Refugee and IDP Committee

As a recently formed committee our main goals have centered around raising awareness of the myraid refugee crises in the world. Most conflicts today have resulted into the flow of people from their homes. Governments are often unprepared to deal with the economic, medical, and socials issues associated with these migration flows. The emergence of aid organizations have helped cope with the mass migrations, but there is still much to be done.

To start with we have been screening movies relating to various conflicts such as those in Uganda, Somalia, Eritrea, Afghanistan, and Nepal. In addition, we have brought speakers to campus to discuss their field expierences and ways for students to become involved.

If this committee is of interest, please come to the General Meetings or contact Adam Levy.

 

 

Uganda Committee

The 2005 Uganda Tufts internship program is decidedly its own independent initative with the institutional support of the IGL, UCCPS, IR and Peace and Justice.

Tufts University Student Internships to Uganda

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• Download the internship application form (PDF)
• Download an applicant reference form (PDF)

Introduction • Mission • Sponsoring Programs • Partnership Organizations • Program Design & Components

Introduction
In a June/July visit to Uganda in 2004, Tufts students Ana Martinez, Tiffany Chen and Sarah Arkin researched the conditions of Internally Displaced Persons camps in Uganda and explored the political, cultural and historical contexts which have created a desperate humanitarian crisis in Uganda. The students interviewed international and local humanitarian organizations involved with internally displaced communities of Northern Uganda, including an active community-based organization called Friends of Orphans (FRO). Their visit was made possible by the Institute for Global Leadership, the University College for Citizenship and Public Service and the Tufts Undergraduate Research Fund. Following their visit, students and these participating programs have agreed to develop a Tufts University annual student internship program to Uganda to work under the supervision of Friends of Orphans.

Friends of Orphans is a registered grassroots NGO dedicated to alleviating social, economic and humanitarian devastation created by an 18 year war in Northern Uganda that has displaced 1.6 million mostly Acholi people from their agricultural villages in Kitgum, Gulu and Pader Districts to Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps located mostly within the conflict zones of these three districts. In addition to these settlements, many victims of war have resettled in other parts of Uganda.

In Jinja District, in southeast Uganda, approximately 5,000 women and children, mostly widows and orphans, have been resettled into two adjacent communities, one on a sugar cane plantation. Friends of Orphans is coordinating the development of two major programs in these communities: Vocational training/small business development and Education programs. While in Uganda, Ana, Tiffany and Sarah were hosted by Friends of Orphans in Kampala and visited these resettlement communities in Jinja District. There they documented the conditions through interviews and site visits, and developed a relationship with the women resettlement community leadership.

The Friends of Orphans Jinja Women’s Program has strong, innovative leadership planning vocational training/entrepreneurship/small business development: agricultural projects, clothes making, sewing and tailoring, soap and candle making, wholesaling, small shops, bakeries. Children and youth need to continue their educations, at local schools for some and community education programs for many.

Tufts interns will work with Friends of Orphans and community leadership in the planning, development, implementation and sustainability of these projects, within which, there will be space and mandate for a wide range of learning practice-based experiences and other activities.

Mission
Tufts Uganda Internships will combine the spirit of active global citizens building stronger communities and societies with experience and practice-based learning that results in individual progress, collaborative efforts and tangible outcomes.

Tufts Uganda Internships will provide students with opportunities to:

• Enhance their academic experience through international research and inquiry
• Apply their skills and experiences in ways that contribute to their learning, and advance their human rights and community building ideals
• Discover their potential to contribute in positive ways to a community and make a concrete difference in the lives of others
• Receive practical training on peace, conflict resolution, collaborative problem solving, team-work, and community service
• Obtain real world experiences under the care and supervision of FRO
• Developcareer plans
• Build lasting relationships across boundaries and a sense of humanity and global citizenship across borders

Sponsoring Programs

University College of Citizenship and Public Service (UCCPS), Tufts University
The University College of Citizenship and Public Service is a university-wide initiative to make the values and skills of active citizenship a hallmark of a Tufts University education. Its mission is to ensure that students graduate from Tufts University prepared to be committed public citizens and leaders who take an active role in building stronger communities and societies. An active citizen is a person who understands the obligation and undertakes the responsibility to improve community conditions, build healthier communities and address social problems. An active citizen understands and believes in democratic ideals of participation and the need to incorporate the contributions of every member of the community. UCCPS catalyzes civic engagement and community building by identifying, generating, and supporting Tufts students, faculty, staff and alumni and community partners who develop creative, effective approaches to active citizenship at the university, at the local and national level, and in communities around the world.

Institute for Global Leadership (IGL), Tufts University
The Institute emphasizes rigorous academic preparation with experiential and project based learning. The mission of the Institute is accomplished through its intensive engagement of students in classes, global research, internships, workshops, simulations and international symposia -- all involving national and international leaders from the public and private sectors. The Institute provides students with the opportunity to examine the most complex international issues through its multi-faceted, interrelated programs. As the name of one of these programs suggests – Education for Public Inquiry and International Citizenship – students are exposed to carefully integrated, innovative and rigorous curricula that prepares them to play active and informed roles in their communities, whether local, national or global.

IGL activities stress critical and normative thinking, written and oral communication skills, problem-solving, and multidisciplinary approaches. There is an emphasis both on individual progress and on collaborative effort and students produce tangible outcomes to their studies through their research papers, the international forums, and other projects. The Institute promotes the linkage of theory to practice and exposes students to the rigors and challenges of a diverse and rapidly changing world in which they can become inspired as informed active international citizens.

Partnership Organizations

Friends of Orphans (FRO), Kampala, Uganda:
FRO is a registered, community-based Non Government Organization based in Kampala and Pader District, Uganda, with programs in Pader and Jinja districts. Devoted to the immediate, and long term restorative, community building and economic development needs of women and children in IDP camps and resettlement communities, FRO administers education, counseling, mentorship, health and arts and culture programs in Pader District IDP camps, and is coordinating the development of jobs creation and education programs in two Jinja District women’s and children resettlement communities from Northern Uganda IDP camps. Staffed, managed and governed by teachers, health care workers, administrators and other professionals, FRO works closely with local government, NGO and national development and peace building coalitions, and is well networked in the NGO, public and private sectors.

United Movement to End Child Soldiering (UMECS), Washington, DC:
UMECS, a Washington, DC non profit human rights and peace building organization working in Uganda Southern and East Africa is focused on ending child soldiering, supporting the needs of children, women and caregivers affected by conflict and supporting grassroots peace building initiatives addressing the war in Northern Uganda. UMECS works in partnership with FRO on health, education, vocational training, women’s reproductive health, HIV/AIDS and counseling programs in Pader and Jinja Districts. UMECS worked with the Institute for Global Leadership and Tufts students before their 2004 visit to Uganda, and networked them to Friends of Orphans, who hosted part of their visit in Kampala and Jinja.

Program Design and Components

This credit-bearing internship program is being designed so that it provides a full range of academic, humanitarian, social justice, public citizenship, community and cultural project based learning. Internship recruitment is being carefully designed to ensure the internship team represents a diverse group of graduate and undergraduate students who bring multi-disciplined skills and interests, ensuring individual progress and personal growth as well as collaborative strengths with tangible outcomes. Participating students will undergo appropriate academic preparation of the historical, cultural, social, and political context of Ugandan society. Students will have the opportunity to apply their academic backgrounds into the design of their own community and research-based projects under the guidance of supportive faculty members and Friends of Orphans internship coordinators. Tufts interns, participating faculty and FRO will communicate as needed prior to departure to ensure full coordination of all internships and follow-up evaluation reports.

Orientation Components
The internships will be for a full summer, commencing with an on campus-orientation program starting the week of April 4, 2005. Selected students will be given a compilation of readings to complete during the course of the next five weeks and will be required to attend weekly 1.5 hour discussion meetings. The sessions may include faculty and other guest lecturers. At this stage students will also undertake the task of further developing their guided collaborative projects, goals, and research interests. The Institute for Global Leadership and the University College for Citizenship and Public Service will provide organizational assistance to pre-departure orientation activities.

This academic preparation will be followed by two months in Uganda. There will be a five day in-country orientation program in Kampala and Jinja which will include meetings and informal discussions with political, community, NGO and civic leadership, an introduction to language and cultural traditions, and opportunities for communications (internet) and socializing. UMECS will participate in the orientation programs, and provide organizational assistance to internship activities.

Internship activities and opportunities will include:

• Planning activities with FRO and Jinja leadership
• Participating in management and administration meetings and activities
• Program Development – jobs creation, education programs, community building activities for children and youth
• Program Participation – Vocational and Entrepreneurship training, teacher/tutor trainings, program design, marketing
• Health and Medical Opportunities – FRO has links with the Jinja public health community, including hospitals and clinics. Interns who are public health or medical students may wish to develop internship projects that address public health and medical needs of these high poverty women’s and children’s communities
• Community Development Participation – Wide range of activities in which student interns will have the opportunities to participate. These include: health and hygiene counseling and services; nutrition; HIV/AIDS counseling; mentoring; family planning; career development; environmental engineering and planning; public policy advocacy; coalition building; resource development
• Arts and Culture/Communication Projects – Student interns may initiate or participate in arts and culture programs – writing and poetry projects, play writing and drama, music and dance, visual arts, etc. Students will have the opportunity and support to produce documentaries, photograph displays and galleries, compile stories and testimonies, write books, articles and essays, develop media campaigns, prepare workshops and presentations.
• Public Policy Advocacy – working with community and local leadership, brainstorm, analyze and strategize relevant public policy issues useful for local, national and global mobilization as they relate to humanitarian and human rights issues.

Internship Reports and Projects:
Each intern will be expected to write a report on his/her internship experience, which reports will be evaluated as part of this credit bearing experience. These reports may be compiled and available for the next internship team. In addition to a formal report, each internship will present their learning and practice-based experiences through a creative project or departmental, campus or community event. Students may present as panelists in an event, display their art or photography in an exhibition, screen their documentary, submit a piece to the Tufts Daily etc.

Supervision and Evaluation:
Friends of Orphans will serve as the Supervising Agency and will provide ongoing supervision and evaluation of each intern and internship projects. Friends of Orphans and Academic Advisors will communicate prior to internship arrivals so that all supervisory and evaluation duties and criteria are well spelled out and clear.

Academic Review:
Each student intern will have a faculty/academic advisor who will work with each intern to structure the internship and participate in structuring the supervisory and evaluation process in Uganda. Academic credits will be awarded, and the internship evaluated (graded) in accordance with Tufts University departmental field and project-based learning criteria.

Expected Outcomes:

• Student lives will be improved through these experiences, advancing their academic and career goals, and their understanding of war-affected communities
• Friends of Orphans programs, projects and activities will be assisted by internships
• Internship contributions will favorably impact the community
• Interns will mobilize support for Friends of Orphans and Ugandans affected by war
• Students will share the spirit of active citizenship with the rest of the Tufts community

Program Review and Evaluation:
Students will be asked to complete a written evaluation covering all aspects of the program including pre-departure orientation, the internship experience in Jinja, and final projects. This feedback will provide crucial information for strengthening the program for student participants. Friends of Orphans will also submit an evaluation of the program and the impact the interns had on the community. Consultative dialogues between all participating institutions will follow to reflect on the success, strengths and weaknesses of the program.

Program Continuation and Student Leaders:
Selected students will be invited to continue with the program the following year as student leaders. Student leaders will help with the planning and coordination of the internship program. This person would have become familiar with the local conditions and proven his or her ability to undertake greater responsibilities. They will facilitate the pre-departure discussion sessions at Tufts, help introduce students to Ugandan society and serve a supportive role to student interns once in Uganda. Student leaders will work closely with Friends of Orphans in helping make the internships run smoothly.

For further details, please contact:

Ana Martinez
internshipuganda@yahoo.com
617-627-8510