“My placement at CAPAZ”: Four students talk about their experiences

“My placement at CAPAZ”: Four students talk about their experiences

For a few months in the first semester of 2020, four students from Germany and Colombia –Daniela, Ximena, Emily and Carlos Andrés– supported CAPAZ in its various activities, including administration, communication, and research within the institute. We would like to thank them for their enthusiasm and efficient support, and wish them every success in their future endeavours!

Daniela Forero Nuñez: “My placement at CAPAZ”

My name is Daniela Forero Nuñez, and I study political science and history at the University of Regensburg in Germany. My experience at CAPAZ was very enriching for three reasons. On the one hand, the topics covered were fully in line with my interests. I found it very interesting to learn how to manage projects for territorial peace based on a perspective of international relations. On the other hand, the experience provided me with many important lessons. One of them was the value of interdisciplinarity in the study of the Colombian armed conflict. It was very rewarding to work with a team that had a very broad vision of Colombia’s territorial reality. Finally, in spite of the current situation, we were still able to continue our placement periods online. This flexibility made it possible for me to make the most of my time at the institute. I am very grateful to the whole team here at CAPAZ and hope to be able to keep in touch with everyone!

María Ximena Jattin: Universidad Nacional de Colombia

My experience as a trainee here at CAPAZ has added a new edge to my career. It has been enriching from many perspectives and I have had the opportunity to reflect on many dynamics that I had not previously contemplated in my professional work. This placement has helped me to develop new skills and expose myself to a multidisciplinary and interdependent environment. It gives me great satisfaction to be able to contribute from my area to the Institute’s work to strengthen the field of research and information dissemination on peace issues.

Emily Salome Ritzel: Mein Praktikum bei CAPAZ (30.03.-31.5.2020)

Die Woche, in der mein Praktikum begann, hatten wir in Bogotá schon eine Ausgangssperre. Die ersten Tage habe ich aus dem „home-office“ gearbeitet, bis ich mich sehr spontan dazu entschlossen habe, aufgrund der aktuellen Situation mit Covid-19 zurück nach Deutschland zu gehen. Glücklicherweise, hat CAPAZ mir die Möglichkeit gegeben, das Praktikum von Deutschland aus weiterzumachen, worüber ich sehr dankbar bin. Natürlich ist die Erfahrung aus dem home-office nicht die gleiche wie ein „normales“ Praktikum und ich bin sehr traurig, das Institut und die Menschen nicht persönlich kennengelernt zu haben, nichtsdestotrotz hatte ich eine sehr interessante Zeit und die Leute waren sehr nett und geduldig damit, mir Aufgaben übers Internet zu erklären.

Ich habe mit fünf verschiedenen Personen zusammengearbeitet, von denen ich sehr verschiedene Aufgaben bekommen habe. Ich habe Texte übersetzt, Recherchen zu unterschiedlichsten Themen gemacht, habe bei dem Projekt NETCAPAZ mitgearbeitet, Artikel gelesen und Texte überarbeitet. Außerdem habe ich an zwei größeren Projekten mitgearbeitet: Ich habe die Opferbeteiligung vor dem Internationalen Strafgerichtshof in verschiedenen Fällen analysiert und ich habe mit Stefan/Herrn Peters einen Artikel über die Auswirkung des Corona-Virus auf Konfliktregionen in Subsahara-Afrika geschrieben. Das Praktikum hat es mir ermöglicht, einen tieferen Einblick in die Arbeitsweisen des Instituts zu bekommen und mehr über den Friedensprozess in Kolumbien zu lernen. Meine Zeit bei CAPAZ war lehrreich und spannend. Danke!

Carlos Andrés García Carvajal: I have met some extraordinary people in the time I have spent at CAPAZ

My name is Carlos Andrés García Carvajal and I have been a trainee here at CAPAZ since January 2020. I was born in Cúcuta, Norte de Santander, 23 years ago. When I was starting high school, I remember reading a book by Vicenç Fisas; this was when I discovered that I wanted to focus on peace issues. Now, I’m a political scientist specialising in Colombian Politics with an MA in Peace Building. Universidad de los Andes, a founding member of the CAPAZ Institute, is my alma mater and where I work as a research assistant. When deciding where to do my internship, the most important factor that determined my choice was whether I would be able to undertake various tasks related to my field of study. I chose CAPAZ, and I believe that I have fulfilled my expectations. I have been involved in various academic research tasks, performed administrative activities, helped open the institutional Instagram account, supported the communications area and I am even learning how to upload content to a website! But it has not been all work, I have met some extraordinary people in my time here, and I can’t go without mentioning that working in a building like the Claustro de San Agustín is definitely a memorable experience. I even had the chance to meet the  photojournalist, Jesús Abad Colorado! I must thank the Institute for its prompt response to the COVID-19 emergency, ensuring that all its personnel were not put at risk, but without the need to interrupt its operations. Finally, I can say that being at CAPAZ has taught me more about how a peace-led institute works holistically, and contributed positively to my academic, professional and personal development.

 

(NW Text: Daniela Forero, Ximena Jattin, Emily Ritzel, Carlos Andrés García. English version: Tiziana Laudato, Carlos García)