pernillejohnsen-blog

[pernillejohnsen-blog]

Fulfilling the learning objectives

Reading the learning objectives I wrote just before starting my Internship at KULU -I see that these also formed my time at the organization. I got to be involved in just about every task I showed interest in -which was really overwhelming in the beginning, but It has giving me a broad understanding of many aspects of running a ngo -as well as the development area as a whole. 

My overall objective was to gain a broad understanding of what is required to operate a NGO -and gain skills within some of the the specific methods and strategies used by KULU and thereby put human rights into practice. 

I had this strong need to understand how Ngo’s within my field of interest is operated in real life -and how all the theory from GNH and other knowledge platforms are applied in practice. It has always been a key challenge in my learning -I need a firm foundation, something very practical that I can connect theory to before it sticks. 

To fulfill my objectives -I offered my labour anywhere they needed it (And in such a small organization, they really needed an extra everywhere) so I did some tasks in different project groups, in the campaign department, in the creative process, in the administration. Well It was a little chaotic beginning, but It payed off and soon I got a basic idea of ​​how the organization is put together and how the different agencies work together. In that way I could also quickly work across different departments -and thats the funniest, fastest and most creative ways of working for me. Also being a student that are still searching for the perfect niche its a great opportunity to discover many different directions within the development field. 

(KULU's extensive archive that contains everything there is to know about women and development since the founding of KULU in 1976. It is the old-fashioned kind-where everything is recorded and written down and a paradise for those who still prefer paper over computer.)

It was also important for me to get so many new contacts as possible -and also gain confidence in interacting with -and networking with multiple stakeholders. KULU proved to be the perfect platform to fulfill these objectives -as It is an organization that everyday interact with multiple actors involved in women’s empowerments, sustainable development and you name it -from from politicians to member organizations -over UN agencies, members, like-minded NGOs and everything in between. I have been lucky enough to be allowed to participate in all meetings and seminars which I felt was relevant and it has been exciting and very rewarding and I am grateful for these opportunities. 

 (From the lauch of Denmark’s strategy towards achieving the SDG by 2030 - Last friday in the UN city.) 

[pernillejohnsen-blog]

The result on the Commission on the Status of Women conference (CSW2017) in New York (which just ended on March 24) was disappointing for all supporters of women's (obvious) right to sexual and reproductive RIGHTS. The agreed conclusions did not deliver the desired improvements for girls and womens within this category -and the responses from several of the danish delegates was: “The best that can be said of this year's meeting is that it ended earlier than usual.”

The commission met on the base of the reinforcement of "the global gag rule" which stops any US funding for organizations that promote women's rights, family planning and sex education. 

Here at kulu I have experienced the devastating consequences it may have for girls when they are deprived the right to decide over their own bodies.

On friday this week Denmark’s strategy towards implementing the SDG 2030 are launched in the UN city -where im so lucky to be able to participate. Four priorities are dominant: 1) equality, including sexual and reproductive health and rights, 2) school enrollment 3) peaceful societies and legal certainty, 4) sustainable inclusive growth, particularly water, energy, environment and climate.

Despite much criticism of the Danish development strategy women's rights is still high on the priority list -not only here but in many many countries (the She Decides conference was just successfully held in Brussels in marts in corporation with Denmark, Sweden, The Netherlands, Finland, Estonia, Portugal and Luxembourg) and it is important to acknowledge in these times of great global challenges. 

Goal 4 In the SDG is all about improving quality of -and access to education.

This goal can only be fulfilled if women and girls have access to basic reproductive rights -as eg. not becoming child brides and mothers. 

The “giv en pige ret” (enable girl’s) campaign which I have been working on while being an intern here at KULU -creates the fundament for girls not being married off before the age of 18 years (read not become pregnant) -and thus can stay in school until they have finished fundamental school. 

In May our new campus Sigurdsgade will host the exhibition I’ve been working on together with other interns -and we are just about to develop an Event related to the exhibition and to the whole women’s right field. Everything is still on the drawing board so more info will come -but it is really nice to work on some more light, practical and social stuff here towards the end of the internship period. 

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Women’s Day 8. Marts

On Women’s Day last week -the organization was obviously busy and I thought to share with you some of the activities KULU was engaged in.

Along with many other women’s organisations, KULU published an open letter to the The Council of the EU Justice Ministers which urges them to ratify the Istanbul Convention (aiming at ending all violence and discrimination against women).

In Mali -KULU’s local  partner MUSONET coordinated an event for Female Students on the University of Bamako. A football tournament for female students was held -and the event marked the cooperation between the organization and the university on a campaign to prevent violence against women. 

I myself had  a group of 9th grade boys from Kokkedal down town visiting for an interview about living conditions and women's perspectives on the African horn. We had a long talk about why some populations are poor -why some are rich and how women's rights play an important role for development in that specific area and in general. The boys asked some really pertinent questions -they eg. asked me why -that after so many years of development-work and emergency relief in the region  -the situation still seems so hopeless. And why some governments prioritize economic development rather than to help their needy populations. It was obviously quite incomprehensible for them. Above all they showed really a great feeling of injustice to the great inequality in the world -and you could feel that they had a sincere desire to change the world. Maybe next GNH generation :-D 

Then the exhibition was lounged -It ended up being 5 roll ups -with pictures and text on both sides. 

It’s going for a tour round several Unions -3F is campaign-partner and their chairman is Ambassador (so obviously going there) and perhaps also Pustervig will be hosting the exhibition. 

[pernillejohnsen-blog]

Weeks went by without any Blog-posts -mostly because I tend to forget I even have a blog, but Also Internship-life has been busy. 

Days on KULUs office vacillates between being very still and very busy. I have my own little writing table -and has gradually stuck my nose in many projects -Most of them concerning the "Giv en pige ret"(enable a girl) campaign.

I got heavily involved in an exhibition about KULU’s work in Mali -a job that involved updating of all existing data, communication with partners in Mali, image selection, formulation of texts etc etc. The result was satisfactory -but due to lack of updated data and imagery(here the real problem is lack of proper project-monitoring and generel documentation, which I really find to be a major challenge to many smaller NGO’s), the result was not super optimal. 

The picture is from a ceremony in Bamako, Mali, where young girls receive birth certificates (which a lot more than half of all girls in Mali have never received). This is really the core of the “giv en pige ret” campaign -as the birth certificate provides access to identity cards and marriage certificates. Without these papers the girls lack the most fundamental rights and opportunities -as school enrollment, right to move freely -to vote, to open a bank account and you can imagine the rest. 

In my internship objective I aspire to (among other things -to which I will write more about later) understand -and be able to use campaigns and exhibitions as communication tools to promote gender equity -and working with the exhibition was an obvious and direct option to develope skills within this area. 

[pernillejohnsen-blog]

K.U.L.U. -A danish development organization with focus on women right advocacy in development countries. 

Officially established in 1976 (at the beginning of the UN Decade for Women), it is a small organization -but known for an extensive network and a ambitious vision for a more sustainable and just world order - which really characterizes any work done here. 

This is not a relief organization -here the agenda is to promote the capacity of the local actors, and any project is defined in collaboration with -and most often on the target groups own initiative. 

Two weeks into the internship, I begin to understand what is required to administer an organization like this. When I expressed a desire to participate in any possible task, they took it very literally, and I feel super challenged and appreciated.

Focus on sustainability in women's rights, such as increased education, knowledge of family planning, securing basic rights -and generally attempts to change attitudes towards women are key words in the current projects going on in Mali and DR Congo. Although the importance of this work is obvious to me -and persistence precisely is the key to lasting change, such projects simply just do not sell as well as the ‘here and now solutions’ -and for a organization depending on funding and donations, lack of income is a reality and often impediment for many good projects and ideas. 

The existing K.U.L.U. projects however deliver some very good results -One projects that I in particular likes is the “Giv en pige ret” Campaign -which has so far issued more than 3,000 birth certificates, marriage certificates and identity cards -all papers that gives a girl status, protection and rights.

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Women make up half the world's population -and therefore half of the total potential

“Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world. Providing women and girls with equal access to education, health care, decent work, and representation in political and economic decision-making processes will fuel sustainable economies and benefit societies and humanity at large” UN