International
Youth Internships in Community Forestry |
SFF's
international youth internships provide young Canadian university
graduates an experience of a lifetime working with NGOs and communities
on community forestry related projects in other parts of the world.
It is an opportunity for youth to learn and apply practical skills
in their field, and to share experiences with rural communities
in other parts of the world. Inevitably they are challenged, inspired
and humbled by working side-by-side with NGO workers and villagers
who face severe economic and environmental problems with dedication,
perseverance, resourcefulness, and even joyfulness.
The
program is also a great way for SFF to build and maintain our
connections to community forestry organizations in other nations
and our awareness of community forestry issues around the world.
To
find out if we have current internship opportunities available,
check our Jobs section. |
2002-2003
Interns
Interns
upon their return from Nigeria, Ecuador and Panama. July 2003.
In
our 2002/2003 program, ten interns worked for 6-7 months abroad:
five in Nigeria, three in Ecuador, and two in Panama. They were
matched with different projects suiting their background and
interests. They worked in ethnobotany, ecotourism planning,
mapping for land rights, analog forestry, medicinal plant cultivation,
and participatory mapping and land-use planning.
Seven of the ten interns began by working for a month in B.C.-two
with the Harrop-Procter Community Forest, three with Silva,
one with the Winlaw Watershed Committee, and one in Smithers
with One Sky. Working in rural communities in Canada provides
the interns, most of whom are recent university graduates, with
valuable insights and stories that can be shared with their
overseas hosts.
By
January 2003, all interns were working internationally with
a variety of non-government organizations, many in rural or
remote communities.
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2001-2002
Interns
Youth
Interns from 2001-2002 were posted in Indonesia and Nigeria.
In our 2002/2003
program, ten interns worked for 6-7 months abroad: five in Nigeria,
three in Ecuador, and two in Panama. They were matched with different
projects suiting their background and interests. They worked in
ethnobotany, ecotourism planning, mapping for land rights, analog
forestry, medicinal plant cultivation, and participatory mapping
and land-use planning.
Seven of the ten interns began by working for a month in B.C.-two
with the Harrop-Procter Community Forest, three with Silva, one
with the Winlaw Watershed Committee, and one in Smithers with
One Sky. Working in rural communities in Canada provides the interns,
most of whom are recent university graduates, with valuable insights
and stories that can be shared with their overseas hosts.
By January
2003, all interns were working internationally with a variety
of non-government organizations, many in rural or remote communities.
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2000-2001
Interns
Silva’s
first five interns spent 8 months in Indonesia in 2000-2001.
Our
first five intrepid interns returned in April 2001 after 8 months
working on community forestry projects in Indonesia. Upon arrival
on B.C. soil, they met together for a debriefing in Whistler.
It was a much appreciated few days to reconnect with each other,
share stories with friends who had been through similar experiences,
talk about the challenges of reverse culture shock, and look
ahead to the next steps in their careers.
The
internships were a fabulous learning experience both for the
interns and for the host organizations. There were challenges
and frustrations in cross-cultural communications, and aligning
the expectations of hosts and interns. These challenges were
resolved and were probably the most significant part of the
learning. The interns also gained a first-hand view of forest
and community issues in Indonesia, and this has given them a
new perspective from which to reflect on community forests in
B.C.
For
more information about the International Internship program,
contact coordinator Alix Flavelle at marlix@netidea.com.
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