Global is Local

Chilling with some Rhinos in the background. As I sit here writing this, I am at the Aquila Private Game Reserve about 2 hours northeast of Cape Town in South Africa. I presume that Safaris are the number one tourist attraction in the country, and I think judging by Trip Advisor and the prices on some of these expeditions, I must be right. Overall, the South African tourist industry contributes about $27.5billion annually, or approximately 10% of their economy. All throughout the less populated areas of the country, wild animals roam free and relatively uninhibited. In fact, on the drive here, there were warning signs for baboons, and, of course, actual baboons just sitting on the side of the highway, almost to serve as a reminder that there was a time not too long ago that this land was indeed their own. This peacock couldn't get enough of the reception and dining area. Now, a recurring theme for me here has been the amazing deals you can find being in a

A sign from the District 6 museum, a reminder of one of the many communities devastated during Apartheid. Cape Town is unlike any place I have ever experienced. Coming from the US, I recognize that I do not understand all of the history in this area, but I am doing what I can to learn through Dr. Mandela's autobiography, trips to a variety of different neighborhoods and museums, a class on culture and language, and talking to people from different races and classes across the city. On one hand, it has mountain ranges, botanical gardens, beaches, wineries, food, and culture on a level of no other city in the world. On the other hand, one look at the gentrification, race relations, homelessness, and criminal activity will tell you a completely different story. Now that I am three weeks into living here, I think it would be good to breakdown what stands out to me in the context of what I have seen thus far.  Segregation & Economic Disparities I have never seen suc

I have been in Genève for more than two months now, and I have failed to discuss the two main reasons I am here: 1. Interning with the World Health Organization in the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, 2. Taking a course on Global Health Policy with the Duke University Program on Global Policy and Governance. My university played a tremendous role in affording me this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I am humbled and appreciative to be taking advantage of it. The Internship So first off, let us get this straight: For the past 2 months I have been working diligently for 45 hours per week while attempting to keep up with my master's thesis work for no compensation. Now that we have that nugget out of the way, we can talk about business. The WHO is the agency under the umbrella of the United Nations that deals with public health: the responses to outbreaks of Ebola, SARS, HIV, Cholera, etc., for better or worse, are widely coordinated within the walls o

Life has been very busy since arriving in Europe: an overbooked schedule is very much apart of the intern culture in Genève. In the past month, I have attended a conference in Amsterdam, participated in the semi-annual UN World Health Assembly, vacationed in Athens for a 3-day weekend, and went on a 20km hike through wine country at a UNESCO World Heritage site in Switzerland. Amsterdam is a one of a kind city. It somehow balances being in Holland, a joyous wonderland where everyone is happy and ride bikes all the time, with having a worldwide reputation as Sin City. Although I was there purely for academic purposes, there was very much a work hard, play hard atmosphere. During the day, we had sessions learning about global food solutions and agricultural innovations with entrepreneurs from Brazil, Indonesia, Uganda, Croatia, Germany, Zimbabwe, China, and many other places all over the world. In the evenings, we went off together exploring the night life of a city that makes

WHO Lobby Switzerland is a country with very rich history, and through my studies I have come to think of it as the most well-organized country in the world. In the school system, students learn to speak three or more languages (French, German, English, etc.) fluently. Their healthcare system is arguably the most successful on the planet. It is the home of the world’s most powerful international organization – the United Nations. The geography consists of some of the best mountains for hiking, skiing, and snowboarding, as well as some of the best farms for wine, grapes, and cheese. I was given the opportunity to intern in Geneva, Switzerland at the World Health Organization through the Duke Program on Global Policy and Governance and the Duke Global Health Institute. There is so much more that I have to say about Geneva, but I’ve only been here for a week, so I would like to talk about a few things that have really stood out to me so far. 7. Pizza is someth