Larissa, Honours - Conflict Studies and Human Rights
Field Internship Country: Sri Lanka
Canadian NGO: World University Service of Canada (WUSC)
Local NGO: CENWOR
When you get off the plane in Sri Lanka you've been traveling for what feels like 4 days and that warm breeze, freshest air and lush landscape feels like you entered Nirvana. Then we drove to Colombo and were welcomed into my apartment which is next to a stunning temple and with three balconies (I lucked out). The city has this overwhelming energy stuffed with charm, opportunity, and joy. Colombo is the intersection of a million different worlds and the cacophony of individual lives makes you feel welcome. Culture is in every crevice of Sri Lanka you are never more than 500 meters from a place of worship. This made me notice how much we as Canadians severely lack a third place, first is your home, second you work, and most people have no third place. Where here in Sri Lanka that could not be further from the truth, the community is strong and there are many places’ people can be without having to pay.
My placement was at the Center for Women's Research, (CENWOR) I was thrown deep in starting right on my first day. This fast-paced work gave me an indispensable experience in my education. I have learned more applicable skills in terms of research but also terms of character development than in the rest of my years in university. Working in research meant I constantly had to check biases, improve my social skills, read between the lines, and adapt to very different political contexts. An average day consisted of writing blog posts, and research for funding opportunities. Moving the theory of intersectionality, monitoring and evaluation, post-colonial, peacekeeping, community-based etc. those ideas as students we spend so much time studying, in practice, you can see how the micro-level effect of these ideas can really benefit or harm the aimed beneficiaries. For example, nationwide efforts to get health care for elders would not be effective because of the drastically different realities for elders based on location, familial support, gender, language, religion, disability, and class. Without an in-depth focus on intersectionality and Gender Based analysis, these efforts for elder care would be ineffective and could not reach those with the most need.
My office is majority young female interns, so I was lucky enough to have automatic connections and things in common with my coworkers. This created an informal and comfortable environment where we could have challenged and open conversations. I was very apprehensive about speaking at first, I was worried about being a burden, saying the wrong thing, or inconveniencing people by forcing them to speak in English. But getting past these social anxieties and finding my place in the conversation has been a rewarding experience and a life lesson I needed. It has made me more confident in my work and more confident in taking up space in a professional environment.
Beyond that the work was tangible and meaningful, if you are a student and want to learn how to do research, or work in advocacy CENWOR is the placement for you. We did projects on elders' access to healthcare, cyber-violence, and gendered violence. It was amazing to be involved with projects that will have a real impact.
If you take anything from this blog post I hope it is to step outside of your comfort, challenge yourself with new experiences, new ideas, and open conversations. Real humanity is in our connections with others and stepping outside of your bubble is always the way to personal growth.