In the inaugural round of Canada Corps internships for university students, both of York’s nominees have been accepted into the program.
Canada Corps is a new initiative developed by the federal government to promote good governance and institution-building in developing countries and fragile states. It combines new and existing programs to send Canadian expertise overseas under one umbrella organization mobilizing citizens, non-governmental organizations and all levels of government.
As part of this initiative, Canada Corps Student Internships have been offered, in cooperation with the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC). The internships are jointly funded by universities and Canada Corps, and consist of a summer position with a host organization in a developing country.
Gabriella Agatiello and Sarah Macharia, both graduate students in political science, were nominated by York for these internships. The pair were nominated on the basis of their research on governance which specifically focuses on the regions of the world in which they will be interning.
Agatiello will be working with the Center for Legal and Social Studies in Buenos Aires, Argentina, an organization that works towards the promotion and protection of human rights, and the strengthening of the democratic system and rule of law. Her research will focus on the unemployed workers movement in Argentina and will include a critical evaluation of government policies surrounding this issue.
Macharia’s internship will take her to Nairobi, Kenya, where she will work with the Institute of Policy Analysis and Research (IPAR). Her objectives include attempting to pilot a new way of conducting policy research, “moving away from the current state-centered technocratic approach to a feminist society-centered policy discourse analysis method”. Her project will focus on the gender dimensions in street vending, the primary part of Nairobi’s “informal” economy.
Both interns say they are looking forward to their chance to be not only researchers, but also ambassadors for York and Canada.