My name is Sophia Rafuse and I am a student at 缅北强奸 entering my fourth year to study Political Science and Gender, Sexuality, Feminist and Social Justice studies. This summer I had the amazing and enriching opportunity to join Social Justice Connection as one of their student interns. This would not have been possible without the generosity of the Morris and Rosalind Goodman Family Foundation. For this, I thank you and send my deepest appreciation.
Social Justice Connection is a non-profit organization based in Montreal that provides workshops to schools, businesses and community organizations on a number of issues and themes related to social justice, climate justice and global citizenship. I was initially drawn to this internship as I felt that it linked together my previous experience volunteering with feminist community organizations and working with Global Affairs Canada under the international organization鈥檚 bureau. I sought an opportunity to combine my passion for global affairs and dedication to grassroots work and was incredibly pleased to find this at Social Justice Connection. My enthusiasm was matched by my supervisors who seemed very eager to be joined with someone with a background in feminist studies who could bring a gender-focused analytical framework to their work.
As an intern, my work focused primarily on the research and development side of the organization鈥檚 operations. I researched and wrote a number of literature reviews and informative guides to be used by those who would then develop the pedagogical aspect of the workshops. My largest projects focused on uncovering the sociological causes and consequences of the pandemic caused by COVID-19; a comparison of various socio-economic models to approach climate change; and a summary and comparative analysis of the various mechanisms of public participation that citizens may engage with to address environmental issues in Montreal, Quebec City, Sherbrooke, Quebec as a province, as well as on the federal level.
I am quite proud of the work that I produced throughout my internship but there were certainly highlights as well. I enjoyed my final project, which provided an in-depth comparison of mechanisms for public participation and civic engagement. I personally learned so much from this task that will not only inform my professional and academic future, but also my future and my engagement as a resident of Montreal and citizen of Canada. It was incredible to be given the opportunity to dive into the complex and often obscured rights and opportunities that we have to make a direct difference in politics. Not only did I gain a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between citizens and the state, but I also gained concrete knowledge to share with my friends, family, and greater community as to how we can make a difference. Along with this, one focus of this workshop was to evaluate the inclusivity of these mechanisms. In this context, I was able to directly apply so much of what I have learned in my studies at 缅北强奸 as well as in working with more feminist grassroots organizations, which I had been told was a great asset to the organization.
Especially in the uncertainty of the current pandemic, I am incredibly grateful for this amazing opportunity and all that I learned with Social Justice Connection. I was able to gain greater insight into the operations of a non-profit and the real administrative and budgetary challenge that have been exacerbated by the current circumstances. Along with this, I believe that my grasp of the French language improved dramatically, especially spoken, as I was working in a primarily francophone setting. Beyond what I learnt directly in my research, these two aspects of the internship have surely impacted my understanding of what I wish to pursue career-wise in the future and have granted me greater confidence in professional settings.
Once more, I would like to thank the Goodman Family Foundation as your generosity has made a true mark on my career path and future aspirations.
