DR Congo Programs Internship at The Carter Center

Name

Leighton Rowell

Language

French

Advisors

Aaron Santesso (Primary) & Christophe Ippolito (Secondary)

Project Format

Internship

Project Description

As DR Congo Programs Intern at The Carter Center, I’ve had the opportunity to engage with a variety of critical and complex issues in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. On a daily basis, I monitor local, Francophone media and provide analysis to the DRC team on the latest developments in government, human rights, public health, and industry, with a special focus on the mining sector. For one of my long-term projects this summer, I have been researching past epidemics to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ebola epidemic in DRC’s Équateur province may affect human rights and workers’ rights in the extractive industries. For another project, I track Congolese politics, and on any given day, I might help the DRC team with French translation or editorial work. Serving with an organization that is so deeply committed to improving the lives of people all over the world has affirmed my desire to pursue a career in public service.

Student Quote

"The diversity of opportunities in this internship has been so rewarding and so relevant to the GMC curriculum — I have improved my French, honed my newsgathering and media analysis skills, cultivated relationships with colleagues from Atlanta to Kinshasa, and, in working with the Center’s Extractive Industries Governance team, found an area I hope to continue learning about and engaging with after I complete my internship."