GSPIA Interns’ blogs

What a time to be in Berlin… the economic stability of Europe and what Germany (really Merkel…) will do to assure its stability is a constantly debated topic which I get to experience first-hand! This has so far been a remarkable experience.  While not directly involved, it has been fascinating to experience the current economic and political climate of Europe while interning here at the Canadian Embassy in Berlin.

I have been in the Embassy for one month now, travelling to Berlin from Malmo, Sweden where I took a fascinating class comparing immigration policies between Sweden, Switzerland, and Canada with other students from these respective countries.  I have to agree with Nora V, it was fascinating and a priceless experience to not only delve into our pre-existing interest of immigration in the class room, but to learn from other students, practitioners, and academics about their experiences with immigration policy and immigrants.  I pursued my studies with GSPIA based on the amazing opportunities they could provide us access too, but I never thought it would be to this extent!

Now I am in Berlin and have been enjoying the city, work, and surrounding areas.  At work, it is amazing how many skills that we learned in Public Policy class with Professor Juillet are coming in handy!  I frequently attend events (latest one was a presentation by Foreign Minister Westerwelle at the Reichstag) and write reports/briefing notes on the main points and implications of them.  You really do have to write only one page… every word truly does matter!  Germany is such an influential actor in Europe and the world (particularly now) and there is always something going on to report or read about.  In my short time here, I have witnessed the fast paced and constantly changing environment that is Embassy life. While this Embassy is much larger than others that interns can work at, I work with an excellent team, have met many other students interning here, and have access to large and high level political and Embassy events.  The majority of those who work here are Locally Engaged Staff as well, which is a great way to practice my German and learn more about German culture!

And Berlin itself… it is a city which everyone must visit at least once in their lifetime. History lives and breathes on every surface of the city.  The location of the Embassy is in the middle of the death strip and behind a memorial to the Berlin Wall, which serves as a reminder every day of the very recent changes and rapid growth and development Berlin has gone through. The people are frank, fun, and relaxed. The city never stops, there is always some new and exciting flea market to see, museum to peruse, or festival or street party to experience!  While it is not the most aesthetically pleasing city in the world, there is so much vibrance and life in the city it is hard not to grow to love it.

But MOST importantly, Euro 2012 has kept me busy.  Being a Dutch fan, I was not too liked in Berlin while sporting my bright orange jersey… but this once again added to the experience of learning about a new culture.  Now that Germany is well on its way to win the Euro, it is amazing to be able to experience this in the country itself!  There is nothing more fun than watching football in a biergarten, I must say!

I am looking forward to my next couple of months here and hope all my other intern colleagues across the world are enjoying their experiences as well.

Next up, Canada Day in Dresden! Tschuss!

One last hello from Europe!
Four months have come and gone and I now find myself wondering where the time went. It seems like just yesterday that I arrived in Madrid and was getting ready for my first day of work at the Embassy of Canada to Spain.

Looking back I must say that I’m leaving with nothing but good memories of the people, the work and of course the country. My experience taught me many things on both a professional and personal level. Professionally, I gained a good understanding of the commercial and political relations between Canada and Spain as well as the inner workings of an embassy and the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. On a personal level, I got to experience all the pros and cons of living and working in a foreign country and in a highly international work environment.

One of my proudest moments was seeing the International Experience Canada (IEC) Program open on my second last day of work. The IEC program is part of a Youth Mobility Agreement between Canada and Spain and allows youth between the ages of 18 and 35 obtain work permits for up to one year in the other country. This year, IEC offered 1,000 work permits to Spaniards wanting to come to Canada. Throughout my four months as an intern, I managed the communications for this program and saw the high levels of interest Spaniards had in coming to Canada. This great interest is partly because Canada is a beautiful country, but also because of the extremely hard job market in Spain. By April of this year, unemployment for youth under 25 reached 50% in Spain.

After leaving the embassy, I heard from a former colleague that the IEC program closed 7 days after opening. The demand was simply that high!

I’m now in Malmo Sweden attending an immigration class comparing immigration policy between Canada, Switzerland and Sweden. Having worked on the IEC Program, I was able to share my experience with this work permit program with my fellow classmates. As a side note, the immigration class, also offered by the University of Ottawa, is just one of many opportunities to go abroad with API. Opportunities, which I find, make a world of a difference for someone who wants to study international relations. Like the embassy internships, they allow you to go beyond the classroom and learn through experience in new and exciting environments.

If I had one piece of advice for students it would be to take advantage of internships and programs offered outside of the classroom, especially those abroad. My internship at the embassy taught me things that you cannot learn in a classroom and has prepared me for the workplace more than I could have ever imagined. Of course it wasn’t easy to be far from family and friends, but the experiences and the memories I gained were well worth it.

I hope you enjoyed reading this blog as much as I enjoyed writing it.
So long for now!
Nora

Leaving Bangkok?

There has never been one dull day since I’ve arrived to Thailand. Sometimes not in such a good way though. Yesterday I managed to fall off a motorbike (very painful, glad I’m alive), get stopped by the police (looking for a bride from my friend who didn’t have his passport on him) and get food poisoning (I ate a sketchy burger, very delicious). I was also woken up at two am by a loud fight on the street. Still I love this city.

I wish this internship lasted longer than four months. I feel like I am just getting settled in and it is already time to leave. It has been a great trip so far. I was lucky to arrive during a Prime Minister’s visit. I got to meet Harper, Baird and more importantly all the people (aka good business contacts) that were present during the events of the visit. In general, I found that interning at the Embassy made networking very easy however to remain in contact with many people once your internship is over is a bit of a challenge since you will no longer have the same phone number or e-mail address as all those business cards you handed out. Besides business contact, I have also met some really wonderful people both at the Embassy and outside.

So this internship has come to an end. I won’t miss waking up at 6 am every day to go work in my dark cubicle located near the entrance of the restroom but I will miss the rest of the day! I think compared to all the other interns I am having a harder time excepting that I need to leave. I have already extended my return ticket twice. Pretty sure that my visa won’t allow me to do it again. I am already anticipating the reverse culture shock. But then again I guess that nothing is stopping me from coming back here. And this is part of one of the most valuable lesson I learned here in Thailand. If you have a vision a life that you want to live, nothing will stop you but your own thoughts and nothing will get your there but your own will.

Today is my last day at the embassy and let me tell you how sad I am to be leaving this place.The people I have been working with for the past four months have been tremendously welcoming, helpful, insightful and I consider them colleagues but also friends.

Working at the embassy at times can be very challenging especially if you are alone in the adventure but it is definitely worth it. This experience in Hanoi has challenged me both professionally but also personally. I have learned to use many transferable skills. I have learned to be confident and to not be afraid to take the lead when we are in an impasse. I have had the chance throughout this internship to work with Canadians but also with Vietnamese government officials that were pretty important. I had the chance to represent the embassy and the ambassador at various events and had the chance to represent Canada and our interests in a few meetings with Vietnamese representatives as well as members of the  international community and the civil society.

Living in Vietnam has opened up various opportunities that I would not necessarily have sought when I first arrived here. Working for the embassy has definitely made me realize that one day I do want to work for DFAIT. However, I now know for a fact that I want to wait a few years and work elsewhere first. I have mixed feelings about my departure from the country. I am excited to come back home and seeing everyone, but at the same time, this country has so much to offer and I have only been able to explore one part, the north. I wished I would have had more time here and that I would have been able to explore the wonderful cities that are only a few hundreds of km away from Hanoi. I wish I would have had the chance and time to wrap my head around learning more of the language. The end of this internship comes when I was finally getting comfortable in my position; when I knew what I was doing and I was getting better at my task. I wished the internship was longer (I would probably say the same if it was a longer internship) or wished I had time to do a lot more travels around the region. I am sad to leave the people that have surrounded me for the past few months. I really hope to come back here soon.

Let me offer a piece of advice to all APIers: If you have the chance to get an internship with an embassy through GSPIA I would definitely recommend that you take the opportunity. It will help you grow professionally, personally and even academically. Yes, you will be away from your family and friends but this is the experience of a lifetime and you will not regret it. If you even had a little doubt about what it would be like to be a diplomat or work at an embassy or dreamed about being an ambassador - do it! If you don’t get your first choice, it does not matter! I wanted to go to Europe and I’m in Asia … I don’t think I could have been more happy to be posted here at the end of the day. I have definitely flourished here and I am sure you will do the same anywhere you go. The Embassy in Hanoi has had 3 interns from Ottawa U. since last year and they are amazed by the quality of the students they have been getting. This shows by how much they trust us to do things such as representing our country or the ambassador in different events or even to write reports that are shared with the entire foreign service. I guarantee that the embassy internship will be rewarding wherever you are posted!

I am leaving for China tomorrow. I  thought a quick lay-over there before I have to come back to Canada would be nice since I am close to the frontier. I will be there for a week. Then I will be back in Ottawa to finish my MRP and I will be waiting to start my next adventure after graduation.
Thanks for reading.

For my comrades at embassies now and for those leaving shortly: enjoy every minute of your time abroad!
Love,
Audrey

Hello again from Spain!

I’ve been having a great time living and working in this beautiful city. Madrid is full of interesting things to see and do at all hours of the day.

Not so long ago I got the chance to discover another great city in Spain, Barcelona! I had the great honor of planning the Canadian Ambassador to Spain’s program during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona.

MWC is one of the largest congresses of its kind bringing together the top Information Communication and Technology (ICT) companies from around the world. This year, the congress had over 67,000 attendees from 205 countries and almost 1,500 different companies exhibiting their products and services. There were also more than 40 conference sessions given during the 4 day long congress which touched upon the most recent trends in ICT including Mobile Money, Mobile Heath and Embedded Mobile. Among the keynote speakers there were Presidents, CEOs and Executives of huge multinational companies such as Google, eBay, Vodafone, Nokia, China Mobile and Ericsson.

The Embassy of Canada to Spain, along with the ICT practice sector at Head Quarters in Ottawa, organised the Canadian presence at MWC. This presence included 27 Canadian Trade Commissioners and over 90 Canadian companies exhibiting and attending the congress. We also organized a special Canada Reception at the Cirque du Soleil’s Tapis Rouge Lounge with the assistance of key corporate sponsors.

In planning the Ambassador’s program, I got the chance to organise the logistics around the different conference sessions and meetings that the Ambassador attended. I also coordinated the guest list of the VIPs who were invited to the Canada Reception at the Cirque du Soleil. These VIPs included senior political and regulatory authorities from Brazil, Spain, Israel, Switzerland, Poland, and Indonesia as well as heads from large ICT companies. In addition to this, I also helped with other key Canadian events happening during the congress and worked at the Canada both answering different questions to congress attendees.

The entire experience was extremely rewarding. Despite working long hours and under the pressure of tight deadlines, I really enjoyed the work. Attending the congress and meeting many different Canadian companies opened my eyes to the dynamic industry of ICT. I was also able to witness the power of the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service and its industry knowledge and reach around the world.

Finally, I have to say that I’ve never seen so many businessmen in my life. The entire city was flooded with ICT businessmen from all corners of the globe. The site of the congress was literally a sea of business suits with everyone on their mobile phone and tablet computer. It was quite the sight!

Looking forward to reporting on my next adventure here in Spain.

Hasta

Hola de Montevideo! Como estan?

I just arrived from spending nine amazing days in Brazil for Easter Break (Semana Santa).
I had the opportunity to experience first-hand Brazil and brush-up my Portuguese! I had a great interest in visiting Brazil as I am doing my MRP on Brazil, energy and foreign policy. I visited Iguazu Falls –one of the seven natural wonders of the world- with its amazing scenery, long hikes, and breathtaking water falls both in the Argentinean and Brazilian side. Next destination was Rio de Janeiro with its world acclaimed beaches, ‘Copacabana’ and ‘Ipanema’, the famous ‘Cristo Redentor’, ‘Pao de Azucar’, and then the neighbourhood ‘Lapa’ in the city centre, a musical gem full of bars with life samba performances. Final destination was Sao Paulo, an ocean of sky rise buildings, first class public transportation, a vibrant city that hosts great museums and restaurants. It’s also a very multicultural society flocked with people at all times of the day- it’s a city that never sleeps. Afterwards I visited Buenos Aires. A beautiful and majestic city!

This if one of the great advantages of the embassy internship experience. You have the opportunity to travel around the area you are in and get a better outlook of the region. I enjoyed experiencing each country and learning more about the politics, culture and foreign policy of the Mercosur region. Now I understand more the dynamics of this part of Latin America!

March was the busiest month at the Canadian Embassy in Montevideo, especially for a micro-mission. There were several important events, visits and projects taking place. Everyone had to pitch-in! I supported a Ministerial-level visit from DFAIT for the IDB Annual Conference. I experienced how a ministerial visit is planned, how it unfolds, how the pressure builds up at the embassy, and how there is no room for error! It was very exciting! In addition, I was fully in charge of the embassy’s main ‘Francophonie’ event mid-March. It was a concert by Canadian singer Paule-Andrée Cassidy accompanied by a great pianist, Vincent Gagnon. They toured Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay to commemorate ‘La Journée Internationale de la Francophonie’, so I worked hand-in-hand with the Canadian Embassy in Buenos Aires and l’Alliance Francaise in Montevideo as well.  It was a great success! There were other activities surrounding the ‘Francophonie’ celebrations I helped organized. There was a reception at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uruguay and a reception at the International Film Festival in Montevideo where the embassy hosted a cocktail to celebrate the Canadian film by director Anne Emond. Les activités ont souligné la grande richesse et la diversité culturelle francophone sur le plan musical et artistique. Une belle réussite!
Now I only have a month left of this incredibly exciting and rewarding experience. Hasta pronto! Chao!!

It is my last week in Buenos Aires and I can’t help but reflect upon the past four months…the friendships I have built, the great wines I have tasted and the work experience I have gained. Despite the things I won’t miss about Buenos Aires, (the fact that pedestrians do not have the right of way in a crosswalk and that I have learned to bring a novel to the supermarket because the lines are so long) there are some things I will miss like the tree lined avenues, the friendly “buen dia” from my flower guy on the walk to work in the mornings and wandering through the craft markets with an ice cream on Sundays.

In the last few weeks of work, I have closely monitored the Falklands/Malvinas conflict as April 2nd marked the 30th anniversary of the war between Argentina and the UK over the Islands. There were violent protests from the Argentine left-wing political group Quebracho outside the British Embassy, which received strong criticism from UK Prime Minister Cameron and Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.  With the upcoming VI Summits of the Americas in Cartagena, Colombia, President Kirchner expects to have the strong regional support for her sovereignty claim over the Falklands/Malvinas. It will be interesting to follow the Summit leader’s discussions and decisions, especially the position of the U.S. and Canada regarding the Islands.

I was also able to help coordinate the annual Mujeres en Igualdad (MEI) Breakfast, which is a networking event for some of the top women lawmakers and NGO Directors in Buenos Aires hosted by our Embassy. MEI’s focus theme this year is on teen dating violence, through the campaign called “Violencia Nunca – El Amor No Duele” (Translation: Never Violence – Love Does Not Hurt). According to the World Health Organization, three out of ten teens report having experienced some sort of violence in the relationship. In Argentina, 7.3% of women between the ages of 18 and 24 have experienced violence in their relationships. In order to raise awareness about this issue, MEI showed a documentary at the breakfast which examines the views and experiences of boys and girls from different social sectors on violence in relationships. Canadian Ambassador Kutz gave the opening speech in which she stated that this breakfast networking event begun five years ago and has become a tradition in the struggle for women’s rights. She also detailed some of the upcoming gender equality events the Embassy has planned and affirmed Canada’s commitment to the social, cultural and political rights of women in the region of Buenos Aires. Her speech also highlighted the tireless work of Susana Trimarco, who received the John Diefenbaker Defender of Human Rights and Freedom Award in Ottawa on March 14.

As my internship comes to a close, I look forward to returning to Ottawa…as being away from something always makes you appreciate it that much more. I have learned so much about Argentines, their culture, lifestyle and language and I know that I have grown and developed my interests in foreign affairs because of this experience. I encourage future students of GSPIA to take the opportunity and truly see what it’s like to live and work in a foreign country.

Hello from Genève!

After only one month here, I already feel like I have had the experience of a lifetime.

I have the great pleasure of working with a fantastic and friendly team in the Humanitarian Affairs division at the Canadian Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva. Here, I have been immediately thrown into the position of representing Canada at high-level multilateral meetings in the historical Palais on ongoing and emerging humanitarian situations around the world. What a thrill this has been. Although I have found myself in situations like this before, it is always a challenge to subvert the “think-for-yourself-and-share-all-your-opinions” mentality that is so greatly encouraged in university; but it is a tradeoff I happily make to be able to take part in Canadian foreign policy.

I was fortunate enough that my first month here coincided with the UN Human Rights Council. I had the opportunity to both observe the plenary sessions as well as attend side events on various issues important to the mission and of personal interest.  The Palais and the city were abuzz with politically sensitive conversations pervading every public space. Several times I found myself rerouted home or to work due to protests regarding various situations around the world. Several times I found myself in line at the grocery store or on the tram next to protesters all decked out in colours and flags; human representations of what countless people around the world believe in.  Regardless of political affiliation, there is something quite inspiring about individuals who have traveled great distances to have their voices heard, even when no one wants to listen.

To say the least, the environment around the UNHRC was electrifying to be in for a young professional in the field. And yet at the end of the day, I have still been able to sit on my balcony with a good book, an amazing selection of cheese and a glass of wine, staring out at the serenity that is Mont Blanc.

I am quite excited to see what the next four months will bring.

En cette semaine de la francophonie, je vous écris pour vous dire comment mon stage se déroule à Hanoi. Le stage se déroule à merveille.
Je me sens comme une partie intégrale de l’équipe.  Cette semaine c’est la Francophonie, c’est-à-dire une de mes plus grosses semaines de travail. C’est une grosse semaine puisque l’une de mes tâches principales à l’Ambassade est de coordonner les activités reliées à la Francophonie. Samedi dernier l’Ambassade a tenu un kiosque à l’Université d’Hanoi ayant pour thème « Le Canada en Francophonie ».
Notre kiosque mettait l’accent sur l’éducation en français au Canada.
Plus de 1500 étudiants vietnamiens se sont présentés à notre kiosque et nous avons distribué de l’information provenant de plusieurs universités canadiennes. Nous avions également préparé un quiz sur le Canada et plus de 350 élèves y ont participés.

Lors de la foire de la Francophonie, nous avons aussi organisé un panel de discussion avec 4 anciens étudiants vietnamiens d’universités francophones canadiennes qui ont parlé de leur expérience et moments mémorables lors de leur séjour au Canada. Demain soir, nous participerons au festival du film à Hanoi en  présentant le film Incendies  de Denis Villeneuve, nous attendons plus de 100 personnes. À la fin du mois de mars, il y aura la finale d’Indochine du Concours Dynamique. Le concours dynamique permet aux étudiants vietnamiens, cambodgiens et laotiens d’échanger et de participer amicalement à des concours de connaissances linguistiques et artistiques. Voilà sur quoi je travaille du côté des relations publiques.

En ce qui a trait à la deuxième partie de mon travail, je surveille et rapporte sur les enjeux de droits humains plus particulièrement sur le « human trafficking » and « human smuggling » dans la région. Ces enjeux sont beaucoup plus présents que ce que l’on pense. Ce travaille m’aide beaucoup pour écrire mon mémoire. En rencontrant plusieurs personnes de diverses branches du gouvernement Vietnamien, d’ambassades ou d’OGNs qui travaillent sur le sujet j’obtiens de l’information de premier plan ce qui m’aurait été presque inimaginable en étant à Ottawa. La difficulté numéro 1 à laquelle je fais face pour écrire le mémoire maintenant est le trop plein d’information.

Bref mon stage au Vietnam est très intéressant et très constructif pour le moment. Il ne me reste qu’un mois et demi avant le retour à Ottawa et je sens la fin qui approche… c’est très dur de penser que mes deux premières semaines ont été très difficiles et que je voulais rentrer chez moi. Maintenant je vois le temps qui s’écoule et je n’ai pas hâte de rentrer. J’aimerais rester au Vietnam plus longtemps. Nous verrons les options qui s’offrent à moi d’ici les prochaines semaines.

À bientôt!

The first half of my internship at the Embassy of Canada to Spain flew by. As an intern working on both commercial and political projects, I’ve had the opportunity to work on a number of different projects. These projects can range from preparing briefings on companies and market reports, to correspondence for education initiatives and can even include the occasional social committee event.

The work environment at the embassy is very dynamic and reflects the perfect marriage between Spanish and Canadian culture.  You have to be aware of the news in Spain as well as in Canada and throughout the day you are constantly switching from Spanish to English and French.

A typical day at work starts at 8:30am, at 10:30am everyone takes a 30 minute break for coffee and barrita (mini baguette toasted with olive oil and fresh tomatoes), lunch is eaten from 2pm to 3pm and usually involves a substantial meal and then back to work until 5:30pm.

One of the key programs I work on is the International Experience Canada initiative. This program is part of a Youth Mobility Program which allows young Spaniards to work, study and travel in Canada for up to one year. The program is extremely popular among young Spaniards who want to visit Canada our beautiful country, learn English and French as well as gain valuable work experience abroad.

My work with the International Experience Canada Initiative has allowed me to communicate with hundreds of young Spaniards by phone, through e-mail and at an Education Fair I attended in March. It gives me great pride to speak about Canada and promote it as a destination for young Spaniards.

The Education Fair I attended was one of my most rewarding experiences to date. I really enjoyed meeting so many young Spaniards and speaking to them about the different opportunities they have in Canada. The event also tested my public speaking abilities in Spanish as I spent hours speaking non-stop.

One last event which made me proud to be Canadian was our embassy’s St-Patrick’s Day party where we invited other employees from different embassies to join. Given that St-Patrick’s Day is not often celebrated in Spain it was very nice to see people dressed in green, eating green desserts and enjoying Irish music. Funny enough, it was the one time I felt most at home during my stay in Spain.

As the halfway point has passed, I’m realizing how fast time goes by. I really look forward to the projects I will be working on in the next few weeks.

Hope you enjoyed reading this post!

Check back in soon,

Nora Villarreal