Justine, Conflict studies and human rights
Country: Benin
Canadian NGO: Centre d'Étude et de Coopération Internationale (CECI)
Local NGO: Groupe d'Action pour la Justice et l'Égalité Sociale (GAJES)
Position: Environment and Climate Change Officer, Centre d'étude en coopération internationale
Arriving in an unfamiliar country means adapting to a new reality. My training in the study of conflict and human rights has made me aware of the importance of focusing on history. This helped me understand and integrate into my new reality in Benin. In fact, I believe that the history of a region allows us to better grasp the reality of that region. So I'm very interested in the history of Benin, where I'm doing my work in environment and climate change.
Benin was once part of the French colonial empire before gaining independence around 1960. One of Benin's towns, Ouidah, was one of the main points of departure and sale of slaves in West Africa (the photo above is taken from this historic town). So, I think it's important not to lose sight of the fact that our presence as a foreigner (on my side as a “white” foreigner or “Yovo” as the Beninese say in their local language) may remind some people of this past in which many of their ancestors perished, and more broadly; of colonialism. So I think it's important to be sensitive to this, and this context helps me, in my interpretation, to better grasp my reality. For example, exchanges for the purchase of goods usually take place differently depending on whether I'm alone or accompanied by a person of Beninese origin or, more broadly, a person of African descent. My program of study has helped me understand that this isn't necessarily linked to a single thing like my skin color, being a woman or my age, but perhaps rather to the interrelation between these concepts and other dynamics.
As mentioned above, history also helps to better grasp the context in which my internship is taking place. While Benin has been a land on which many ethnic groups have evolved, religions today generally evolve in harmony (conflicts between religions are unusual, I'm told). It's not uncommon to see a Voodoo temple next to a Mosque, and to find that a Catholic church is also nearby. It's an open-mindedness that I was exposed to in my host organization, and which impressed me greatly.
In short, I was able to reinvest some of what I'd learned in my studies about the importance of taking an interest in a country's history, both as part of my internship and in my daily life here in Benin. This has helped me adapt a lot and continues to help me in my interactions with people and in carrying out my mandate. My internship will be coming to an end in a few weeks' time already, and I'm grateful for the tools I had in my possession thanks to my studies. They have made my journey in the field much easier. For me, this internship reiterates the importance of opening up to others and continuing to work towards a more inclusive world for all the people who live in it.