Interning for the Center for Democratic Development in Ghana (CDD) allowed me to gain work experience in a domain that corresponded with my academic and extra-curricular interests. I will be entering my third year at Ï㽶ÊÓƵ next fall. I am completing a joint honours degree in Political Science and African Studies. Growing up in Senegal and South Africa, I nurtured an interest in West and South African cultures from an early age. Studying Political Science and African Studies jointly at McGill helped me deepen my understanding of the African continent and the functioning of political systems. I have concentrated my degree on African politics, focusing on democracy, conflicts, and peacemaking. After my degree, I plan on attending law school to work in international advocacy and judiciary, ideally while based in Africa.
That is why I applied for the internship with the CDD. I wanted to work in an African-based group and for non-profit think tanks, a typical structure in my areas of interest. I was lucky enough to work extensively on the state of Democracy in West Africa, its development, and its hindrances. This topic resonated with my academic curriculum and the domains of employment I am looking into.
The CDD is a non-governmental and non-profit think tank which focuses on furthering and consolidating democracy and good governance. To do so, it aims to increase public accountability and governmental transparency and works to attain free and fair elections. It also tackles corruption and dem
During my time at the CDD, I worked on diverse projects. I prepared two presentations for the Center for meetings and seminars with partners. One focused on Democracy Capture, the other on the African Union’s relationship with regional polities. I also conducted a literature review examining the current explanations behind a popular trust or distrust of the Electoral Commission in Ghana.
My favourite project was the fourth assignment I worked on. The reform draft proposal improved how political campaign financing in Ghana was structured to make it fairer and less corruptible. I found this project particularly stimulating because it was a concrete act of advocacy that demanded specific action and that the CDD would later present before the Ghanaian government with the support of other organisations.
I found it both challenging and stimulating to work on documents and formats I was not accustomed to. Over my academic curriculum, I had never conducted a professional corporate presentation, a literature review, and even less so, a reform draft. Thus, looking up how to do these tasks by myself or discussing them with my internship supervisor was enriching.
Although I am not receiving any academic credit for this internship, it has taught me valuable lessons for my academics and future professions. It has taught me to adapt to unknowns, take initiative when needed, and work on projects that are very common to NGOs and non-profits. It also reaffirmed my interest in West African politics and International Relations, giving me new ideas for future research throughout the school year.
Thanks to the Allan Hodgson Award, I was able to conduct the internship without having to work at the same time. The donation allowed me to work as an editor on McGill’s African Studies Student Association’s journal, Uhuru. I would also like to thank everyone at the Arts Internship Office who guided me through the application and acceptance procedure and conducted the workshops. Overall, this internship with the CDD taught me valuable lessons that will carry over to my future experiences and gave me a taste of working in the domains I intend to work in.
