May 14, 1998 No. 121

MINISTERS AXWORTHY AND MARCHI ANNOUNCE

NEW YOUTH INTERNSHIPS IN EUROPE

Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy and International Trade Minister Sergio Marchi today announced that in addition to the 85 internships in Europe announced on January 16, 11 Canadian organizations will place approximately 55 young Canadians in international internships in Europe. The announcement was made in London, during the Ministers' participation in the Canada-European Union Summit with Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Jacques Santer, President of the European Commission.

The organizations and institutions that will implement the internship projects in the coming year are the Canadian Society for International Health, the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, Confederation College, the Southeast Treaty Four Tribal Council, the Canadian Film & Television Production Association, Professional Art Dealers Association of Canada, Canadian Resource Bank for Democracy and Human Rights, Human Rights Internet, the Parliamentary Centre, Project Ploughshares, and the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada.

Through these new internships, young Canadians will be able to gain experience in the areas of international health, international affairs, Indigenous issues, film and television production, international trade and commerce, visual arts and human rights. The youth will be placed in foreign government departments, non-governmental organizations, international institutions and the private sector.

"Most people define globalization in terms of large-scale impersonal forces in international trade, finance and economics. Equally important, though, is the birth of a "global commons," said Minister Axworthy. "The internships we are announcing today prepare young people to be effective, engaged members of this new world of partnerships."

The interns will be graduates with relevant backgrounds in areas such as health care, international affairs, film and television production, international commerce, visual arts and others.

"The connections young people make early in their careers are often the most significant," said Minister Marchi. "These internships will give our youth an edge, not only in starting their careers, but also in the experiences that they gain working in an international setting."

These projects are part of the Department's Youth International Internship Program, one segment of the national Youth Employment Strategy. Funding is built into the existing fiscal framework.

Individuals wishing to be interns on these projects should call 1-800-559-2888 or consult the internship Web site at

www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/english/culture/youth/menu.htm for eligibility criteria and additional information about application procedures.

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A backgrounder is attached.

For further information, media representatives may contact:

Debora Brown

Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs

(613) 995-1851

Leslie Swartman

Office of the Minister for International Trade

(613) 992-7332

Media Relations Office

Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

(613) 995-1874

This document is also available on the Department's Internet site: http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca

Backgrounder

PROJECT DESCRIPTIONS

FOR YOUTH INTERNSHIP PROJECTS IN EUROPE

Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) is placing interns with backgrounds in international business, marketing, management, area studies and foreign languages in Canadian companies with growing export markets. Under a partnership between the British Council and AUCC, 10 Canadian graduates will take up internships in the United Kingdom. For more information, please contact:

Pari Johnston, Program Officer

AUCC

600-350 Albert Street

Ottawa, Ontario K1R 1B1

Tel.: (613) 563-3961 ext.303

Fax: (613) 563-9745

E-mail: pjohnsto@aucc.ca

The Canadian Film & Television Production Association (CFTPA) is offering graduates of film and television programs the opportunity to gain practical experience by participating in international co-ventures or co-productions and attending overseas industry-related conferences and trade forums. About five interns will go to Europe to participate in international film productions. For more information, please contact:

Katy Beach

Canadian Film & Television Production Association

20 Toronto Street, Suite 830

Toronto, Ontario M5C 2B8

Tel.: (416) 304-0280 or 1-800-267-8208

Fax: (416) 304-0499

E-mail: training@CFTPA.ca

Web Site: www.ted.cftpa.ca

Canadian Resource Bank for Democracy and Human Rights (CANADEM) will place interns with its client organizations in various countries where they will be participating in the design and delivery of human rights operations such as the ones in Rwanda, Guatemala, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, the Western Sahara and Angola. Candidates should have completed studies in social or

political science, international affairs or law, or other relevant disciplines. Most of the 20 interns will go to Europe. For more information, please contact:

Christine Vincent, Program Officer

CANADEM

1 Nicholas Street, Suite 1102 (CCIC)

Ottawa, Ontario K1N 7B7

Tel.: (613) 789-3328

Fax: (613) 789-6125

E-mail: canadem@ibm.net

The Canadian Society for International Health (CSIH) is providing young graduates planning a career in international health with an opportunity to gain practical experience in a recognized health organization in the United States or Europe. Interns should be graduates of programs in medicine, public health, nursing, health administration, health economics, international health or the social and natural sciences. Approximately five placements will be in Europe. For more information, please contact:

Hélène Thibault, Project Co-ordinator

Canadian Society for International Health

1 Nicholas Street, Suite 1105

Ottawa, Ontario K1N 7B7

Tel.: (613) 241-5785 ext. 327

Fax: (613) 241-3845

E-mail: csih@fox.nstn.ca

Confederation College is seeking interns to work in the area of international commerce and trade in Cuba, Ireland, Poland, Mexico, Paraguay and the United States. Interns will be involved in delivering trade projects, conducting market research, sourcing distributors and suppliers, developing partnerships and conducting feasibility studies. A couple of interns will likely go to Europe. For more information, please contact:

Mike Dunlop, International Business Advisor

Confederation College of Applied Arts and Technology

1450 Nakina Drive, P.O. Box 398

Thunder Bay, Ontario P7C 4W1

Tel.: (807) 475-6462

Fax: (807) 623-7250

E-mail: mdunlop@baynet.net

Human Rights Internet will place young Canadian graduates of international relations, international development, area studies or law with human rights organizations overseas, primarily in countries in the South or in societies in transition in Eastern and Central Europe. Interns will work in research, advocacy, documentation, communications and other areas where they are able to make a substantial contribution to the work of the organization. HRI may send two interns to Eastern Europe. For more information, please contact:

Johanna Myyra, Project Co-ordinator

Human Rights Internet

8 York Street, Suite 202

Ottawa, Ontario K1N 5S6

Tel.: (613) 789-7407 Ext. 9202

Fax: (613) 789-7414

E-mail: interns@hri.ca

Web site: http://www.hri.ca

The Norman Paterson School of International Affairs (NPSIA) at Carleton University will place interns with private and public sector organizations in the broad field of international affairs. Interns will be exposed to the realities of work in an international environment and to policy-oriented writing. NPSIA may send one or two interns to Europe. For more information, please contact:

Elizabeth James, Project Co-ordinator

DFAIT Youth International Internships

The Norman Paterson School of International Affairs

Carleton University, Level 2A Paterson Hall

1125 Colonel By Drive

Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6

Tel.: (613) 520-2600 Ext. 6671

Fax: (613) 520-2889

E-mail: ejames@carleton.ca

The Parliamentary Centre, a non-governmental organization that supports democratic development through projects intended to strengthen parliaments, is offering internships in the Congress of Mexico, the Japanese Diet and one in the European Parliament to work on legislation in support of parliamentary committees. For more information, please contact:

Shari Currie, Co-ordinator -- International Programs

Parliamentary Centre

250 Albert Street, 4th Floor

Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6M1

Tel.: (613) 237-0143 Ext. 302

Fax: (613) 235-8237

E-mail: parlcent@web.net

Professional Art Dealers Association of Canada (PADAC) is looking for interns to assist in the promotion of visual arts on the international arts scene. Interns will be placed in art galleries where they will be involved in art promotion, organization of exhibitions/craft shows, gallery operations and artwork sales. Overseas placements are available in locations such as Germany, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, France and Sweden. About six interns will go to Europe. For more information, please contact:

Asha Croggon

Professional Art Dealers Association of Canada

80 Spadina Avenue, Suite 307

Toronto, Ontario M5V 2J3

Tel.: (416) 703-0061

Fax: (416) 703-0063

E-mail: padac@sympatico.ca

Project Ploughshares is placing interns with partner institutions and organizations in major regions of the world affected by conflict. Internships will focus on peacebuilding and security projects that are timely and substantial, such as light weapons control, the containment of surplus weapons in a postwar situation, the International Code of Conduct on Arms Transfers, converting defence resources to human development, landmines, and multinational peace operations in Africa. Interns will typically be graduates of peace and conflict studies, political science, history, international studies and communications programs. Two interns will be in Europe -- one at Saferworld in London, England, and one at the International Centre for Conversion in Bonn, Germany. For more information, please contact:

Grant Birks, Project Co-ordinator

Project Ploughshares

Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, Conrad Grebel College

Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G6

Tel.: (519) 888-6541 Ext. 269

Fax: (519) 885-0806

E-mail: gfbirks@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca

Web site: http://www.watserv1.uwaterloo.ca/~plough/

The Southeast Treaty Four Tribal Council (SET4TC), in

co-operation with the Ochapowace Indian Education Authority, will provide First Nations Youth with an opportunity to obtain training and experience working in an international environment. Internship activities will include researching indigenous issues, gathering information on country situations that affect minorities and ethnic groups, taking part in working group discussions, preparing reports, and advocating on behalf of targeted minority groups. It may send two interns to Europe. For more information, please contact:

Wes George

Southeast Treaty Four Tribal Council

Box 686

Whitewood, Saskatchewan SOG 5CO

Tel.: (306) 696-3160

Fax: (306) 696-3146