Human Rights and International Development November 7, 2009
Posted by jefffromclapham in international development.Tags: Human Rights
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Saturday 8.50am I’ve been invited to speak at an event on Human rights and international development organised by Oxfid an Oxford university organisation that does great work raising the development profile amongst it’s students. Jo Evans the co president who invited me came to our ‘Getting into International Development’ event previously and has quickly got involved with Oxfid in the first year of her degree. What I’ve forgotten is my phone and Hilary Mantel book. On the other hand I’ve got a bacon sandwich and a tea and I’m waiting for the bus to move off
9.20am Despite the fact that I’m already on board the bus keeps stopping to pick up other passengers. If people choose to live in Hillingdon can they really expect buses from London to pick them up? The bus is the Oxford ‘tube’ – just £16 return or 2 euros with free ‘wi-fi’ and autumn sunshine.
10.50am Everything going worryingly smoothly as I arrive in good time. I foolishly think this is because I have my life handled and am now anxious about it all being part of a practical joke by the Supreme Being.
11am Transitional justice in the African great lakes region. Phil Clark an Oxford research fellow gave a really interesting talk on Rwanda and it’s post genocide justice system. Incidentally without a single PowerPoint slide. ‘Transitional Justice’ refers to the range of processes and mechanisms that are are put in place in states emerging from a period of conflict. In Rwanda’s case of course, it is after the genocide that saw a million people, mainly Tutsis, killed in 100 days in 1994. Phil explained that this was an unusually ‘intimate’ genocide in the sense that the killers generally knew their victims as friends, neighbours and even family members. Intimate also in the sense that the violence was hand-to-hand and the weapons were low tech – axes, spears and the like. This had a number of consequences
The conflict was pervasive. Every Rwandan after the conflict was either a perpetrator, a survivor or was closely related to someone in those categories.
The Tutsi (the Rwandan Patriotic Front) group that overthrew the regime that had planned the genocide soon found themselves with around 120,000 young Hutu suspects in jails designed for 45,000 and a survivor population clamouring for justice and that would not accept the proposed amnesty solution to the backlog of cases. A truth and reconciliation commission on the south African model was also unacceptable because of its emphasis on ‘amnesty’ in return for confessions.
The solution hived off the most serious high level cases to a UN supervised International Criminal Court(ICC). A second layer of serious cases to be dealt with by the Rwandan national courts and in an innovative and radical programme to have the majority of cases dealt with by a form of community justice. The village Gacaca courts were given a legal status, codified into law, made representative by incorporating a formal role for women and with locally elected judges and then rolled out to 9,000 Rwandan villages.
Phil Clark’s main point is that these courts have been, in general, successful despite the criticisms of the international legal community. They have prosecuted between 300,000 and 400,000 cases and exposed up to 200,000 more. Those found guilty have been given either prison sentences or community sentences – such as rebuilding homes or working on roads. The backlog of cases has been cleared up without simply letting perpetrators go. On the downside most survivors feel the courts have been too lenient (which is the opposite of what legal commentators feared would happen) and the proposal that the courts could take on the backlog of cases from the ICC has been opposed by organizations such as Amnesty and Human Rights Watch. One consequence of this criticism in Britain is that Hutu suspects instead of being sent back to Rwanda to face justice have been allowed to stay free in Britain and may not face any trial at all.
I asked Phil why he had said Amnesty was not an ‘independent’ organization. He explained that what he meant that was that their opposition to the Gacaca courts was not based on local empirical research in Rwanda but based on interviews with the Rwandan diaspora. Amnesty, he felt, had a poor understanding of the nature of the courts which are alien to their professional legal minds.
12.15pm Thoughts turning to lunch. I spotted some evil looking sandwiches and fruit – the key indicators of a deeply unsatisfying ‘buffet lunch’ I feel like invoking the UN charter dedicated to Jeff Riley’s lunch human rights.
• An inalieanable right to a Hot lunch
• Hot lunches should include a proper pudding and not just fruit
• When acting as a guest speaker he will not be obliged to queue
• He shall not pay
I fear most of these principles are about to be breached. Once again underlining the importance of rights in the arena of jeff Riley to move off the page and into the real world menu.
1.30pm The Iraq War and International Law. After lunch another excellent talk by Andrew Williams from the University of Warwick. Again no PowerPoint just an expert talking about what he knew. In this case a number of disturbing cases where claims that Iraqi citizens had been abused and tortured by members of the British Army and calls for inquiries had met with resistance from the UK government. A contrast drawn between the government’s public position that human rights violations are not tolerated and there is no cooperation with governments implicated. All shocking cases. More details from the Public Interest Lawyers in Birmingham www.publicinterestlawyers.co.uk
3.30pm After this powerful contribution I was in a slightly stupefied state when I stood up to do my talk but it went okay I think. Anyway it all seemed slightly mundane and trivial compared to what I had heard before.
The Study India Programme November 4, 2009
Posted by jefffromclapham in Uncategorized.Tags: courses, international development
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The Study India Programme is an opportunity for undergraduates to have a 3 weeks expenses-paid experience in India in either Mumbai or Delhi, in summer 2010. If you are graduating in 2010 you will still be counted as an undergraduate. The programme is designed to build links between British students and India. Typically Indian students come in large numbers to study in the UK and this programme, funded by the UK India Education and Research Initiative helps provide some cultural and intellectual two way traffic. I spoke to Selma Shawkat-Mohammed one of the 200 students who successfully applied for the first year of the programme in 2009. Selma is now a masters student in King’s College War Studies department.
www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=159732297565&ref=ts
Use the Facebook site to keep up to date with the programme. The next application round is expected to start in January 2010. Register your interest by emailing studyindia@kcl.ac.uk. More details at www.studyindia.org.uk/. There is a sister programme for China (www.studychina.org.uk for more information.)
What did it involve? As well as the cultural lectures we had talks on things like the tension between the environment and development, economics and even workshops on drama and Indian dance. These were at local colleges. Also there was a chance to do some work experience with a range of different types of organisations – art galleries, local government, charites for disabled children for example and NGOs. I actually arranged my own placement before I left the UK to a think tank. The one I wrote to originally couldn’t help me as it was just too small but they put me in touch with India’s biggest think tank, the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses. To be honest I wasn’t able to do any research but I spent my time meeting the researchers and experts. It was really revealing getting their perspective on issues such as relations with Iran which are quite counter to the consensus in the west.
What did it cost? We had to pay for our own air fares but everything else was pretty well covered. Including our hotel and hostel accomodation. Though there was always the temptation to eat out in the evening which wasn’t paid for by the programme. I heard that at least one student got paid to write about the trip in The Guardian which helped them offset the costs.
Why did you go and How difficult was it to get selected? Well it was a great chance to have an informed visit. I also felt I wanted to challenge myself.
There were a 1000 applicants for 200 places – not terrible odds really but still competitive. In the spirit of the programme they was interested in hearing about what applicants might bring to India and, of course, why India in the first place.
Policy work in the UK Parliament November 3, 2009
Posted by jefffromclapham in international development.Tags: international development, Internship, policy
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Sophia Pickles has been employed as the Assistant Coordinator for the All Party Parliamentary Group on the Great Lakes Region of Africa for the last 9 months. We talked to her about her work and how she got the post .
What does the APPG do? The group was set up in the wake of the Rwandan genocide because some Members of Parliament felt that the government’s response to the disaster was not strong enough. The 220 member strong, cross-party committee is headed up of a Labour Chair (Eric Joyce MP who until recently had been in the government) a a steering Executive Committee that comprises a Conservative and Labour Vice Chair and a Liberal Democrat Secretary. There are also Peers on the APPG’s Executive, including the Bishop of Winchester. The Group as a whole is made up of the committee plus over 220 Parliamentarians who are all interested in the region.
The Group acts as a lynchpin between Parliament and interested organisations such as the media, ngos and think tanks as well as, crucially, Parliamentarians from the Great Lakes region . We do different types of work
- We receive information from a wide range of sources such as ngos- both UK based and those that are situated in Great Lakes countries – and brief our group with policy recommendations. Our members may then tablet an oral or written question in the House of Commons, initiate a debate ,put forth an EDM or incorporate our work into their wider discussions.
- We act as an independent monitor of our own government’s work in the region. For example when there were recent riots in Uganda which led to over 20 people being killed and we were able to produce a report that explained the context and prognoses of the violence. Uganda is a member of the Commonwealth which makes it of particular interest to our members. There aren’t necessarily mechanisms within parliament who can reach and brief Members on topics such as these with the same facility as the APPG. We’re fortunate to have a privileged position between the policy makers and those on the ground, observing and reporting on what is happening there. To that extent we are able to assist parliamentarians in holding the government to account.
- We also run a number of events that help keep Parliamentarians up to date with the region and this includes events that involve Parliamentarians from the region. We have had visitors from all of the Great Lakes countries and have exceptional relationships with both political and civil society in Rwanda, Uganda, the DRC and Burundi
How does the group work politically ? We are funded externally and not by the house. Our funders have to be ‘neutral’ and so while we can approach ngos we aren’t allowed to get money from businesses with economic interests in the region. Unfortunately the majority of neutral sources tend not to have much money and so we have a very small budget. In general there seems to a large degree of political consensus about the region. There are occasionally issues whereby the major parties differ in their policy approach – such as on various aspects of Burundian foreign policy. In cases such as these there might be less political interest from one corner or another about certain issues pertaining to Burundi – but this varies.
How did you get the job ?I started off as an unpaid intern with the Group – I did this for around 5 months for 3 days a week. When the paid job came up I was one of several candidates. Things in my favour included the fact that I had worked in the region and spoke French – a language I use a lot in the post. One other thing that really helped was that one of my referees was a CEO of an ngo that was very involved with the Group’s work. I had worked for this ngo at the beginning of my development career when they were quite small. It reinforced for me the importance of being willing to start with smaller, less well-known organisations. The interviewers were very impressed that this person was willing to vouch for me.
Incidentally I got the original internship through looking at W4MP web site which is fairly well known, I think. We still have interns attached to the committee though the intern system is coming under increasing scrutiny – we all agree that it’s not fair for qualified individuals to work for free! I suspect that we’ll soon be in a situation where we either renumerate interns or take on very short term cases within a ‘work shadowing’ framework
How have you benefited ? Well it is paid work – pro-rata £23K (I work a three day week.) More than that though it has really moved my skills set into a new arena. I have had a lot practical experience of working in development in India with UNICEF and Africa with GOAL but this work has supplemented my field-based knowledge and really helped me get to grips with policy. For example I have to be very familiar with, and brief the Group Members on, not just the reports received from contacts in ngos and in field based positions and other civil networks but also the political positions of allies in Europe and elsewhere. This helps ensure that we assimilate – or are at least aware of – individual countries’ policy positions and so we can make informed recommendations. Before I had this role I didn’t have such clear ideas on how and why policy is formulated and adopted.
The other aspect of my job obliges me to keep myself informed of the situation on the ground in the region. Having worked there really helps – I know where to look and who to ask but in general the role helps me get an overview of events.
It has also transformed my writing skills. I write a lot of 2 page summaries, as with the piece on Uganda (MPs really don’t often have time to read longer pieces) but also more substantial reports running to around 30 pages or so. A recent one involved a regional report that was generated by a parliamentarian’s visit to the Congo on the issue of gender based violence – you can see this on our website.
Communications – the role has allowed me to use and develop my communication skills. I meet a huge range of people – EU representatives, ambassadors, writers and celebrities – including Sting and Sandi Toksvig recently.
*****
You can read more case studies at www.careers.lon.ac.uk/development and www.careers.lon.ac.uk/policy
Faststream diversity internships November 2, 2009
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The UK Civil Service Faststream diversity internships for summer 2010 opened today 2nd November and will close early January. Penultimate or final year students on track for 2.2 degree. Black and ethnic minority applicants or registered disabled may apply. http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/jobs/Diversity/HowDoIApply/index.aspx
Conflict, Security and Development October 26, 2009
Posted by jefffromclapham in Uncategorized.Tags: internships, peacebuilding, think tanks
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Just returned from a first class event planned by King’s College, University of London alumni office and War Studies Department. Some key themes from the range of alumni who briefly outlined their career emerged.
* London is a great place to start a career in this sector. While other cities such as Washington DC and Brussels may have a pretty good range of think tanks for example London also has these plus is a global hub for international development
* You need to be proactive. More than one speaker underlined the fact that they heard about opportunities from a network of contacts or while they were engaged in something related
* You need to be flexible. Most of the speakers had gone off at an angle before they arrived to where they wanted to be and stressed that they picked up invaluable skills on the way
* You need to use your careers office. Could barely stop myself cheering this one but a number of speakers stressed that simple things like having a flawless CV and letter were vital. Of course we can do more than this but, hey it’s a start.
* Finally, you need to keep reading to the end of the article. Just in passing one speaker mentioned that he had got an intership at the International Crisis Group in Brussels. I didn’t notice anyone fiercely scribbling the name down and wondered if that was old news! I checked them out and while their internship pages are a little out of date they are clearly an organisation to keep tabs on www.crisisgroup.org One of the things I found on their pages was a really useful guide to the best think tanks in the world. You can download it at http://www.careers.lon.ac.uk/output/page695.asp (scroll to the last entry)
Internships at Chatham House October 13, 2009
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Michael White completed an events department internship with Chatham House towards the latter part of his Masters course in the War Studies Department of King’s College, University of London . I met up with him recently and asked him about the experience. You can read other Chatham House reports at http://www.careers.lon.ac.uk/output/Page683.asp
Why do you think you were able to secure the internship ? I was ‘over-prepared’, which is a good thing and I was very enthusiastic about the position. In terms of preparation I knew the importance of the conference section to the organisation. Although it might not be the most ‘glamorous’ role, as particular research areas in Chatham House are highly sought after, Conferences are very important as Chatham House depends on them for profit, and they also provides an excellent broad representation of what the institution is about. As a result I had done my research and knew about the recent events they had put on and the variety of such events. I had also been for a practice interview in the careers office. In the end the formal interview very quickly became an informal chat but then they sprang some tests on me covering grammar, reading and Excel (which I was a little rusty at ). We briefly discussed what I wanted to get from the position, what I expected and what interest in politics and world affairs I had. They then rang me later that day to offer me the position.
What was the best thing about the experience ?
•Taking advantage of being at the events and conferences. They have a very eclectic programme and as an intern you get to experience many of them
• It raised my level of knowledge which was interesting in itself but also helped with my studies. I got to hear high calibre speakers such as the Nato Secretary General Jaap De Hoop Schaffer, NATO Ambassador Ivo Daalder, and Britis Army Commander David Richards. I also managed to rub shoulders with senior journalists like Jon Snow, showing how the media rely on Chatham House. Frankly, you get to find out stuff before the media does.
• It was really good for my confidence as well. When I’m enrolling guest speakers phoning from Chatham House gets you through secretaries and receptionists and you can suddenly find yourself talking to some very senior people in the sector. Recently, for example, I have been writing to the Emir of Kuwait. I also spoke to former Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon on the phone. It made me feel very upwardly mobile! Also once you are established there you will get consulted by the permanent team for things like suggestions for speakers. I certainly didn’t feel like an invisible presence.
• The work itself was fine. There was some routine stuff – database work, for example but they were really concerned to make sure this was balanced out with more interesting and challenging stuff. They also included me in every weekly team meeting where I was free to contribute some of my own ideas, and consulted as to how my progress on particular projects were going.
• Finally it was a good place to work. I had a good rapport with my colleagues and it was an enjoyable atmosphere. I didn’t clear out on the dot at 5pm because I was enjoying what I was asked to do. I also managed to mingle and meet more senior people from other departments and in particular research areas a lunch time, and this was a good opportunity to get to know more about particular areas of the institution.
What was the worst thing about the experience ? I can’t really think of anything about the internship that wasn’t a positive. Sure there is some routine work but this gets balanced out by other tasks in a fair way.
Working in security and intelligence overseas October 6, 2009
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This post is a little to the side of development but may be of interest.
Private sector intelligence and security organisations are an attractive career option to many King’s graduates, but understanding how they work and getting a foot in the door can be challenging. At King’s College, University of London, we are fortunate that many of our students have worked or interned in the sector. Recently I had an interesting conversation with a PhD student and teaching fellow at King’s who gave me an insight into the world of the contractors who are working alongside the forces in Iraq.
Jim (not his real name) came to King’s first a few years ago after a spell with an American private security firm to do a Masters. He has returned to take a PhD. The foundation for his research is his post-Masters experience which took him first to Syria where he studied Arabic, and then to a job with a contractor working alongside the American army in Baghdad.
His job was helping the army understand where they where and who they were dealing with. In short, helping them figure out the part of the world they were operating in. Clearly his previous experience working with the US government facilitated a level of trust and understanding with his army colleagues but, at the same time, he was independent of them as he was working with a contractor. I asked Jim how he got his job with the contractor. “I never found applying for jobs posted online on sites such as www.usajobs.gov very fruitful. Even though I had a good academic record – an Ivy League first degree and a masters from King’s, that didn’t set me apart from the crowd enough to get me in the door. What made the difference for me was going on to live in the region I had studied. The fact that I had language skills and knew the region first hand was crucial, because from the contractor’s perspective they want to hire people who have a skill set that is specific, focused and practical – and one that the government (their client) is in short supply of.”
I asked Jim about his employer and contractors in general. “There are systems engineering companies and manufacturers – Lockheed, British Aerospace, Northrop Grumman. Most people think of them as recruiting solely technologists and engineers but they also pick up contracts that require people with different things such as social, cultural and regional knowledge. There are also consultants such as Aegis, SAIC and Booz Allen Hamilton which can be fairly global with offices worldwide. Then there are the smaller niche firms in DC and Northern Virginia which support specific elements of the military and intelligence communities. Sometimes the dividing line between these types or organisations can dissolve – especially as organisations such as Booz Allen have major private sector consultancy arms.”
Finally I asked Jim what his tips would be for those looking for entry points into the contractor sector using social science qualifications.
- You will need at least a Masters and possibly a PhD
- Develop expertise on something you think will be critical in the future – a specific country, issue, trend, etc… There are jobs out there for “experts”, but “generalists” will struggle.
- Go to the region and look to get around two years experience – to the point that you are professionally useful in the language you have studied
- Avoid immersing yourself in the expat community!
What is leadership? September 25, 2009
Posted by jefffromclapham in Uncategorized.Tags: skills
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Leadership – not at first sight an attribute that tops recruiter’s wish lists in development and more usually associated with graduate training schemes in finance or fast moving consumer goods for example. Lots of people in the sector have taken leadership on. Not necessarily in a technical ‘project management’ sense but in the way they have taken a personal stand to change the way things work. A lot of applications whether to graduate schemes or development are weak not because people don’t have the right qualifications or work experience but because they don’t demonstrate a nuanced understanding of what they mean by specific skills. One of the most popular posts on this blog is a piece on team working http://thecareersgroupgid.wordpress.com/2008/04/29/what-are-analytical-skills/ but I have recently come across an interesting piece on leadership http://www.thecoaches.com/resources/multimedia/why-lead.html
Making the most of the CEDAW conference September 23, 2009
Posted by jefffromclapham in international development.Tags: conferences, volunteering
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This blog and its associated web sites listed at the end of this entry are concerned with entry level routes into international development. However we do from time to time get approached by organisations to help publicise events. This morning I met Kathrine Hilario from One World Action who is organising and publicising the International CEDAW conference on 11th November. However, I wanted to ask Kathrine how students and those seeking entry level posts might make the most of the event beyond contributing to it as a discussion and forum. I especially wanted to meet Katherine because the conference brings together a number of organisations I wasn’t aware of. So here’s the bottom line on it Its organised jointly by One World Action – an NGO that work with partner organisations internationally to ensure marginalised people have a voice in the decisions that shape their lives. They are especially involved in building women’s participation Womankind Worldwide – an organisation that seeks to empower women as a force for change in the developing world So far so good. . . The conference is to mark the 30th anniversary of CEDAW – the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. You can register for the event which runs from 9am to 4.30pm followed by an evening reception at The Human Rights Action Centre at 25 New Inn Yard, London, EC2A 3EA by emailing cedawevent@oneworldaction.org I’m glad I met Kathrine because • She tells me One World Action take on volunteers from time to time • Secondly Womankind are looking for volunteers right now • Thirdly we floated the idea of putting an event on associated with the conference. This would allow those attending to get a chance to meet international delegates to talk about work in the sector and what the issues are for those in the UK looking to work in development. She has promised to see if she can make that happen • Finally, Kathrine did point out that attending conferences like this are a great place to network and get up to speed with the issues. You might like to keep up to date with entry level issues in the sector by reading our web sites at www.careers.lon.ac.uk/development and the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=6067312691&ref=mf#/internationaldevelopment
Conscience – Taxes for Peace not War August 27, 2009
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NB THIS BLOG WRITTEN IN AUGUST 2009. PLEASE NOTE THAT CONSCIENCE ARE NOW LOOKING FOR A NEW INTERN -CLOSING DATE NOVEMBER 9TH 2009. SEE THE FACEBOOK ENTRY FOR THE CHANGES IN ROLE REQUIREMENT. http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/internationaldevelopment
Careers advisers in universities often have to liase with departments and deal with subjects they don’t have a natural affinity for. I always felt a bit of a fraud, for example, when I worked with a maths department and I almost asked a Greek and Latin professor at UCL whether the Russell Crowe character ‘Maximus’ from ‘Gladiator’ was historically accurate. Right now though I have to deal with NGOs and security organisations which is right up my street.
Even so these organisations don’t necessarily want or need to work with Careers Services – their recruitment channels for jobs and internships don’t have to go through us. They rely for example on people either visiting their web sites or through attending networking events. So when I come across relevant organisations I usually try and make contact so they get to know me – and my students. I was pleased to make contact recently with Conscience. This is a campaigning organisation who aim to support those who object to their taxes being spent on the military and want to give taxpayers the capacity to have a percentage of their taxes to be spent on peacebuilding initiatives. They have now written to me with a couple of internships and the details are below
“We campaign for a world where taxes are used to nurture peace, not pay for war.
The UK is the fourth-largest military spender in the world. Yet time and again, war fails to deliver real, sustainable security. While destroying people and resources that could be used to tackle the ignorance and social, political, economic and environmental injustices that really drive conflict. We campaign for a progressive increase in the amount of tax spent on peacebuilding, and a corresponding decrease in the amount spent on war and preparation for war. We also campaign for the legal right of those with a demonstrable conscientious objection to war to have the entire military part of their taxes spent on peacebuilding.
We require: Two interns to work two or three days per week for a minimum of six months (negotiable) at our office in Archway, North London (on the Northern Line).
Research Intern This intern will need to have good research skills as well as good writing skills and an excellent grasp of the English language. Also a high level of knowledge about the peace sector and issues surrounding it would necessary. Specific knowledge about military expenditure, non-military security and conflict prevention would be an asset. Depending on the quality of work produced this intern may be able to publish articles within various media sources.
IT Intern This intern will have to possess good ITC skills. A respectable level of knowledge of social networking sites (facebook, twitter, etc.) and experience of contributing to blogs would also be desirable. Any knowledge on website maintenance would be an asset.
This intern will be giving the freedom to be creative with their ITC skills for our various online activities, and gain valuable skills in online campaigning.
Both Internships Both interns will need to be able to work as part of a small team but also to be able to work independently.
We make sure that our interns benefit from their time with us, and we help and support them however we can, though ultimately the chosen candidates will get from the internship what they put into it. We want people who will make the most of their time with us: be keen, learn and develop their talents as much as they can. We are a small, flexible organisation which is open to new ideas and we are looking for motivated individuals to take up this great opportunity to fill their CVs interesting and exciting content.
We offer: References, travel costs to work, lunch, and a friendly environment in which to learn all about working for a campaigning organisation in the peace sector. Furthermore interns will have the possibility to attend conferences on behalf of the organisation (with costs paid for) and may have the opportunity to be involved in some press work and networking.
Please send your CV and a cover letter to Gayle Kinkead at campaign@conscienceonline.co.uk . The deadline for applications is 21st September 2009″
