UN Internship - Wesbite Intern for Millenniun Development Goals - deadline: 3/30

United Nations Millennium Campaign

Web Site Intern

1. Background

In the year 2000, all 189 governments of the world agreed to meet 8 goals that will end extreme poverty by 2015 – The Millennium Development Goals. The Goals are a unique international agreement being time-bound, measurable and having the public promise of every Head of State in the world. All eight Goals are achievable by 2015, but only if governments live up to their promises. The Millennium Campaign is a UN agency formed to mobilise citizens around the world to pressure their governments to meet the Millennium Development Goals. Working in more than 30 rich and poor nations, the Campaign partners with nonprofits from the international to local level to inspire grassroots movements toward the achievement of the Goals.

The Millennium Campaign web site (www.millenniumcampaign.org) is going through a process of complete redesign. The Online Intern will work closely with the communications team with the following tasks:

2. Key Responsibilities

Millennium Campaign Web Site

· Assist with the development of online marketing strategies

· Conduct testing of the new site and report bugs

· Ensure web site posts meet online guidelines

· Scan and sort daily news on the MDGs

· Write and post news articles as necessary

· Assist with the development of a filing library, develop appropriate filing structure and classify current campaign resources

· Check and reply to web site email as necessary

Social Networking Web Sites

· Draft and post blog entries across Millennium Campaign page on social networking sites

· Adapt sites to become more visually appealing with recent tools and appropriate html coding

3. Required Criteria

· Have an interest in development issues or past experience working on related issues

· Able to receive course credit for internship

· Able to commit 2 days per week for a minimum of 3 months

· Previous work experience in an online environment

· Excellent communications skills – verbal and written – in English

· Proficient in Microsoft Office

· Basic understanding of HTML

· Working knowledge of second language preferred (strong preference for Spanish/French)

4. Applications

Please e-mail their resumes to amil.husain@undp.org with “Web Site Intern” in the subject line.

Instead of a cover letter, please submit a blog entry (your feelings/reactions) to any of the latest news entries on the Millennium Campaign homepage by 30 March 2007. Please limit entry to 500 words.

Only short listed candidates will be contacted. This internship is based in New York, NY

Article: Kofi Annan's legacy of failure

I might have certain conservative ideals, but the work of the Heritage Foundation in regards to the United Nations is a tad bit disconcerting to say the least. One of the Foundation's "scholars", Nile Gardiner, took aim at outgoing UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, and basically blew him to smithereens.

I'm not in a position to say much at all about the UN, but have some preliminary thoughts after reading his recent piece, "Kofi Annan's legacy of failure".

First off, the SG can only do what member states allow him to do. He has a mandate, and it is driven by the political will - or lack thereof - of member states.

Secondly, such scathing criticism of an international public servant is unwarranted simply by virtue of all that Annan has done to bring the cause of development and peace to the eyes and ears of the world's citizens. Never before has an SG done so much to bridge the great divide between the private sector and the public sector.

The Millennium Development Goals are yet another achievement worth celebrating, because at least now, countries are making the effort to eradicate this great scourge that has killed more people than any world war.

I could go on and on, but it upsets me to see all this criticism heaped on to the shoulders of someone who can only do so much. Maybe Gardiner's intellect can be better directed towards the deeds (or misdeeds?) of those in the Bush administration who would very much prefer to strangle the UN by threatening to withhold dues.