Report

This past summer (2003), I was selected to conduct an internship at the South American office of the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature, better known as the Nature World Union).  The IUCN is an international organization that has been in operation for more than 50 years and it is divided into regional offices all over the world.  The Ecuadorian office is working with members of the Union belonging to South American countries.  The office is based in Quito, the capital city of Ecuador, South America.

As a way to summarize my time in Ecuador, I can tell you that the whole experience was a rewarding one because I learned a lot about how one of the leading conservation organizations in the world works.  I also learned about protected areas in South America.  The travel itself allowed me to see a different country’s culture, food, and way of life.

During my time in Ecuador, I wrote seven short notes for publication at the IUCN web site (www.sur.iucn.org) and some of them were published at the world website of the Union (www.iucn.org).  I collaborated in the review of reports and proposals that were to be finished during the time.  One of the proposals I worked on was about the Great Inca Route; it was a proposal to create a series of corridors of protected areas around the Great Inca Route.  One of the reports I worked on was for the first South American meeting on protected areas that was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina in March 2003.  It was a very important meeting in preparation for the V World Congress on National Parks and Protected Areas.  During this time I also learned and read about the Union--how it works, its organizational structure, its members, how many offices it has, and other pertinent details.

The Coca Cola World Citizenship Program is a great opportunity to enhance links between institutions and to improve our own experiences and knowledge in many aspects.  In my case, I had a double reward.  One was the opportunity to work with a leading institution and to learn about specific environmental topics like protected areas in South America.  The second reward was the opportunity to establish personal links with very interesting people who are working on conservation efforts in Latin America.  In addition, I had the opportunity to gain experience by traveling in Ecuador and visiting several natural parks and protected areas.  It gave me an understanding and view of the culture, food, and economy of Ecuador.  All of these things were very interesting and will be very useful in my future development of plans or projects.

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