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Fall 2013 Quarterly Newsletter
MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR
IN THIS ISSUE
The Humanitarian Assistance Program continues to focus on
improving student preparedness for and access to practical
experience in the humanitarian field. As we welcomed back
our second yar students, we asked them to share information
about their summer internships with key NGOs (including
Oxfam America and Save the Children) and UN Organizations
(including UNICEF and WHO).
We invite you to read about the work of our students and learn
about how their time at the Korbel School prepared them for
these experiences.
Enjoy,
Chen Reis
Page 1
Message from the Director
Page 2-3
Student Internship Profiles
Page 4-6
Student Internship Snapshots
Page 6
Organization Spotlight:
Relief International
Page 7
Student Profile
Page 8-9
Alumni Profile: Jeff Franklin
The Humanitarian Assistance Certificate Program prepares students to work in the humanitarian field. The program provides students with the
theoretical and practical underpinnings for humanitarian work which is technically sound, engages with affected communities, responds to the
diverse needs of affected populations and sets the stage for sustainable and inclusive recovery and development.
STAYING CONNECTED
Portfolio
www.portfolio.du.edu/haprog
The HA Portfolio page is a great resource for program information
and requirements for the HA Certificate. Under the “Stay in touch!”
section, please join our listserv to receive biweekly emails on our
latest news and events.
Email [email protected]
Feel free to email HA with any questions, concerns or suggestions
regarding this newsletter or other activities.
[email protected]
Facebook
www.facebook.com/du.haprog
Be sure to “like” HA’s Facebook page and stay up to date with news
both here at Korbel and around the world.
Twitter
@DU_humanitarian
Follow our tweets for the latest buzz in the humanitarian world and
live-tweeting during HA events.
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Fall 2013 Quarterly Newsletter
STUDENT INTERNSHIP PROFILES
Students in the Humanitarian Assistance Program pursued impressive internships this past summer
as part of their certificate requirements. Learn what skills they brought with them,
what they took away, and how the experience shaped their career plans.
Kelly O’Connor, Oxfam America
Boston, MA
Humanitarian Research Intern
I conducted research and
analysis on bilateral donor
support for local and national
humanitarian capacity building,
focusing on Canada, the United
Kingdom, Sweden and the
European
Commission.
My
research culminated in a 75page report which I submitted to
Oxfam America’s Humanitarian
Response Department to inform
its advocacy efforts.
Why did you choose this internship?
After a little encouragement from Professor Reis, I decided to
apply for this research-oriented internship for three reasons:
1) it was with a large international relief and development
agency that adheres to the humanitarian principles of
impartiality, humanity and independence, but one that also
has an advocacy mandate (which fits well with my MA in
Human Rights);
2) it was an opportunity to gain experience at the HQ level,
which would complement my experience working in the field;
3) and it was an internship where I would be working on a
substantive topic and would have the opportunity to produce
an actionable end product.
What did you take into the internship from your classes or
experiences at Korbel?
I was able to apply the research and writing skills I cultivated
at Korbel to my internship daily. Additionally, everything
I learned about the humanitarian system, especially the
humanitarian finance system, proved to be immeasurably
helpful. As silly as it sounds, being able to “talk the talk”
and actually know what I was saying was so important.
The humanitarian world is one giant acronym, and I knew
more than enough of the alphabet soup to hold my own in
conversations and meetings.
How do you think it will affect your career path?
Getting this internship has opened up major doors for
my career. I went into the internship with the mentality of
making myself so indispensable to Oxfam that they would
have to find a way to keep me on when it was over. And now I
have a temporary (paid! Hooray!) position with them in their
Community Engagement Department. What I’ve learned (this
is nothing earthshattering) is that getting your foot in the
door is key. The humanitarian world is small; people know
people everywhere, and if you can find a way in and do good
work, you’re going to get more opportunities.
Greg Cormier, Save the Children
How did you get the internship?
I got the internship by applying under the specific internship
MoU that the Humanitarian Assistance Program established
with Oxfam America. It was an incredible advantage to be able
to apply for an internship that had been blocked for a Korbel
HA Certificate candidate.
[email protected]
PAGE 2
Washington, DC
Emergency Logistics,
Department of Humanitarian
Response
I dealt with procurement and
delivery for Save the Children
US and Save the Children
International commodities for
country offices.
More on Page 3
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Fall 2013 Quarterly Newsletter
Student Internship Profiles, cont.
Why did you choose this internship?
I chose this internship because at this moment my dream
job is to be a logistics officer for humanitarian response
programs.
How did you get the internship?
I got the internship by asking a professor if he would hire me.
He said “yes.” I then applied through the Save the Children
website and was awarded the internship.
What did you take into the internship from your classes or
experiences at Korbel?
I took a lot of information -- pretty much everything I knew
at the moment about humanitarian response -- into the
internship. And then I realized upon arrival that I know very,
very little still.
How do you think it will affect your career path?
I have been awarded a position in the Department of
Humanitarian Response as “Specialist: Food Assistance.”
Though this is not exactly what I would like to do for an
extended period of time, it is a really phenomenal learning
opportunity to work with the WFP portfolio with regards to
Crisis Response.
Deborah Nicol, UNICEF
The Philippines
Child Protection Intern
My internship focused primarily on a project concerning
Community Based Child Protection Networks. I researched
case studies and interviewed key participants. The final
report will be used as a tool for addressing Grave Child Rights
Violations. I also participated in workshops addressing
Monitoring and Reporting Mechanisms, Violence Against
Children, and Lessons Learned following emergency response
to Typhoon Bopha.
Why did you choose this internship?
Throughout my first year at Korbel, I narrowed down my
career focus to Child Protection. UNICEF was an obvious
choice to gain experience in this field.
[email protected]
How did you get the internship?
I found my supervisor on LinkedIn, who happened to be linked
to Professor Reis and a UNICEF specialist in Kenya whom I
had met through an HA Program speaker event. (Build those
connections!) I offered my skills in HA and she suggested a
project. In order to solidify the position quickly, I was politely
but aggressively persistent. I provided my future supervisor
with as much information as possible and made myself very
flexible, particularly in consideration that this was not an
advertised internship but rather that the position was created
for me. I would also stress the value of taking as many OCPD
workshops as possible. They know what they’re talking about
and will help you look polished.
What did you take into the internship from your classes or
experiences at Korbel?
The core HA courses proved to be a great asset: HA Systems
and Policies, Field Ops and the crisis simulation, in particular.
All of these provided me with a good foundational knowledge
of the UN system and field processes.
How do you think it will affect your career path?
This internship confirmed my desire to work in Child Protection
in areas of conflict and to be out in the field. I feel I now have
a foot in the door and hope that this experience demonstrates
my commitment to future employers.
Note to Deborah’s experience: I also visited Moro Islamic
Liberation Front communities (an armed separatist group) on
Mindanao to assess the efficacy of expanding pilot networks
in areas of armed conflict. This latter task was done outside
of my official internship period, as DU Risk Management is
restrictive regarding students visiting areas of conflict.
PAGE 3
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Fall 2013 Quarterly Newsletter
STUDENT INTERNSHIP SNAPSHOTS
Second Year HA students returned to Korbel with great
experiences under their belts and a greater focus on their
careers ahead. Summer internships ranged from Save
the Children in Washington DC to WHO in the Philippines.
Three panels were held to connect second years with first
years. Panels ranged from the work that took place at these
humanitarian organizations to strategies for finding housing.
In addition to the internships highlighted on the previous
pages, below are snapshots of more HA student internships.
Rachael Davis
Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Secretariat,
UN headquarters, NYC
OCHA Intern
I attended a lot of meetings and briefings organised by
partner organisations or other units of OCHA or member
organizations. I also assisted in various projects such as
updating the Terms of Reference and working methods of
the agency.
“Working at UN headquarters in New York was a great way
of understanding the UN culture and system. In terms of my
career planning, it also gave me clarity on where I want to be
in the first few years of my career.” -- Rachael Davis
Miriam Edwards
Relief International (RI), Washington DC
Middle East Programs Intern
My role was to support the Senior Desk Officer and Senior
Program Director in the DC office, as well as regional
coordinators and country directors. RI staff in the field are
locals and English may not be a first language, therefore
interns were used to edit project quarterly reports and
project proposal documents. I also had the opportunity to
work on a budget for a proposal to assist Syrian refugees.
I was assigned the task of finding errors in the budget and
checking that formulas were consistent and accurate.
Teresa Baranowski
Save the Children, Washington DC
Policy & Advocacy Intern,
International Humanitarian Response
I attended many meetings, both internally and
externally (Congressional hearings, InterAction
working groups) and reported back on key
objectives. I also did advocacy work: writing
letters to key officials in Congress and the State
Department; creating a factsheet on children for
World Refugee Day; and researching talking points
for key meetings.
“The HA certificate was really helpful in preparing
me for my internship, but especially Health and
Humanitarian Aid for teaching me how to write
concise yet informative briefs on a schedule. That
really came in handy.” -- Teresa Baranowski
“In this field, skills courses are particularly key, and so I’ve
already started to make sure that I have a healthy balance of
those types of courses each quarter.” -- Miriam Edwards
How did you get your internship?
Public listing
1
4
Korbel Careers listing
Professional
connection
7
1
Humanitarian
Assistance Program
partnership
More on Page 5
[email protected]
PAGE 4
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Fall 2013 Quarterly Newsletter
Student Internship Snapshots, cont.
“I specifically targeted
organizations in which
I would want to work,
learn new skills and/or
hone old ones. When
I saw this internship
opportunity
on
the
organization’s website, I
was immediately drawn
to it because I was
seeking the opportunity
to engage in scholarly
research and advocacy
that would promote
sustainable peace and
reconciliation through the
field of education.”
-- Irina Karic
How did Korbel prepare you for the position?
Introduction to
Humanitarian Systems
Health & HA
Jessica Kovarik
Save the Children,
Washington DC
6%
Education in Emergencies
6%
22%
Protection in Humanitarian My day-to-day tasks and
5%
Assistance
responsibilities
changed
Office of Career and
5%
significantly
depending
Professional Development
on the projects and the
Field Operations
5%
priorities of my supervisor.
Information Management
I organized an International
17%
Network for Education in
Statistical Analysis
Emergencies (INEE) Conflict
17%
Sensitive Education toolkit
International Refugee
17%
launch event, but also had
System
Global Health Affairs
little to medium projects
courses
interspersed
throughout
my time. I did a lot of
researching and drafting of key technical documents, including
policy papers and resource lists for country offices. I analyzed
Irina Karic
results of a capacity mapping survey of all Save the Children
International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ), NYC
education staff, drafted a final report and presented the
Research Intern
findings. I worked on creating a digital book bank of resources
I focused on outreach and education -- specifically how to
for Education in Emergency programing. Additionally, I also
examine how education systems can be used to engage
attended several inter-agency meetings.
children and youth in transitional justice. My day-to-day
responsibilities included researching various pedagogical
“My experience did not change my focus at Korbel, but I am
methods and education venues, while keeping in mind the
glad to be enrolled in Project Management, International
different needs of children and youth at early childhood,
Disaster Psychology and International Humanitarian Law. Each
primary, secondary and tertiary level in relation to transitional
of those classes will provide me with a useful knowledge base/
justice processes. Additionally, I worked on a few smaller,
skillset for a career in humanitarian assistance.”
operational support projects, including writing a brief for the
-- Jessica Kovarik
project’s website, identifying potential case study authors,
creating a truth and commission database, and composing a
transitional justice reader’s digest.
Internship Locations
“During my internship, I quickly realized the importance of
writing succinctly. HA courses emphasize that skill, as they
seek to prepare students for real life experiences (i.e. writing
briefs, memos, short papers and reports, etc.).” -- Irina Karic
International: 2
Washington DC:
5
Boston: 1
NYC: 2
More on Page 6
[email protected]
PAGE 5
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Fall 2013 Quarterly Newsletter
Student Internship Snapshots, cont.
Laura Lloyd-Braff
WHO Western Pacific Regional Headquarters (WPRO),
Manila, Philippines
Emergency and Humanitarian Action (EHA) unit
I conducted a daily surveillance of all natural and manmade
disasters occurring in the region. I assessed their health
impacts and WHO response, and provided a daily report to
the rest of the division. I also analyzed the recovery process
of the 2012 Typhoon Bopha and suggested some lessons
learned for future disaster responses.
“I understand that I am more of a field work kind of person
now. I need to continue to improve my knowledge of both
public health and humanitarian assistance.”
-- Laura Lloyd-Braff
Christi Yoder
InterAction, Washington DC
Humanitarian Policy and Practice Intern
The projects I worked on included: assisting on several
research projects related to NGO engagement in the
humanitarian architecture; creating bibliographies related to
community-based protection and urban refugee protection;
drafted policy brief on urban refugee protection; and
conducted outreach to member organizations regarding use
of InterAction’s Security Advisory Unit services.
ORGANIZATION HIGHLIGHT
Relief International (RI) is a humanitarian non-profit agency
that provides emergency relief, rehabilitation, development
assistance, and program services to vulnerable communities
worldwide. The organization highlights vulnerable populations
such as women and children and communities affected
by natural disasters and civil conflicts. RI provides multisectoral programs which bridge humanitarian efforts with
development programs and works toward building capacity
within communities.
As one of six sectors in which RI focuses, Emergency, Health
and Sanitation programs address emergency needs of those
affected by natural disasters and conflict through the delivery
of food, water, shelter and medical services, which then
extends into long-term health services.
“The core classes I took for the certificate helped prepare
me for my internship in a couple of ways. I learned about
important resources such as Financial Tracking Service and
ReliefWeb, both of which I used extensively during my
internship. In addition, they gave me a good understanding
of the structure of the humanitarian system and some of the
issues facing them which gave me an advantage over other
interns coming in without this information.” -- Christi Yoder
How did your experience alter your career choice?
Confirmed
choice
100%
Altered focus
0%
Learn more online: www.RI.org
Internship opportunities may be found here:
http://www.ri.org/get_involved/volunteer-and-internships.php
[email protected]
PAGE 6
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Fall 2013 Quarterly Newsletter
STUDENT PROFILE
What HA Certificate program courses stood out to you?
All of them that I’ve taken so far. After my summer internship,
I recognize that the HA Systems and Policies course was really
effective in grounding me in the acronyms and functions of
organizations involved in the HA system. The Health and HA
course was also a crucial course in challenging my writing
skills and my ability to synthesize and analyze information
quickly. For example, at the end of my internship I was tasked
with drafting a final report for a 3-year youth development
project in Yemen that was ending. Because the project team
had already disbanded, I used quarterly reports, staff notes
and some shallow final evaluation information. I was able to
produce a rough draft in the time allotted.
What do you hope to do with your degree and certificate?
I am still working on this part. My ultimate goal would be to
work for USAID’s Office of Transition Initiatives, so I’m using
position descriptions that appeal to me to
strategize about what skills I will need to
build and the years of experience required
before I’m eligible. This is helping to shape
my search and provide me with a roadmap
to my dream job.
Miriam Edwards
What is your background?
Before coming to Korbel,
I served as a Peace Corps
volunteer in Mauritania, West
Africa, then worked in the Girl
Scouts national advocacy and
policy office in Washington, DC.
In recent years, I’ve noticed that
my personal focus -- whether
in jobs I’ve had or volunteer
positions -- has always been
related to girl development or
providing services to women.
Why did you choose Korbel?
First, Korbel is a part of the Peace Corps Fellows Program, so
it was appealing to be a part of a Peace Corps community and
to get credit for my time overseas. I also liked the pedigree of
the school and that it produced an African American female
Secretary of State. I was living in DC at the time that I applied
to the program, and that also influenced my decision to choose
a program outside the Beltway.
How do you perceive the certificate will
aid you in your professional endeavors?
I think the certificate gives me a good
foundation to the systems of humanitarian
assistance and the varied aspects,
domestic and international, of providing
aid under unstable (conflict-related and
environmental) conditions.
Why did you choose the HA Certificate program?
My main interest in graduate school has been the transition
from emergency aid to development. My degree program is
Development, and the HA Certificate rounds out my knowledge
and hands-on experience (through my summer internship)
to develop my skills and perspective on how to best provide
smooth, consistent and effective transition.
[email protected]
PAGE 7
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Fall 2013 Quarterly Newsletter
ALUMNI PROFILE
Read about what Korbel graduates are doing now, how they feel their education contributed to their career development
and what advice they offer to grads entering the humanitarian field.
Jeff Franklin ‘05
Jeff Franklin spoke to an eager audience of future humanitarian
workers about his career in the field since he graduated from
Korbel in 2005. He explained the choices he has made while
pursuing
v a r i o u s
positions and
highlighted
the need to
take
risks.
“Go where no
one else will
to get that
first job,” he
advised.
Jeff said that
though it is vital to be persistent in order to move ahead in this
career, it is importance to choose networks carefully. “Latch on
to people who have it together,” he advised. He then noted the
value of being generous to others once in a position to do so:
“Pay it forward, and repay.” Ultimately, Jeff encouraged the
students to have fun in the field. He concluded, “Be yourself;
be human.”
What is your career background?
I volunteered for the Red Cross in Vietnam before
graduating from Korbel with a degree in International
Development in 2005. In between, I interned at the
Ministry of Housing, Construction and Sanitation in
Peru with a national water program under World Bank
funding. Following Korbel, I acted as Technical Officer
for CARE on the rural Vietnam/Cambodia border. I then
became Program Manager for CARE in Aceh, Indonesia
in the tsunami zone. By 2008, I was Head of Office for
Mercy Corps in post-conflict Maluku, Indonesia, and in
2009 acted as Director of Programs for Mercy Corps in
post-earthquake Sichuan, China. Most recently, I acted
as Emergency Team Leader for CARE International
(global) with deployments in Laos and then back in
Vietnam in 2012.
Describe your job and
what you find most
challenging.
I am currently a Team
Leader
for
CARE
International on their
global Rapid Emergency
Deployment roster. I’ve
worked with CARE on
and off since 2006, as
a project and program
manager for both large
and small operations and
development programs
around Southeast Asia,
including
Vietnam,
Indonesia, Laos and a
little in Cambodia. The
most challenging thing
about this role is the high
level of stress due to remote locations (with sometimes few
amenities), pressure to meet huge goals in a short amount
of time, few resources to work with, cultural adaptation
barriers, navigating around bureaucratic channels and
competing priorities between HQ, local authorities and my
own team(s).
More on Page 9
[email protected]
PAGE 8
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Fall 2013 Quarterly Newsletter
Alumni Profile, cont.
How did your time at Korbel
contribute to your career
development?
My
time
at
Korbel
contributed
in
several
ways. It was the exposure
to courses like Country
Team
Operations
and
doing my internship on
a large program in Peru
after the first year that
really sparked my interest
in working in challenging
remote places doing relief
work (rather than being in
a regional office pushing
paperwork). This led me to
look for positions in remote
locations once I graduated. I
think I would not have done that if it wasn’t for such exposure
while at Denver. Secondly, DU offered wonderful networking
opportunities that I took advantage of. It was because of my
volunteering for international political conference on Latin
America held at DU in early 2004 that I met government
contacts for the internship in Peru, and the former Dean at
Korbel wrote a fantastic recommendation letter to help me
get in. The work in Peru helped get me work with CARE back
in Asia on a water program two years later. These first steps
were key and invaluable and helped me lay those first building
blocks.
Any words of wisdom for
Korbel HA students?
Do an internship or volunteer
in a remote, challenging
environment to make sure you’ll
like it. It is not for everyone, but
it is a super rewarding and fun
career path if you get on it. Be
willing to start small and low
on the totem pole: agencies
don’t often take risks on people
they don’t know, so give them
time to see your mettle and
commitment. Build as many
skills as you can, whether
in a subject specialty like
nutrition/food security, WASH,
housing, economic recovery
or
in
logistics/operations,
communications, etc. Starting out in a particular specialty
can often lead to a more generalist management career a
few years down the road once you have 3-5 years of full-time
professional management experience under your belt. Lastly,
having a great heart and meaning well only goes so far in this
work. When push comes to shove, you need technical and
management skills, courage and focus under fire, thick skin
and strong networking ability to succeed in this career field...
just like many other lines of work.
What other experiences contributed to your career?
Always building upon my network: making close friends in the
aid world while in each country office, accepting invitations
to conferences and meetings, asking questions of people I
admire and respect; being willing to take big risks (like moving
from one country to another on the fly with no contacts and
few personal items, or taking those remote/hard posts for six
months that no one else wants), being politely aggressive/
persistent in getting my feet in the door on jobs I really want
(keeping the mindset of “That is my job, they just don’t know
it yet” when doing interviews). Being generous to others: I
try to help my colleagues in their own career development,
introducing them to people, training opportunities, etc. I find
that paying it forward and helping others not only feels good,
but often puts oneself in good light as well.
[email protected]
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