Marie-Josée Hamel

I am the Mines Action Canada intern posted in Bogota, Colombia, and will be working with the Colombian Campaing against Landmines from March to August 2013. I am originally from Quebec city, but has been living in Montreal for the last three years. I hold a BA in International Development Studies from Laval University and a MA in International Studies from the University of Montreal. My fields of interests are Latin American geopolitics, human rights (especially children’s rights) as well as education in developing countries. I am really excited about this challenging experience, as I will get more familiar with education in situations of emergencies in the Colombian context. I also lived in Chile, Benin and Turkey where I was an intern in  defense relations section of the Canadian Embassy, participated in environmental education projects with Oxfam-Quebec and worked as an English teacher. I am convinced that working with the Colombian Campaign against Landmines will allow me to develop a sound knowledge of how mine action projects are carried out and deliver concrete results and I do believe this placement can be a springboard towards a human rights/education/development focused career. In everyday life, I love travelling, street food (and food in general), running and basically enjoying whatever life has to offer!