My name is Sydney Otoki, I am currently a U2 undergraduate student double majoring in Political Science and Gender, Sexuality, Feminist and Social Justice Studies. My main areas of interest are gender equality, reproductive rights and anti-corruption work, particularly in West Africa, the region of which I am from. This summer I was lucky enough to intern with the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development, which is an independent think-tank based in Accra that focuses on bridging research with better, more democratic and anti-corrupt governance. The CDD-Ghana focuses of an array of areas within the promotion of better governance, for which reason I truly did not quite know what to expect going in, in terms of learning objectives. However, something that fascinated me and that drew me towards the CDD to begin with, is their practice of bridging research and governance policies. I was lucky enough to work with their gender equality team, as well as Gildfred Asiamah, from the anti-corruption department who was my supervisor throughout my internship. My primary responsibilities as an intern were to conduct literature reviews on various topics and then synthesize the findings in concise reports in which I often proposed ‘next steps’.
A big highlight for me, was being a part of the team that worked on the dissemination of the Afrobarometer (Ghana) Round 9. The Afrobarometer is a pan-African, non-artisan initiative that seeks to measure citizens’ attitudes on that current state of governance, social matters, the economy and the delivery of many public services such as health care and education. In my time at McGill, I have taken a number of African politics classes wherein I have read articles that rely heavily on Afrobarometer findings, so to be at the heart of this kind of research was truly an honour. During this project, I conducted a lot of data manipulation via excel, in order to then create the analytical charts that go out to the public. Another highlight for me was the collaborative element of the internship. I feel very lucky to have been given the opportunity to put my knowledge to work in reports and literature reviews. I was trusted to take part in very meaningful work, and I am so grateful that my supervisors bestowed this trust upon me, as it made my experience very enriching.
A major challenge for me was working remote. It is quite hard (as we all know all too well now) to work remotely and stay focused and motivated when you are alone at your desk, given the COVID-19 pandemic, this was far from my first time encountering this type of challenge. A few things that helped me overcome these challenges were getting up to stretch my legs, keeping a beverage like a tea or coffee close by, and finally, remembering that although it felt like the beginning of the pandemic, the situation was quite different, so I was able to change my workspace up by going to work in various libraries around the city. Another challenge was being nervous about the quality of my work, however this was very easy to overcome, our supervisors created a very open space for us to share concerns and ask questions, so I was able to ask for more feedback to gage how things were going, to which the team was very responsive and reactive.
I will not be receiving academic credit for the internship, but that is not to say that is has not had a profound impact on my university experience. I am very hopeful after having seen the numerous meaningful ways in which important research can be bridged to tangible policies through mediums like the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development.
Finally, I would like to thank the Davies Family Arts International Internship Award and Mr. Davis, who is the donor behind the award that I will be receiving for my internship. Without the financial backing, I would not have even applied to the AIO internships in the first place, so thank you again for providing me with the opportunity!
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