I am grateful to Dr. Robert M. Hurley and Mrs. Brenda Hurley, as well as the founders of the McGill International Experience Awards, for their generous donation towards my internship, an experience that has undoubtedly become a pivotal step forward in my studies and professional career. Their support was essential in allowing me to develop my skills and get a hands-on work experience at the Center for Democratic Development in Ghana (CDD).
My interest in interning with CDD-Ghana sparked from my eagerness to develop my knowledge about democracy and development, and the challenges that developing countries face to foster and bolster democracy, while also experiencing the enriching perspectives of an international setting. Therefore, CDD-Ghana proved to be the perfect host organization. It is a think tank and non-profit organization based in Accra, Ghana, focused on research and advocacy of democracy and good governance across Africa with partnerships throughout the globe.
The internship entailed learning and experiencing first-hand the activities of a research organization. I worked with the Elections Team under the direct supervision of the Team Leader, providing research and analytical support by writing and reviewing research and project reports, writing a policy brief, and providing general remote support.
My objectives were to gain research and advocacy experience within a professional environment. Additionally, I hoped to learn the internal structures of a think tank, the different hierarchies in the world of policy, the networking processes involved in development organizations, and to understand the nature of research and analysis in a professional environment.
Highlights of this internship were the diversity of tasks I undertook and the relationship I had with my Team Leader, Rhoda Osei-Afful. At the time of my internship, the elections team was heavily working on their 2020 General Elections report. Therefore, I was assigned several readings about Ghana’s political context, the electoral system, and external reports so I could contribute to this project. Furthermore, I attended several online conferences about elections and other political issues affecting Ghana. These tasks and events were essential for me to later do research and policy support for the team. Finally, towards the end of my internship, the focus of the elections team was on a workshop series concerning mis/dis-information in elections in West Africa, with the participation of several countries in the region. The event, organized and hosted by CDD, and headed by WAEON (West Africa Election Observers Network) consisted of workshops, presentations, and discussions about how to identify and combat mis/dis-information which heavily affect elections in West Africa. Subsequently, I had to revise a report that summarized the takeaways and solutions to the issues brought up during the events. This was a notably enjoyable activity for me, and one in which I could apply all the knowledge and insights I had gained during the internship. My relationship with Rhoda was also very important for my comfort and success in completing these tasks. We grew very close during the internship, and she was very patient towards me, and grateful for my work.
My two years studying political science and international development gave me the theoretical knowledge to understand the context in which I was working, the mission of CDD, my team’s role, and my own. For instance, political science prepared me to understand the political context of developing countries and particularly West Africa, and the relationship of new democracies to stability, good governance, and development. Moreover, international development prepared me to understand non-profit organizations, the global development advocacy network, and global partnership building. Finally, the critical reading and writing involved in my academic training and extracurricular activities helped me in my role as research support, it particularly prepared me for peer reviewing and policy briefing. For instance, I was a peer reviewer for the McGill Journal of Political Studies, where I gained skills for effective peer reviewing that I applied when revising CDD’s reports and drafts. Furthermore, some political science classes directly required me to write policy briefs, which prepared me well for writing policy briefs at CDD.
Finally, this remote internship helped me clarify the professional possibilities available to me, by undertaking tasks and responsibilities I might have in the future. The Brenda and Morrison Hurley Arts Internship Award made this possible by allowing me to participate in this internship, to fully concentrate on fulfilling my tasks, and to dedicate my attention on excelling at CDD. The funds helped me alleviate economic constraints: for instance, I did not have to look for a part- or full-time job to sustain myself during the duration of the internship, and I could fully dedicate my time to making the most out of this internship.
I would like to thank Dr. Robert M. Hurley and Mrs. Brenda Hurley, as well as the MIEA founders again, for making this experience possible!
