Meriem Mezdour - Department of Political Science

Having completed an Honours bachelor’s in International Development and Globalization, I always had strong interests in politics and social development matters in different regions of the world; which has led me to pursue an M.A in Political Science (Development Studies Option) at McGill University.  

In Summer 2019, I completed an internship at the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), an independent, non-partisan and non-profit research-based policy-oriented think-tank based in Accra (Ghana). The CDD offers eight program areas in diversified development-related fields including: “Human Rights Promotion Constitutional Development” and “Governmental Transparency and Accountability”. The Centre’s mission is to promote democracy, good governance and economic openness in Ghana and throughout Africa. The advocacy, research, analysis and countless publications performed by CDD are what first drew me to this organization. In addition, as a Political Science student, I had previously cited research published by the CDD (including Afrobarometer surveys) which further piqued my interest in this internship placement. Being an intern at the CDD was also an opportunity to gain relevant professional experience for my future academic and professional paths.  

As an intern at the CDD I was part of the Research Department. My responsibilities varied depending on the type of research project that I was part of, which allowed me to work on a wide range of development and policy related fields. For instance, I wrote reports and literature reviews on multiple subjects, including: corruption issues in Ghana, the impact of regional bodies on African democracies, gender violence in Sao Tome, and issues regarding end of service benefits in Ghana. I also had the chance to attend conferences held by CDD-Corruption Watch. In addition, I witnessed multiple roundtable discussions on Ghanaian political issues including the recent debates related to the Office of the Special Prosecutor. Being able to observe one of these debates at the Parliament of Ghana was a memorable experience. Although I gained from every experience and project I took part of at the CDD, one of the biggest highlights of my internship was my field work experience in the Asutifi North District Assembly region. A group of colleagues and I travelled to this rural region to assess the implementation of an ongoing local economic development project. This project specifically focused on building local entrepreneurial skills to support the rural poor (including women and youth) for sustainable economic self-reliance. During my stay in the Asutifi North District Assembly region, community leaders were trained to conduct surveys with locals. I helped facilitate this training and also attended meetings held with district officials and village chiefs. This unforgettable experience allowed me to have first-hand interactions with locals and civil society members and witness the complexity in implementing a development project.  

My internship experience at the CDD has shaped my future career path as it gave me a concrete idea of what it would be like working with a non-profit policy-oriented organization. It also confirmed the strong interest I had in conducting field work. In addition, the CDD’s inclusion of interns in their projects not only allowed me to deepen my knowledge on socio-political issues in Africa but also allowed be to sharpen my research methodology technique; a crucial skill for Master students.  

It is for all the reasons named above that I first thank the Arts Internship Office for offering this internship placement, the CDD for allowing me to be an active member of their organization from which I gained valuable experience, and finally Brenda Hurley and Dr. Robert Morrison, as well as the founders of McGill International Experience Awards, for funding my internship. Indeed, your award allowed me to cover the costs of my entire internship, which otherwise would have been difficult to accomplish. I would like to finish this report by encouraging students to apply to internships, student exchanges, or any other school-related opportunities that allows them to gain valuable and memorable experiences abroad.