Youth Programs Interns 2011

Join our team as a YOUTH PROGRAMS INTERN for Fall 2011!

Application deadline is June 30, 2011.

The Youth Programs Interns will work closely with the Youth Programs staff to promote and support the involvement of young people in Development and Peace. Currently more than 180 Development and Peace JUST YOUTH groups across the country participate in our education and fundraising campaigns. Learn more about Development and Peace and our Youth Programs at www.devp.org and http://youth.devp.org.

The internship is a volunteer position with a monthly honorarium, for young adults aged 18-35, for the period of September 6 to December 23 2011. It has been designed to meet the needs of the organization and the Intern’s learning goals. For the fall of 2011, we invite applications for 2 internship positions in our Toronto office. 

 The interns will contribute to: Producing our 2011-12 THINKfast! materials, the Youth Blog and other Social Media platforms, Outreaching to Catholic schools in Ontario and JUST YOUTH groups across Canada, and Database and Administration work.

Responsibilities will include:

•  Production of our new THINKfast! kit, in collaboration with the Youth Programs Team, including project planning, writing materials, developing popular education activities, print design, formatting, and mailings
• Developing campaign activities for our print and online Fall JUST NEWS.
• Provide general office admin support, such as responding to requests from teachers, chaplains and members, entering data and building databases and email lists for THINKfast! and JUST YOUTH groups, and organizing materials, videos and books in the office.
• Participate in the design and facilitation of campaign workshops for young people on advocacy, faith and global social justice issues.
• Outreach by phone and email to student leaders in Ontario Catholic schools; make presentations on Development and Peace to high school students as needed.
• Along with the Toronto-based Animator and local members, participate in the planning and facilitation of the Fall Education & Action Campaign workshops and Student Days.
• Participate in our social media initiatives, including video, photo and blogging.
• Participate in the development of youth program and online strategies.

Skills Required:

• Proficiency in Microsoft XP, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook
• Goal-oriented and ability to work independently
• Excellent planning and organizational skills
• Strong writing, presentation and facilitation skills
• Ability to create educational and interactive materials on social justice and global social justice issues
• Familiarity with the Catholic Church and its commitments to social justice and international development
• Desire to learn and to serve the movement of Development and Peace

Assets:

• Fluency in French
• Experience with our Youth Programs or Development and Peace at your school, parish or community
• Experience with video production, digital editing, design, and photography
• Experience in online outreach and campaign-based social media for non-profit organizations

Remuneration:

For these internship positions Development and Peace is offering an honorarium of $500 per month for 35 hours/week, which includes occasional evening and/or weekend presentations. The internship requires a minimum 4-month commitment, with a possibility of extension into 2012.

To apply:

Send in a) your resume b) a cover letter describing why you would like to work for Development and Peace, what you would contribute to it, and what you hope to learn during your internship.

Send your application by email to Genevieve Gallant, Youth Programs, Development and Peace at ggallant@devp.org.

HIRING PROCESS: Application deadline is June 30, 2011. Short-listed candidates will be contacted by email in mid-July. Interviews will take place in the first week of August. Start Date is September 6, 2011.

PDF copy of job posting here.

Interning with Development and Peace

“Welcome to Development and Peace. Please fasten your seatbelt to prepare for the ride of your life!”

This is what I could have been told as I landed in Ottawa this past September 2010. I arrived in Ontario, a western Canadian girl, trying my very best to have no preconceived notions. I came as an undergraduate student with the Laurentian Leadership Centre, a semester long internship program with Trinity Western University, hoping to cap off my degree in International Studies with an insider’s look at a development organization.

What drew me specifically to Development and Peace is the fact that it is a Catholic-based organization working, in direct relationship with the Church, guided by Catholic social teaching, to effectively transform the world in love through social justice action. My prior limited experience with D&P set me as an open book to be written in.

Well, rides and books aside (I am the analogy queen) interning in the Eastern Ontario Regional office was a wonderful experience. The small office—my supervisor and I comprised the office workforce—saw a flurry of activity from rallies to speaking engagements to creative adventures. I quickly discovered the mission of D&P, the basics of the operation, and the breadth of issues that the organization has tackled.

The timing of my placement allowed me to jump head in to the work conducted in support of Bill C-300. Despite the bill’s defeat in the House of Commons the entire process was such a great opportunity to be amidst the action. It opened lines of meaningful dialogue, challenging me to dig deeper and ask serious questions outside of the academic setting. I met such inspiring, passionate people. For me, it was a firsthand chance to see passion put into action—the way conviction is meant to challenge our comfortable lives.

Much of the remainder of my internship experience was meaningful in a different way. It was my turn to put faith and conviction into action. Our office moved forward in what I have coined the “Ottawa Catholic Schools Initiative”. It has been a concerted (and successful) effort to further partner with the Ottawa Catholic schools and surrounding area to share our passion and educate students on issues; it is specifically aimed to be interactive, for students to feel empowered and inspired, to know that they can make a difference. How this crystallized was through collaborative efforts with chaplains and presentations to a number of schools in the area.

Now the time has come to leave. I have met amazing people who are the lifeblood of D&P. I have been inspired by people who stand for change, who are willing to change their own lives to see transformation become a reality. I have been challenged. And now I fasten my seatbelt to go home… 

Millennium Development Goals – The success of all goals is linked to goal #1!

It is unacceptable that more than 1 billion people still go to bed hungry each night, when access to food is the most basic of human rights and is a question of fundamental justice.

Development and Peace believes that the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will go down in history as empty promises if world leaders do not act now to make goal number one a priority, followed by seven other goals which generally seek to reduce the symptoms of poverty.

All eight MDGs may not be reached if we cannot meet goal number one – to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. The success or failure of one goal affects the success of the other seven– like a domino effect. For example, lack of access to food is not only a symptom of severe poverty, but a symptom of the realities that the other seven MDGs seek to tackle.

Read Development and Peace’s statement on MDG’s HERE

Read about each MDG HERE

Everyone is involved in making the MDGs a reality!

For Development and Peace partner organizations in the Global South, hunger is a pressing issue that their governments cannot resolve on their own.

There are many players involved like the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, to help with goal number eight, by putting in place new trading and financial policies to enable the poorest countries to reach the Millennium Development Goals, however almost nothing has been done to ensure that world trade rules enable poorer countries to feed their own populations.  Empowering poorer countries to feed their own populations is enabling food sovereignty which is defined as “the right of people to determine their own food and agricultural policies”.

FACT: Hunger is on the rise since 2008, where 64 million more people became extremely impoverished as a result of the recession2, bringing to 1.5 billion the number living in extreme poverty, defined by the United Nations as those living under US$1.25 per day.

To make the MDGs a reality, the right to food must be woven together with the right to food sovereignty.  In order to get on track meet MDG #1 and ensure an end to hunger, Development and Peace calls for:

• Industrialized countries should support small scale national agricultural production in the countries of the Global South, in line with food sovereignty principles
• Wealthier nations must also take steps to meet targets of giving 0.7% of GDP in international aid. Such aid should go to the world’s poorest countries and be determined by development needs rather than geo-political concerns
• Canada and other wealthy nations should promote international trade rules that allow poor countries to prioritize national agricultural production, rather than industrial agricultural production for soy and corn based agrofuels.
• G8 nations should implement a financial transaction tax as a way to control speculation and capital flows in an effort to raise funds for development and avert further financial crises fuelled by uncontrolled speculation and ensuing hikes in food prices.

The Millennium Development Goals will not be met if urgent measures are not taken to tackle world hunger and to ensure that the right to food becomes a reality for all human beings.

by Natalie Lucas, Youth Programs Intern Fall 2010

Internship with Development & Peace

Spread the word and discover more about our internships at the Toronto office in September!

We are searching for a dynamic and committed individual for our full-time internship with Youth Programs at Development and Peace in Toronto.

In 2010-2011 we will also be looking at how we can include virtual volunteers and part-time interns within our Youth Programs to work on specific projects and regional initiatives.

Interested in becoming a YOUTH PROGRAMS INTERN? Join us! JOB POSTING: September – December 2010

The Youth Programs Intern will work closely with the Youth Programs Officer to promote and support the involvement of young people in Development and Peace (CCODP). Currently there are more than 150 Development and Peace JUST YOUTH groups across the country who participate in our education and fundraising campaigns. 

The internship is a voluntary position, for a young adult aged 18-35. It has been designed to meet the needs of CCODP and the Intern’s learning goals. This internship is in our Toronto office. 

Responsibilities will include:

• Support for the creation of our THINKfast! 2010 kit, from beginning to finish; includes project planning, writing materials, developing popular education activities along with print design, formatting, mailings.
• Assist in production of JUST NEWS for JUST YOUTH Groups, print and online.
• Provide general office support such as mailing materials to members, entering data for THINKfast! registrations, counting action cards, updating mailing lists and organizing videos and books in the office.
• Promote our programs and respond to requests for our materials from volunteers, youth groups, youth ministers, chaplains, and teachers.
• Participate in the design and facilitation of workshops for young people on faith and global issues.
• Deliver presentations on Development and Peace to youth in local high schools.
• Along with the Toronto Animator and local members participate in planning and facilitation of the Action Campaign launch and Student Days.
• Participate in our social media, video, photo and online blogging initiatives.
• Join in discussions regarding youth strategy for the organization.

Skills Required:

• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Publisher, Excel, Outlook
• Goal oriented and able to work independently
• Strong writing skills
• Keen interest in developing your presentation and facilitation skills
• Experience in creating interactive activities on faith and global issues
• Knowledge of group-building and popular educational principles
• Knowledge of the Church and its commitments to social justice and international development
• Desire to learn and to serve the movement of Development and Peace

Remuneration: For this internship Development and Peace is offering an honorarium of $500 per month for 35 hours a week, which includes occasional evening and/or weekend presentations or workshops. The internship requires a 4 month commitment, with a possibility of extension into 2011.

Start Date: September 7, 2010.

Application deadline is Monday July 5, 2010.

To apply: To send in an application please include a) your resume b) a cover letter describing why you would like to work for Development and Peace and what you hope to learn during your internship. Send your application by email to Genevieve Gallant, Youth Programs, Development and Peace at ggallant@devp.org

Fundraiser for Haiti/D&P with DUBBS and Guests

I can honestly say I had no idea how difficult it is to plan a fundraiser; or any event for that matter. On June 10th 2010 at Lula Lounge we opened up the doors to new faces and hopefully a new initiative.

About two months ago I met with an old friend from soccer named Alex Van Den Hoef who is the lead singer for a huge upcoming band called “DUBBS”. After playing a little bit of catch up, we immediately started to think of how we could work together in an effort to try and educate youth on the work of Development and Peace, as well as social justice issues worldwide. The idea of an event just seemed to fit perfectly for what we were trying to achieve and really what could be more fun?

After a month of preparation and organizing, the event finally kicked off with now four separate performances and a DJ. A strong D&P presence filled the room as Raphael, Luke, Genevieve & Elizabeth set up a room in the back to facilitate questions and interest around Development & Peace from everyone who joined us this evening.

As a bus load of youth arrived from Ajax D.J Busty was spinning some crazy beats and instantly had the crowd on the dance floor. Our first three performers were fantastic each performing one or two tracks. I have to give a big shout out to B-NYCE, LEX MARCELLO, and A-GAME for their contributions to this event.

Our headliners - and the group who helped brainstorm this whole initiative – DUBBS lit up the stage with an incredible performance. I would also like to thank DUBBS for all of their support, time, and effort in helping to make this event so successful.

Everyone who attended was raving about all of our performers, our DJ and the concept behind this event.

I would finally like to thank  everyone who attended and helped make this night a huge success – Raphael, Luke, Genevieve, Elizabeth, Ashleigh, Andrew, Sarah, Lula Lounge, to all my friends & guests who showed up to support Haiti and Development & Peace.

 THANK YOU & God Bless

- Daniel