is happening at every second.

Till next time….

I can’t believe internship time is finally here. Finished my last exam today and en route to planning my summer plans. I am in the middle of trying to find accomodations in Quito, Ecuador. The more i research the more facinating this country becomes. I am intrigued by its people and history. As many of you know i will be interning there for part of the summer working with a woman who is running a social venture focusing on education and the technological divide amongst children in rural areas.

In my next write up i will give you all a backgrounder on Quito. I am excited to have the chance to be able to experience this country while working there rather than simply reading about it.

In the meantime if you want to learn a bit more this is a great site: http://www.ecuadorexplorer.com/html/quito_overview.html

Take care

Jo