Archive for MAIEP

Tuesday, September 23rd, 2014

GSIPM Dean’s Seminar Series with Professor Beryl Levinger

Beryl

Participation: Guiding Value or Empty Buzzword?

During Professor Levinger’s recent sabbatical, she worked with 14 international organizations in 16 different contexts and countries. The one thread that bound this set of amazingly diverse experiences together is that each organization claimed to embrace participation as a value that guided their work. Her talk will explore the very diverse meanings that organizations attach to the term “participation,” and what this means for the future of development work.

All are welcome.

When: Tuesday, September 30, 2014 from 12:15 – 1:45 PM

Where: McGowan 100

 

Wednesday, August 27th, 2014

TEAM PERU: Is it right for YOU?

 

The Who, What, When, Where, Why & How!
TeamPeru_201415 copy

Monday, August 25th, 2014

Research Fellowship with Institute for Economics & Peace

Economics and Peace

The Institute for Economics and Peace is searching for a full-time Research Fellow to join their research team at their headquarters in Sydney,  Australia. Click here to download full position description. 

A Research Fellow will conduct research on topics related to the Global Peace Index, peace economics, development studies and peace and conflict studies.

Application Deadline: August 28th, 2014

Selection Criteria: 

1. Master’s degree (PhD an advantage) in a combination of economics and/or statistics, international
relations or other social sciences discipline.
2. Minimum of three to five years professional experience conducting empirical research and
quantitative data analysis specifically related to a combination of social sciences, development
studies, economics, statistics and peace and conflict studies.
3. Experience working with governmental and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) on peace
economics, peace and conflict studies, and international development issues.
4. Experience handling large datasets and knowledge of R, SPSS, STATA, and other related econometric
packages is required. Ability to write code for R, SPSS or STATA and advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
5. Track record of demonstrable analytical and data visualisation skills.
6. Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Competence to undertake research assignments
and project manage teams with minimal supervision.

Applications to: CV and cover letter addressing the selection criteria and desired personal qualities to Lucie
Paleckova on info@economicsandpeace.org
Deadline for applications: 28 August, 2014
Website: www.economicsandpeace.org, www.visionofhumanity.org

Friday, August 15th, 2014

USAID Releases guide to Strengthening Civil Society Through Social Media

303627-SMGuide4CSO-1_0

 

Social Networking: A Guide to Strengthening Civil Society through Social Media has been developed as a reference guide for civil society organizations (CSOs) working in partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development and its implementing partners in advancing their critical missions. In line with the USAID Strategy on Democracy, Human Rights and Governance (June 2013), this manual is designed as a blueprint for CSOs to:

• Integrate and use technology to promote democracy, human rights and governance;
• Utilize social media to support greater citizen participation and transparent political
processes; and
• Strengthen mutual accountability among CSOs, government institutions and
citizens by creating real-time and direct interaction and organizing.

Social media operations are most effective when they are strategically incorporated as part of an organization’s outreach, program design and implementation, and monitoring and evaluation efforts. With this in mind, the guide is intended as a local capacity building tool to strengthen the ability of entire organizations, their staff and members to deliver greater impact. This guide (Version 1, 2014), presents an overview of the most widely-used and accessible

social media tools. Future manuals will capture developments in the social media.

Social Networking: A Guide to Strengthening Civil Society through Social Media includes interactive features such
as links to multimedia content, websites and workouts to help civil society organizations engage and share information.
View the flipbook and download a PDF version at www.usaid.gov/SMGuide4CSO.  Use #SMGuide4

Friday, August 8th, 2014

Job Openings in Policy Research and Data Analysis

kroc_logo

Policy Studies, Research Associate

Open Society Foundations

Open Data Analyst

Research Associate in Policy Studies, Kroc Institute, University of Notre Dame

The Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame seeks applications for the position of Research Associate in Policy Studies.  The Research Associate will work closely with the Director of Policy Studies at the Kroc Institute on research projects, curriculum development, and organizing research and education events both at Notre Dame and elsewhere.

Application deadline: August 8th

Open Data Analyst, Open Society Foundations, London or New York

The CODEX program seeks to leverage a wide range of open (and sometimes not-so-open) information relating to the extraction of oil, gas, and mineral resources in developing countries. The purpose of the work is to demonstrate, using innovative techniques and creative approaches to data-storytelling, how open data can be a powerful tool in the fight against mismanagement and plunder of natural resource wealth in the world’s poorest countries. This work would constitute a contribution to the growing field of “Open Government.”

Application deadline: August 17th

Monday, August 4th, 2014

Courage Under Fire: An Intimate Look at UN Peacekeeping

UNA-USA – Nationwide conference call on Wednesday, August 6 at 2 p.m. ET

with

Ken Payumo
Chief of the Peacekeeping Operations Support Section for the Department of Safety and Security, United Nations

Wednesday, August 6, 2 p.m. ET

U.S./Canada Dial-in: 866-454-4208
Passcode: 8136862

Please RSVP via email to membership@unausa.org.

What do you do when you are up against a government trying to harm its own people? As men with guns tried to enter the UN camp in Bor, South Sudan, Ken Payumo, a civilian officer in charge, stood up to the South Sudanese military when 12,000 refugees fled to the UN base for safety. His brave actions are thought to have saved thousands of lives.

Join us for a conversation with Mr. Payumo, who will provide a closer look at the day-to-day challenges of UN peacekeeping and give an update on the current crisis in South Sudan.

About our speaker:

Ken Payumo is currently the Chief of the Peacekeeping Operations Support Section for the Department of Safety and Security. This section is responsible for overseeing the security of all UN peacekeeping missions. Having more than 14 years of experience in the United Nations, Mr. Payumo’s UN service includes that of Legal and Policy Advisor, United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET); Political Officer, Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO)/Asia Middle East Division (AMED); Mission Management Officer (DPKO Police Division), and most recently Head of Office for Unity and later Jonglei states, United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

Prior to the UN, Mr. Payumo had served as a police officer in the New York City Police Department. Mr. Payumo is a citizen of the United States of America and was born in New York City.

-Text taken directly from e-mail from UNA-USA Membership membership@unausa.org

 

 

Wednesday, July 30th, 2014

U.S. TIP Grant Solicitation for research on Trafficking in Persons

 

Email from TIP Office Public Outreach [TIPOutreach@state.gov]USA

U.S. Department of State

Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons

 Competitive Grant Solicitation for Research on Trafficking in Persons in Supply Chains in Sub-Saharan Africa

The Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons announces an open competition for funding of one or more projects to answer the following research question:  How do supply chains that touch sub-Saharan Africa operate and intersect with trafficking in persons, and prevent trafficking in sub-Saharan Africa?

Using the results of this research question, the successful applicant will develop a highly detailed typology across sectors, commodities, regions or other subdivisions that become apparent during the research.  The goal of the research is to enable governments and businesses to identify risks and best practices of programs, policies, and laws to combat those risks.

The request for proposals is posted on www.grantsolutions.gov and www.grants.gov under funding opportunity number AT-ATC-14-009.  To be considered for funding, proposals must be submitted by Wednesday, August 27, 2014 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.

U.S.-based and foreign non-profit organizations, for-profit organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), public international organizations (PIOs), and institutions of higher education are eligible to apply.

 

Tuesday, July 29th, 2014

Tesla Pitch Continued: Cobalt, Graphite and Lithium

Peace, Trade, and Development Students Visit Tesla

Peace, Trade, and Development Students Visit Tesla

Last week the Peace Trade and Development (PTD) students met with Tesla’s global trade team at the factory in Fremont. The students were there to offer their pitch to the Tesla Challenge which called for proposals on sourcing raw materials for the new Gigafactory. In addition to the pitch session, the students were treated to lunch and a VIP tour of the Tesla factory, an impressive and re-purposed building conveniently situated in a California Free Trade Zone. “I was treating the presentation like a final exam, but when it came time to present, I had realized that we were speaking to real individuals with genuine concerns about their long-term acquisition of critical minerals. This wasn’t a quiz–my team had done in-depth research, provided a reasonable strategy, and were ready to have a conversation about alternatives.” –  Shruti Korada, PTD summer 2014 student What was the best part of the Tesla challenge?  Well, that’s subjective but things definitely got intriguing when one team suggested sourcing Lithium from the moon and another proposed a corporate-backed coup d’etat… Learn more about the PTD program via: go.miis.edu/ptd.

Monday, July 28th, 2014

DPMI: A learning journey

Josh Fleming (MA IPS '15) participates in a facilitation exercise during the second week of DPMI Monterey this June.

Josh Fleming (MA IPS ’15) participates in a facilitation exercise during the second week of DPMI Monterey this June.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had heard repeatedly on campus that DPMI (Design, Partnering, Management and Innovation) is one of the most useful courses you can take. I found this hard to believe at first, but now I agree. If you haven’t taken this leadership training in international development project management and social change then you should reconsider.

You will walk away from the DPMI training having learned some ground-breaking and ‘tried and true’ tools to solving your next problem, motivating your staff or making your next big partnership. Tools that break down these processes  into quantifiable, qualifiable methods to be used at a given moment or throughout the lifespan of a project.

If you are a non-profit guru, a development practitioner in training, or a social change maker then you will notice, quickly, that these tools and capacities that DPMI finds so important are actually pretty important. This is how USAID, and other major non-profit employers do it, and whether you like it or not USAID often sets the standard. Additionally, from the United Nations to grassroots organizations, from CSR departments to State department recruiters–most are looking for project management skills. DPMI fits them nicely into the longest three weeks of your life (Yes, I’ve thrown in a bit of sarcasm). It’s worth it though. I implore you to find one job posting that doesn’t ask for project management skills.

Click here to read more

Wednesday, May 7th, 2014

DPMI Plus Colloquium – Webcast!

DPMI Colloquium

Monday, May 5th, 2014

Alex Amling IPSS Cambodia

From posting these blogs to writing them! 

 

IPSS in Cambodia

It seems like ages that I was working at the GSIPM front desk, driving my boss and other staff “insane” with my preparation-related anxieties and emotional outbursts for my IPSS applications. I am sure they were as much relieved as I was when the Cambodia Office of The Asia Foundation approved my application.

Today, 93F/62% humidity (and climbing!), Cambodia feels already like home and it’s only been 7 weeks. Why does it feel like home? When I came back to Phnom Penh from a weekend visit to Siem Reap a few weeks ago, I was sitting at the back of a motorbike taxi driving me home from the bus station. I was directing him, and I got this strange feeling of coming home. I knew my way around, recognized buildings and streets. Anybody slightly familiar with Phnom Penh knows that the streets in this city are a nightmare. House numbers do not make any sense. The only way to communicate where you are is you or a building in relation to a street intersecting. You get the hang of it pretty quickly: “Hey, I live at Street 278, close to street 143, third building on the left, next to a school. Our house has a green iron gate. Walk east towards the Olympic Stadium if you get lost and call me.”  Or, “my work is on Street 242, between Monivong Blvd and Street 63.” I communicate with motorbike taxis and tuk tuk drivers the same way, “Just head towards the Royal Palace, I will show you.” Fascinating!

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It was scary to hop on a motorbike at first but now I have a bike. It is a lot of fun to bike through Phnom Penh especially on the weekends when traffic is slow. Most of the time, however, it feels like committing suicide when I merge into the traffic. There are no apparent rules, except for one: Be reckless and inch your way forward at all cost! This is particularly evident at traffic lights when the time is ticking down. At 10 seconds, you can feel the vibe of hundreds of motorbike drivers around you, getting itchy, accelerating – vroom vroom –  and rolling forward inch by inch, hitting your tire, and releasing a bunch of exhaust fumes into your face. Not that it will do anything for them – and it certainly does not do anything for me except speeding up the decay of my inner organs – but it is hilarious to watch. Then the traffic light hits 3 seconds. Oh boy! The patience has come to a sudden death, an invisible conductor begins to direct the honking concert and the chaos unfolds. The bus coming straight at you, no problem. People here can manoeuver very well. There is also a panacea for this: drafting behind a big SUV or within a group of 10 motorbikes which are forcing their way through traffic and I am good to go. Or, change lanes to the opposite side and wait on the sidewalk (the 3 or 4 in this city that actually earn the name sidewalk) and take any opportunity to make a left turn even though
the traffic light for the left turn lane is still red. I am afraid I have to re-learn how to drive when I come back to the US.

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MIISmafia reunion in Phnom Penh from left: MPA alumna Alex Murga, IPSS Candidate Alexandra Amling, IPS alumni Meg Fukuzawa and Robin Narcisso.

I was very fortunate when I got here because the arm of the MIIS Mafia reaches very far. During my preparations, I bombarded two MIIS alumni and friends working and living in Phnom Penh with hundreds of questions. We are currently four MIIS alumni because the fourth rejoined in March. They can take credit for having made my stay here so comfortable and relaxed. The first day, we went out to a local market and despite signs of a culture shock for me, my friend’s nonchalant demeanor made walking the streets of Phnom Penh almost normal. Thanks to them, I have come to love Phnom Penh very quickly.

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Cambodia is host to a plethora of NGOs, both local and international. Any non-Khmer person you meet on the streets introduces him/herself as “I am working for XYZ.” There is an obvious “invasion” of French people in Cambodia, and then, of course, the Aussies who openly call Southeast Asia their backyard. Honestly, however, Australia is the backbone of many projects here and the biggest donor. If it wasn’t for their support, many things in Cambodia would still not work very well. Not to advocate donor dependency or dismiss foreign aid as something inherently bad, the work that’s being done in Cambodia is incredible. The country is changing rapidly, economically and socially. Just the structure is still limping and has not caught up yet.

My work for TAF (yes, acronyms and abbreviations are not just a MIIS specialty!) is very challenging and inspiring. The first-hand experience of the “real thing” is amazing. The NGO field is so diverse and development has many facets. Networking is fantastic and I have met so many interesting people with very diverse backgrounds. It is an eye opener for the different possibilities and niches out there.

I will be working on a project on Intimate Partner Violence which is quite severe in the Asia-Pacific region with current studies indicating very high prevalence rates.7 Going beyond the nominative aspects of focusing on attitudes towards acceptance of violence against women, I will support a project that will look at the macro-level. I already participated in a workshop from the Ministry of Women’s Affairs,
experiencing the dynamics between donors and recipients. I am very excited to work on a project that is contributing to tackling such a serious problem.

Coming from a strictly academic and research heavy background, I have not been oblivious to the technical hurdles of policy design, implementation and evaluation, but working with people in this field makes the rather abstract discussions in a Policy Analysis class a lot more tangible.6 That being said, I have finally made my way to
Asia after all these years and, as my wonderful Australian coworker put it the other day, I am “finally becoming important.”

I am growing on many levels with IPSS. It is a good start for navigating the abyss of career development, applying knowledge and learning to know who you are.

 

Monday, April 28th, 2014

FREE Webinar on Global Health – May 1

Unite For Sight’s Global Health University has scheduled a new free global health webinar on Thursday, May 1, 4-5pm Eastern Time, about “Sustainability and Innovation in Global Health”.  Complete details are included below.

To register for the webinar “Sustainability and Innovation in Global Health” please click the link! 

Learn from leading experts about sustainability and innovation in global health. The webinar will include guidance and advice from expert panelists, as well as ample opportunity to ask the speakers questions about sustainability and innovation.  Learn about the complexities of sustainability, the importance of responsible innovation, and considerations for developing and scaling up ideas. Register for the May 1 webinar athttp://slate.uniteforsight.org/register/innovation

The webinar’s expert panelists are:

  • April Davies, Senior Manager, Africa and Latin America, Water.org
  • Paul Ellingstad, Partner and Program Development Director, Sustainability and Social Innovation, Hewlett-Packard
  • Barrett Prinz, Chief People Officer, One Acre Fund
  • Robin Smalley, Co-Founder, Director of mothers2mothers International

Friday, April 25th, 2014

This week! – Dr. Itamara V. Lochard – GSIPM DEAN’S SEMINAR SERIES #23

GSIPM DEAN’S SEMINAR SERIES #23

Don’t miss Dr. Itamara V. Lochard, THIS WEEK, discuss how a digitized 21st century and the word “Cyber” impact your field of study (Tuesday, April 29).

Please join Dr. Lochard with the Monterey Cyber Security Initiative (MCySec) to learn how they address the role of information and computer technology on hard security, development, state and non-state actors, ethics, social media, linguistics and languages, business and economics, peace and stabilization, the environment and other fields of studies that interest MIIS students and faculty.

Dr. Itamara V. Lochard is the Director of MCySec.

When: Tuesday, April 29 @12:10 PM

Where: McGowan 100

For more information on MCySec and how to join click here! 

Dean's Seminar Itamara Lochard

 

Friday, April 25th, 2014

Cuba Presentations – Wednesday April 30!

Join the students from the Spring Break Cuba trip and hear their presentations on their experiences in this fascinating country! Public welcome.

Wednesday, April 30 in the DLC.

Cuba Practicum Digital Sign

Friday, April 25th, 2014

Team El Salvador Leadership Applications – Still time to apply! –

– Application deadline EXTENDED to April 29 – 

Team El Salvador Practicum 2014-2015 Call for Leadership Applications

Team El Salvador (TES) is seeking three student leaders to lead the Team El Salvador 9 Practicum during its 2014-2015 program year.

Do you want to gain skills in leadership? International Development? Environmental policy and natural resource management? Survey creation? Improving your Spanish proficiency and communication?

TES leadership is open to all MIIS students, from all departments and fields of study!

How to apply? Please send resume and cover letter to: teamelsalvadormiis@gmail.com by Tuesday, April 29th. Visit us at: http://blogs.miis.edu/teamelsalvador

Team El Salvador provides a unique, professional opportunity for MIIS students to develop and apply practical skills and enhance language proficiency and multicultural competency in a dynamic international setting.

Team leaders will cultivate a variety of professional skills while gaining real world experience. The ideal candidate has a passion for international development, strong leadership skills, and a willingness to facilitate and manage a variety of program elements, including communication and outreach, program development, fundraising, updating and developing website content and social media sites, event scheduling and management, meeting planning and travel logistics and community engagement.

Ideal Candidates will:

• Speak, write and read Spanish at a 400 level
• Understand the mission and goals of Team El Salvador and
El Salvadoran history and culture
• Have strong communication and organizational skills
• Have experience living and working in rural communities of Latin America (or other developing
countries)
• Have a lucid understanding of the unpredictable nature of development work
• Be personable, dynamic, patient, flexible and adaptable to changing program and project
demands
• Have experience with fundraising
• Develop and deliver compelling presentations to MIIS faculty, prospective team members, etc.
Executive management and staff

Friday, April 11th, 2014

TODAY: Amnesty International Executive Director to Speak at MIIS – 6:00pm

Tonight at 6:00pm Steve Hawkins, the Executive Director of Amnesty International, will speak to MIIS students. Don’t MIIS this amazing event! Reception to fallow in the McCone Atrium

“Bringing Human Rights Home”

Before joining Amnesty International USA as its Executive Director, Steven W Hawkins was the Executive Vice President and Chief Program Officer of the NAACP. He is a nationally renowned attorney and grassroots advocacy leader at the forefront of social justice issues, including death penalty abolition, criminal justice reform and defending civil liberties. As an attorney, he brought litigation that led to the release of three teenagers wrongfully convicted and sentenced to death row in Tennessee. He was also a law professor in South Africa during apartheid, teaching black lawyers who faced discriminatory treatment in the courts. Steven obtained his undergraduate degree from Harvard College and New York University.

 

 

Monday, April 7th, 2014

Lauryn Agnew: Net Impact & GSIPM Dean’s Seminar 4/15/14

Lauryn Agnew, the founder of Bay Area Impact Investing and President of Seal Cove Financial, is set to speak at MIIS on Tuesday, April 15 at 12:30 pm in McGowan 100.

Lauryn has nearly three decades of experience in developing and implementing strategies in the institutional investment industry. She also serves as trustee on the Board of the San Mateo County Employees Retirement Association, chair of the investment committees of the United Way of the Bay Area and the Girl Scouts of Northern California and member of the finance committee of the Immaculate Conception Academy of San Francisco.

Please join Lauryn as part of the GSIPM Dean’s Seminar Series and Net Impact MIIS here on campus next week!

Dean's Seminar Lauryn Agnew

Friday, March 28th, 2014

Need help with journalistic writing? Mark Schapiro is here to help! Updated w/correct email address

 

Schapiro E-sign updatedClick photo to enlarge.

 

Friday, November 8th, 2013

Attention IEM Students: WISE Awards 2014 Call for Applications

Each year, the WISE Awards identify, showcase and promote innovative educational projects that are having a transformative impact on societies and education. Since 2009, WISE has received thousands of applications that have emerged from a wide variety of sectors and from over 130 countries. The winning projects constitute a growing pool of expertise and diverse sound educational practices.

eduforall

At the annual WISE Summit in Doha, Qatar, representatives from Award winning projects are also given the opportunity to present and discuss their work at a dedicated Summit session. Application guidelines, especially eligibility and submission criteria can be found here. Apply until January 15, 2014!

Tuesday, July 16th, 2013

Call for Innovative Projects for Youth for the 2013 UNESCO Youth Forum.

unesco-youth-forum

In 1999, the UNESCO launched the UNESCO Youth Forum that have can help achieve positive change.  Social inclusion, civic engagement and participation, social entrepreneurship and innovation, prevention of violence and conflicts, intercultural dialogue, democracy and skills development are among the prominent fields that young men and women focus on. Now you can make a difference and become active. For more information on the application deadlines and regulation, click here.