The role I have taken at the Borgen Project has been extremely interesting as I have taken on a role with that has opened my eyes to numerous possibilities within foreign policy. I am on the writing staff, making posts for publication on their blog and magazine, having originally attempted to join their political affairs department. I am glad the writing internship piqued my interest in the process however, as I am unsure I would be granted the same degree of freedom in my work anywhere else.
As a writing intern, I was first and foremost astounded that my writing would actually be published for public viewing on behalf of the Project. It is really a wonderful opportunity to be able to garner some published writing samples in an entry level role. The work itself mainly revolves around enlightening readers about the positive work being done to combat foreign poverty around the world, through the specific lens of US foreign policy. The Borgen Project as a whole aims to influence US foreign policy at a high level through direct and indirect contact with congressional decision-makers. The overall goal is to align both congressional and public sentiment with greater expenditure on foreign aid from the US. This is done though a variety of methods, in my case through careful research and explication.
Most of days working for the project are spent researching source material for articles. It is important to have clear and definite sources in writing these articles, as the information itself is linked into the published product to increase its exposure online. After getting approval for a suggested topic and writing a first draft, the article is submitted to an editing team, who return the article with suggestions on how to improve it in various ways, whether this be the elimination of passive voice, the rewording of sentences, or increased search engine optimization techniques. I then take these suggestions, rewrite, and submit for final publication. This is an especially interesting part of the process as the project operates on a “no news is good news” basis, meaning if there are no further edits suggested, your article is scheduled for publication and you get to watch it appear, sort of like a surprise Christmas present!
All interns also engage in fundraising in behalf of the project, something that can be somewhat difficult to achieve but has also granted me a unique work experiences as well as bettered perspective on the political process. Being a non-profit these funds are necessary for the project to continue operations, and so we are all engaged in making sure that those funds are gathered. This activity actually accounts for around half of my day-to-day work, but is usually done in my spare time.
At the heart of this internship is the writing, and that aspect is what is fun and rewarding for me. I am enjoying being able to share my writing with the world, and to have a chance to aid a noble goal like the Borgen Project’s in some small way. As my work continues, I am excited to accrue further writing credits and to explore and share new concepts from around the globe with a growing readership.
As a final note, a picture of me doing research or writing on my laptop would be neither interesting nor illustrative, so I have featured the image included in my first published article, about economic recovery post-COVID in Sierra Leone.
You can find my work on the Borgen Project website here and if you feel so inclined, you can donate to my fundraising page here!
I found your position especially interesting as I have always had an interest in both foreign policy and writing. The goal of the Borgen Project seems to be very noble as it tries to combat foreign poverty by influencing our legislators into taking action. I’m also impressed with the fact that the Borgen Project allows you, as an entry level intern, to publish your own works. It seems like an awesome opportunity to advance your experience in both the political and writing fields. Moving forward, how do you intend to use your experience from this position? Are you planning on going into a more political role or a journalistic role? Or a combination of the two?