During my summer break, from June to August 2021, I was fortunate enough to be part of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) ’s Kuala Lumpur Regional Delegation as the Humanitarian Diplomacy intern. During this remote two-month full-time internship, I was working closely with the Humanitarian Affairs Adviser in Kuala Lumpur and the Special Adviser based in Singapore.
My tasks at ICRC’s Kuala Lumpur Regional Delegation revolved around researching, analysing, and developing landscape maps of relevant actors of different fields in Singapore to identify potential initiatives or collaborations with respective stakeholders; and also had the chance to give a presentation to the whole delegation on the findings. Among many other thematic covered by the delegation, ‘climate change and conflict’ is the main topic that caught my interest the most given that it is a potential concern, yet has not been widely studied and discussed in the context of Southeast Asia. Other than conducting research to substantiate ICRC’s understanding of the humanitarian landscape and relevant actors in Singapore, I was given a chance to be a part of ICRC’s Kuala Lumpur Regional Delegation’s engagement with their interlocutors including government officials and other local stakeholders in Malaysia, by working on preparing some of the agendas of the meetings, attending the virtual meetings, and drafting the minutes.
What I really enjoy about this whole internship experience is not only have I learned a lot from my scope of work but also the welcoming and friendly working environment. At the start of the internship, I attended several online briefings from different departments of the delegation and learned about their work and inspiration, including data protection in humanitarian action, International Humanitarian Law (IHL), restoring family links for detainees, and others. Hence, although it was a remote internship, I was able to interact with other colleagues from different departments, and everyone has been very kind and supportive. Furthermore, with access to ICRC’s database, I was able to attend two online courses on International Humanitarian Law and Prevention, which are two of the many key focus areas of ICRC.
It has overall been a meaningful learning journey, both personally and professionally. COVID-19 has undoubtedly had a significant impact on humanitarian operations and dialogues around the world. Some of the efforts have to be put on hold or to be revised to adapt to the new normal. Regardless, I am very grateful for all the insights, knowledge, and connection gained from this internship, as well as the opportunity to work closely with talented, inspiring, and passionate individuals from all around the world.
