My name is Michelle Hahn-Baker and, at the end of August 2019, I will complete my summer internship with the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), an independent intergovernmental body administered by the United Nations Environment Programme. Often referred to as the IPCC for biodiversity, IPBES assesses the states of nature and biodiversity on behalf of its stakeholders by synthesizing the most reliable information, taking into account multiple knowledge systems. At the end of my internship, I will have spent three and a half months as a Public Information Intern in the Communications Department, located at the UN Campus in Bonn, Germany.
I was a somewhat unlikely candidate for an IPBES internship, given that my primary field of study is English Literature. My minor, however, is in Communications, and I have a relevant professional background in journalism and media, having worked for/interned with the CBC, the Montreal Neurological Institute, Penguin Eggs Magazine, and Creative Media Agency, amid other organizations. Moreover, I expect that my literary research will centre around Indigenous Literatures and ecocriticism, once I progress enough in my studies to really specialize. All of those influences motivated me to seek out this internship, which I treated as an opportunity to learn more about myself and my career ambitions ahead of grad school. Apart from that, I also wanted to grow my knowledge of the UN system and of sustainability, the environment, and international relations more generally. My two main objectives for this internship were, therefore, to develop my knowledge and to develop my communication skills. I did not receive academic credit for this internship.
Throughout the duration of my internship, my responsibilities mostly centred around social media management and content creation, although I also helped to draft other forms of communication, assisted with events, and performed general clerical duties. My internship was a rewarding and challenging learning experience, through which I got to take on a lot of real responsibility and completed many long- and short-term projects. Because I began my internship immediately after the launch of IPBES鈥檚 Global Assessment (the one million species extinction report), I also got to contribute to its massive success in the media by creating follow up content and supporting my colleagues. As a result of all that work, and of the context in which I began my internship, I got to enjoy a lot of highlights. To name a few: I was able to speak during an official meeting of United Nations experts; a video I posted received more than one million views; and an op-ed I ghostwrote was posted on behalf of my supervisor. Later this month, I will also get to participate in a town hall with Inger Andersen, the new Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, which I鈥檓 sure will be another highlight.
I am most proud, however, of the communication skills I developed over the course of this internship, which I will be able to carry throughout my career. I effectively learned how to communicate in an entirely new way. I learned how to disseminate scientific information, how to communicate while navigating the (sometimes narrow) line between policy-relevant and policy-prescriptive, and how to convey information visually through quote cards and images. I also learned a lot about myself and my career ambitions. For instance, I now know far more about what I want from my career and how I can best contribute to organizations.
Altogether, I am extremely grateful to have had this experience, and for the funds that made it possible. If I had not received funding, I would most likely not have been able to afford the cost of air travel to get to Germany and would certainly have needed to take on a second job to pay for rent and food. Thanks to the funding, however, I was able to focus solely on the internship and to devote myself primarily to my work with IPBES. In particular, I would like to extend my deepest thanks to Mr. Andrew Buntain, who generously funded my Faculty of Arts Internship Award and made it possible for me to have this experience. This summer has been challenging, demanding, and exigent, but above all, it has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. I don鈥檛 yet have the perspective to truly appreciate how much this internship has affected me, but I already know that it will shape my career substantially and that it has left an indelible mark on me as a human being.
