International Blog

In my recent internship, I was tasked to research  how integrated is Sri Lanka's diplomatic relations  and China's relations with Sri Lanka. The main reason for this focus is that since Sri Lanka does not occupy a very important international position, it does not have strategic relations with major powers (USA, Russia, etc.). So studying Sri Lanka's relations with Western countries would make the results generally cumbersome. Therefore, after talking with the leader of the study and some research, I decided on the topic of "What does the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road" represent for China and Sri Lanka.

In my research, I will try to answer the following questions: firstly, what is the significance of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road; secondly, how has China's foreign policy in Sri Lanka changed after the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road was proposed; thirdly, what is the significance of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road? Fourthly, what is Sri Lanka's perception of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and how has its foreign policy consideration of China changed after the proposal of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.  I will also look at the following questions: what are the risks and challenges facing Sino-Sri Lankan Relations? what risks and challenges faces Sino-Sri Lankan relations;

 With the introduction of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, China's foreign policy considerations towards Sri Lanka have changed as Sri Lanka is a crucial node country in the construction of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.  China's foreign policy consideration toward Sri Lanka has also undergone new changes. The strategic significance of Sri Lanka to China among South Asian countries is becoming more and more obvious, including the following aspects:

• Sri Lanka has a superior geographical location. Sri Lanka is located halfway between the oil-rich Middle East and Southeast Asia.Strengthening relations with Sri Lanka will give China direct access to the main international shipping lanes of the Indian Ocean, enhancing China's energy and trade security.
• Sri Lanka has an important position in the "21st Century Maritime Silk Road" initiative, and as a key node, the country's demonstrated significance is obvious. Sri Lanka is located in a key position in the Indian Ocean, only 10 nautical miles away from the main international shipping route.So its geographical location is very important. Sri Lanka, as a small country, influences India, a large country in South Asia, China, the United States, and Japan, a large country outside the region. One of the important aspects of the "21st Century Maritime Silk Road" initiative is to use key ports as nodes to build a smooth, safe and efficient transport corridor jointly. The ports of Colombo and Hambantota in Sri Lanka are two important ports on the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, the construction of which will benefit not only China and Sri Lanka but also the economic development of the entire South Asian region.

If Sri Lanka's diplomatic relations with China do not change negatively for special reasons, then the benefits of the Maritime Silk Road will outweigh the disadvantages for Sri Lanka. However, because of Sri Lanka's special relationship with India, China's relationship with Sri Lanka is not destined to be smooth. India, the largest country in South Asia, is geographically close to Sri Lanka, and historically the two countries have had very close ties. Thanks to the FTA between India and Sri Lanka, the trade volume between India and Sri Lanka is four times higher than that between China and Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka's geopolitical positioning is culturally aligned with India, geographically equidistant from East Asia and East Africa, and at the interface between East and West in terms of sea lanes. If Sino-Indian relations develop smoothly, Sino-Sri Lankan Relations will not be disturbed; conversely, if Sino-Indian relations go wrong, Sino-Sri Lankan Relations are bound to be negatively affected. The development of China-Sri Lanka relations cannot bypass the Indian factor.

Sino-Sri Lankan relations represent the main points of my research and analysis.  This study was my main tasks throughout my whole internship.

Sofia, International Development and Globalization, World University Service of Canada (WUSC), Sri Lanka Centre for Women’s Research

Naturally, I’m someone who enjoys having a routine and a plan in advance. Prior to my international internship, I wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of my schedule and how many hours a week I’d be working, or whether I’d be able to keep my job. During my internship, the plans had changed a few times, and so I wasn’t able to answer these questions throughout the semester. At first, I saw the multiple changes as a negative experience; however, with time, I realized that the modifications to the plan were a positive thing. While flexibility is something that I had to improve during the pandemic, it is a skill that I expanded upon while working at my international internship.

In our pre-departure trainings, we discussed some possible challenges that we may encounter during our internships. The pre-departure trainings were especially helpful in preparing us to do the remote international internships, as we learned skills to cope with these challenges should they arise. Such obstacles included: working remotely, having different time zones, potential language barriers, and having a change of mandate. Most of these difficulties applied to me, but I’m so grateful that I was able to experience them, as they’ve made me a better student and a more flexible worker. I also strongly believe that the positives of doing an international internship heavily outweigh the negatives!

The future of the post-COVID-19 world is online work, whether that be in school, work, diplomacy, or personal life. The skills that I’ve learned over the past few months - adaptability, flexibility, and patience - are competencies that I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life!

Sofia, International Development and Globalization, World University Service of Canada (WUSC), Sri Lanka Centre for Women’s Research,

I chose to study International Development and Globalization at the University of Ottawa because I have always had a keen interest in learning about the world. Academically, international development is an interdisciplinary degree that covers a wide array of subjects, such as, politics, economics, history, law, and sociology. However, what really drew me to studying global development at the University of Ottawa were the many unique research and hands-on opportunities that the school offers. For instance, I have been able to: participate in the uOGlobal certification, join the co-op program, expand my knowledge of both official languages through French immersion, participate in a field research course, and now, notably, partake in the international internship. While international development history and theories are incredibly important, I believe that this subject cannot be explored solely through textbooks. Therefore, I am very grateful to have the opportunity to work in the field of international development, with the World University Service of Canada, and the Centre for Women’s Research in Sri Lanka.

My international internship experience has been excellent so far, as I have been working with an incredible team of individuals and have been exposed to international development in the field. While I would have had a different experience had I gone to Sri Lanka in person, I believe that doing an online international internship has still familiarized me with international development, relations and affairs, and has enabled me to improve my global communications skills. Such competencies include, teleworking, adapting to different time zones, and applying various cultural business practices to my work. Moreover, I chose to participate in the international internship program to gain experience working in Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). While I have worked in the private and public sectors, I wanted to learn about international development from practitioners, professionals, and researchers in the field, through NGOs.

More specifically, the concepts that I have learned about in my international development courses have been utilized in my internship training so far. For example, we have touched upon different tools used in international development, like logic models, and theories, like the theory of change in our training. We also examined how WUSC, as an organization, and Sri Lanka, as a country, positively contribute to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. I look forward to using these concepts further in future project management and research methodology courses. It is quite interesting and fulfilling working in a position that allows you to use your academic background. As well, my international internship has given me the opportunity to network with like-minded students from across the world. I am excited to continue my international internship this semester and am eager to learn more about global development in real life!

Sachini, Criminology, Alternatives, Sri Lanka, National Fishery Solidarity Organisation (NAFSO), Human Rights Officer

If you have heard about Sri Lanka, you know how beautiful the country is; especially the beaches. International internships are built to live the experience of the host country while keeping up the work you do. The change in the environment is something that motivates you to keep up with your work. However, no one really expected a pandemic to happen! Of course, virtual learning has been there for a long time but no one knew how useful it was until everyone was quarantined.

My internship is at National Fishery Solidarity Organization (NAFSO) working as a human rights researcher. They primarily focus on land grabbing and sea grabbing of marginalized communities and disadvantaged single mothers. Their main theme is to fight human rights violations post-war. With the chairman’s approval, I was able to relate my research to my degree. I am a fourth-year student doing an honours bachelors in Criminology. The main focus of this internship is on Corruption, Torture and Enforced Disappearances of ethnic minorities in Sri Lanka.

At distance, internships do not require many preparations as to being in the field but let me tell you virtual ones are just as hard. Being on top of your things is very important. For me, that was the hardest. When you have too much time on your hand, you tend to drift away, however, I had two amazing colleagues who kept me motivated and reminded me of our tasks and deadlines. NAFSO’s community is understanding and flexible on what you would like to do. I definitely would love to intern with them again.  

Kasandra, Sociology, Alternatives, Sri Lanka, National Fisheries Solidarity, Human Rights Research Office

As I am nearing the end of my internship, I am grateful for being part of this wonderful experience. I learned a lot about Sri Lanka’s history and have developed many new skills that will be useful in my future career. Most of all, I am grateful for the people that I have worked with as it would not have been the same without them.

In the beginning, as most internships likely start, there was a lot of confusion and misunderstandings, especially because we were working from a distance. However, part of the internship is to put your communication and other skills to the test to adapt and overcome the issues. Once you master communication skills and time management, it’s smooth sailing from there. The new skills you will learn will be easy to adapt to and will be beneficial for your future.

For any future students who are thinking about doing an internship: just do it. It is a huge advantage to have, it will make your resume stand out and most importantly, it is your chance of helping an organization that needs help. In my case, my organization was working on women’s access to basic human rights, and I was fortunate enough to be able to choose what specific topic I wanted to do research on, which was women's vulnerabilities on the socio-economic level. This way, you can choose a topic that interests you! Once again, highly recommend it for anyone to take part in, you will not regret it.

Kasandra, SOC, Alternatives, Sri Lanka, National Fisheries Solidarity, Human Rights Research Office

As I am nearing the end of my internship, I am grateful for being part of this wonderful experience. I learned a lot about Sri Lanka’s history and have developed many new skills that will be useful in my future career. Most of all, I am grateful for the people that I have worked with as it would not have been the same without them.

In the beginning, as most internships likely start, there was a lot of confusion and misunderstandings, especially because we were working from a distance. However, part of the internship is to put your communication and other skills to the test to adapt and overcome the issues. Once you master communication skills and time management, it’s smooth sailing from there. The new skills you will learn will be easy to adapt to and will be beneficial for your future.

For any future students who are thinking about doing an internship: just do it. It is a huge advantage to have, it will make your resume stand out and most importantly, it is your chance of helping an organization that needs help. In my case, my organization was working on women’s access to basic human rights, and I was fortunate enough to be able to choose what specific topic I wanted to do research on, which was women's vulnerabilities on the socio-economic level. This way, you can choose a topic that interests you! Once again, highly recommend it for anyone to take part in, you will not regret it.

Kassandra, Sociology, Alternatives, Sri Lanka, National Fisheries Solidarity, Human Rights Research Officer

Having reached the middle of my time as an intern, I can confidently say that this is quite the experience, especially during COVID-19. Like most internships, there’s the good and the bad. It’s how you go about it that will make your experience much more enjoyable.

Being a 4th-year student in sociology, I have taken many types of sociology classes such as deviance, environment, political, etc. which are helping me immensely in this internship. My primary task is to analyze the vulnerabilities that women face in the Northern and the Eastern province of Sri Lanka and a lot of the vulnerabilities touched different aspects that I have learned in my 4 years of university. I was able to apply the basics that I have learned in class to the vulnerabilities that I am analyzing under a different context. In return, it not only gives me a better understanding of the situation in Sri Lanka, but also teaches me how to apply theories and concepts to the outside world. It taught me to adapt the basic concepts to the context of the situation that I am trying to better comprehend. Unfortunately, it would have been better developed if I was physically in Sri Lanka but due to COVID-19 that was not possible 

Overall, I am enjoying my time as an intern for NAFSO. I have learned many new things, connected with great people and further developed my professional skills. Therefore, even with COVID, experiencing a good internship is possible.

Aranie, International Development and Globalization, Alternatives – Sri Lanka National Fisheries Solidarity Movement (NAFSO) – Human Rights Research Officer

Earlier this year, I was set to complete my final CO-OP placement abroad and then obtain my undergraduate degree right after. However, due to the unforeseeable pandemic, my work term had been cancelled and I had to quickly change my plans. Soon after, I decided to apply for the virtual international internship opportunity, and I think it was the best decision I could’ve made during such uncertain times.

I’m currently working as an intern for a Sri Lankan NGO called NAFSO, which stands for National Fisheries Solidarity Organization. NAFSO’s mission is to establish sustainable fisheries and food sovereignty to reduce poverty and disempowerment in Sri Lanka. However, as an intern, I learned that the organization conducts research on a broad range of topics related to human rights violations in Sri Lanka.

Being able to work with a local NGO virtually has been very meaningful for me as someone who’s roots come from the Northern Province of Sri Lanka and who is extremely passionate in learning about socio-economic and political issues in Sri Lanka. I also chose to work with this NGO because I am extremely knowledgeable on various topics pertaining to the human rights issues in Sri Lanka.

Due to the pandemic, NAFSO is unable to continue with its field research and is currently focused on educating the wider civil society. They also work toward public policy reform centered around justice for human rights violations and government accountability in Sri Lanka. My role is to provide research support and identify promising recommendations or a course of action for the NGO to work towards protecting vulnerable communities. Over the past few weeks, I researched the harmful consequences of the 20th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution. I helped prepare an action plan which proposed potential strategies for NAFSO or other civil society actors could follow to challenge the amendment.

I’ve also started conducting research on some environmental issues and how it affects marginalized communities.

As someone who is very passionate about research, it is a rewarding experience to see that the staff at NAFSO are able to use my research and apply it in their work to promote human rights and sustainable development in Sri Lanka. Despite not being able to have the full experience of what an international internship can look like, I think working virtually definitely enables you to build valuable skills such as organization, adaptability and time-management skills. Overall, I’m really enjoying this international internship and I highly encourage anyone reading this to take the opportunity to participate in an international internship, even if it is a virtual opportunity!

Leorah, International Development and Globalization, Alternatives, National Fisheries Solidarity Organization, Sri Lanka, Human Rights Research Officer

I am working as a human rights research intern for the National Fishery Solidarity Organization (NAFSO) which is a fisherfolk movement of Sri Lanka that works with marginalized groups such as internally displaced persons, women and youth to promote human rights and truly sustainable development, particularly in the agriculture and fisheries sectors in post-conflict Sri Lanka.

My work entails specific research on human rights or issues pertaining to sustainable development goals(SDG), such as climate and biodiversity. I am researching issues from how infrastructure projects affect livelihoods to how the climate and coastal, ‘life below water’ is affected by human activities.

NAFSO has done a great job of turning virtual. All meetings are hosted online, and we are constantly sending out emails that cc everyone (a small team of eight). They also got involved with a community-led research project run by ESCR-NET (International Network for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights) that involved seven other organizations in countries such as Ecuador and Guatemala. These meetings are held with about 45 participants once a week where we get together to refine our action plan and goals for the project starting in March 2021.NAFSO is a strong contributor, asking questions and helping other organizations while collaborating and taking ideas to alter their own action plan.

Going virtual can be tough when you are working with a small organization. This organization took it head-on. They are working on various projects virtually, holding community meetings and conducting community presentations online while also providing patience and time to orientate people who are not as technology-friendly at all meetings. This includes having interpreters for the three official languages: English, Tamil and Singhalese

They have been very adaptive to the COVID-19 policies in the country. This is helpful as an intern, as I feel like I am involved with the organization. They have made me feel included when I could have felt left out due to being across the world from my colleagues.

Leorah, International Development and Globalization, Alternatives, National Fisheries Solidarity Organization, Sri Lanka, Human Rights Research Officer

This is the most talked-about conversation piece at the moment. It seems appropriate to do so one more time. Working from home requires discipline, but you can be productive once you create a routine. But finding that balance takes time.

I am working for the National Fisheries Solidarity Organization (NAFSO) as a human rights office. NAFSO in Sri Lanka is a local organization that works with marginalized sections in society. It promotes human rights and sustainable development. What does that look like as an internship? Aiding in the research to strengthen the capacity of the organization. I am being tasked to research various human rights violations to add it to the organization's material and educate others. At the moment, the task is to look at how the 20th Amendment, created from the new Sri Lankan government, affects civil society. Researching the local sentiment and providing an action plan is hard when I am not involved in society. But, a task that I am grateful to have. Being able to add value to the literature is important, especially as to how the next few weeks will unfold in Sri Lanka. 

Being able to work my own time has made this online internship freeing. I am thankful that the hosting organization works with our schedules, knowing that we have other commitments such as jobs or classes. But- it's hard working on something you are passionate about when you can't go there and be apart of it.

There are no words I can write to persuade you that I would instead do an online internship rather than an in-person. But other factors do come at play, such as finances and taking time off from life. I have had the privilege of doing a couple of internships (not affiliated with the school) in the past couple of years. Immersing yourself into a culture is scary, but it changes you. Changes not only how you think of another culture, but how you think and feel about yourself. It sounds cliche, I know. But it helps you understand; what's important to you, what sort of things you want to get better at, what things mean to you.

Going on in-person internships changed me. Because of it, I found my passion- International Development. And now, finishing off my 5th year- I wouldn't have done anything else. It's that DUH moment I was looking for in my life.

Go one an internship (or abroad)- Change your life! It will be worth it. Take that risk!