Elizabethtown College held a non-government organization(NGO) conference last Saturday, Nov. 2 in the KAV. The College offered this event to students and faculty in an effort to promote its motto, “Educate for Service.” This conference gave students the opportunity to learn about the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), as well as to learn about career opportunities associated with NGOs.
NGOs are non-profit organizations that exist independently of any government representation. The term NGO was originated by the United Nations and most commonly refers to organizations whose motives challenge issues to promote a social cause or gain.
The NGOs that participated in the event were the Mennonite Central Committee, Partners of the Americas, Transparency International, Human Rights Watch, Grameen Foundation, Freedom House, CARE, BuildaBridge, Search for Common Ground, IREX and Brittany’s Hope. Dr. David Kenley, director of the Center for Global Understanding and Peace and associate professor of history, said, “These were chosen because they represented a wide range of NGO activity, and because we felt our Elizabethtown College students were qualified to work for these organizations. Many have ties to the College.” Representatives from these various organizations attended the conference and offered seminars, workshops and a career fair, which allowed participants to learn about how NGOs are inspiring change within our communities. The event started with a welcome and introduction, followed by sessions on development, good governance and peacekeeping. There was a lunch break and keynote address by Jan Pursell Lane, after which an internship and job fair and a poster session concluded the event.
NGOs can be an important asset to students and their futures. Julia Crawford from the NGO BuildaBridge said that NGOs broaden the possibilities of students’ futures and help them envision what they may want to do as a career. Mai-Lynn Sahd from the NGO Brittany’s Hope said that there are always a lot of things happening in the NGO world, and that NGOs present students with many opportunities. “In all of us there is an ache to do something to feed our soul and build on our strengths,” Sahd said. Mike Jobbins from the NGO Search for Common Ground said that there are huge realms of organizations doing a large amount of work. NGOs are always a way to get involved internationally.
Each of the organizations has a different message that it is trying to convey to its audiences, ranging from promoting healing to giving children a loving home to ending violent conflict. The representatives at the conference gave advice to students who were looking into pursuing a job in an NGO. Their main advice to students was to pursue an area that matters to them, continue working until that goal is met, forget their perceptions about the world and be open-minded. They also encourage students to volunteer first, get to know the NGO culture and then pursue an area in which they are passionate. They further mentioned some important qualifications that students should have; if they are interested in working for an NGO, students should have strong writing and project-managing skills, crisp communication skills and a strong interest in the subject area.
Most students attended the event to broaden their understanding of what NGOs and IGOs do and to ask the representatives about internship opportunities. Junior Justin Greiss mentioned that he didn’t realize how small some of the organizations were, especially because they have had such an influence in society. Junior Cole Turula mentioned that he learned a lot of different ways by which NGOs build peace, raise money and offer opportunities. Junior Steven Paul found that these organizations offered more opportunities than he thought were available. Senior Nina Wheeler said to students who were interested in NGOs to, “Keep an open mind to global experiences and understanding. I think there are a lot of Etown students who are thinking ‘inside of the box’ and thinking they are rooted here, and they don’t have to be. They can do anything they want if they have the creative mindset to accomplish it.”
Students were appreciative of the College for hosting the NGO Conference because it allowed them to look into something with which they weren’t all too familiar. “I hope it encouraged our students to think about working for NGOs. On the other hand, I wanted the participating NGOs to see the benefits of hiring Elizabethtown students. I think we succeeded on both accounts,” Kenley said. If students are interested in getting involved with an NGO, go to its website or email a representative and ask what you can do to help. NGOs are always looking for people of different backgrounds to represent their organization, and they will find the right position for you based on various interests. “If you are looking for a richly rewarding career full of excitement and purpose, take a look at the good work of NGOs,” said Kenley. The College’s goal is to hold an NGO conference every three to four years.
