Global Policy Forum

1999 Annual Report

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Internship Program, Volunteers & Cooperating Experts

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Internships


During 1999 sixteen qualified young people worked as interns at GPF. Some worked part-time, while others were on a full-time basis. The internships ranged from two to twelve months in length.

GPF interns came from Canada, Britain, Germany, Korea, Australia and Japan as well as the United States. Most US interns had considerable international experience and diverse language skills, including Spanish, French, Arabic and Chinese. Of the total intern pool, two-thirds were undergraduates while the remainder had received their BA degree or were enrolled in graduate programs. All had outstanding qualifications. Many had considerable knowledge and experience of the UN system.

GPF attracted an unprecedented number of inquiries and applications from young people, who saw information on the GPF web site, on other web sites, and on college and university placement service data bases. The popular summer internship program attracted eighty strong applicants for just four full-time openings.

In many cases, interns assumed considerable program responsibilities. Giji Gya got the Security Council program off to an extraordinary start, while Holger Osterrieder, Christian Kaufholz and Victoria Clarke all made fine contributions to our Council program work later in the year. Yuko Suzuki continued to work as the main resource person on sanctions policy. Holger Osterrieder played a major role in upgrading the computer network. Christian Kaufholz launched a new initiative on peacekeeping. Benjamin Holt planned and built the new website areas on globalization and on tables and charts. Lara Tessaro and Jessica Moffett had a big role in the NGO access work. Olivia Tecosky strengthened the program on global taxes. Miwa Shirato undertook major new charts and photo postings. GPF was especially indebted to Victoria Clarke, who served with distinction throughout 1999, assuming many special responsibilities.

GPF seek to constantly improve its training process and the entire internship experience. During 1999, we greatly developed our training process as well as information on housing, visas and other materials useful to incoming interns. We also developed a regular luncheon series so that GPF interns can meet and have discussions with NGO leaders, secretariat officials and delegates. We also started a twice-yearly emailing of news to all intern "alumni" and we held an outing in June at a beautiful site on Long Island for current and former interns.

Many interns will go on to careers with international organizations or in international law. The internship with GPF is an important milestone for them, enabling them to gain unique insight and experience and to have important responsibility directly in their field of interest. GPF also supports its interns through letters of recommendation and help with career networking. During the year, we wrote eighteen detailed letters in support of intern applications to academic programs or jobs. Without the work of these many talented and enthusiastic interns, GPF could not have succeeded as it did in 1999.

Volunteers, Cooperating Experts and Other Colleagues

In addition to the young people who served as interns, GPF was fortunate to have a number of persons helping with out work in different capacities who were well-beyond their university studies. Jinx Roosevelt, a spring volunteer, brought a famous family's tradition of support for the UN into our office, as she devoted part of her time off as a college professor to work on our program on UN finance.

Cooperating scholars, experts and colleagues from many countries greatly helped GPF with its work during the year. Prof. Klaus Hüfner of the Freie Universität, Berlin served as advisor to GPF on UN finance, Michael Renner, Senior Researcher of the Worldwatch Institute, advised GPF on economic and other data. On questions of NGO access at the UN, we were especially indebted to Barbara Adams, Director of the New York Office of the UN Non-Governmental Liaison Service, Florence Martin, the UN Representative of Amnesty International, Afaf Mahfouz, President of the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Status to the UN, and Bill Pace, Executive Director of the World Federalist Movement. Andrea Ledward of Save the Children UK and Joe Stork of Human Rights Watch gave us invaluable help on the issue of Iraq. Sam Daws of New College, Oxford shared with us his great knowledge of the Security Council. Catherine Dumait-Harper of Médecins sans Frontií¨res, Ruben Mendez of UNDP, Peter Davies of Oxfam, Jens Martens of WEED, Craig Murphy of Wellesley College and Clarence Dias of the International Center for Law in Development are some of the many others who made significant contributions to our work through advice and assistance during 1999.


Global Policy Forum is supported primarily by contributions from generous individuals who join as members. GPF also receives grants from foundations and partner institutions. GPF is incorporated in the State of New York, registered as a charitable organization and recognized by the US Internal Revenue Service as a not-for-profit, tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the revenue code.


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