Video: "Colombia: A paradise to explore"

Colombia's "Desplazados"

"Fighting in Colombia among left-wing guerrillas, right-wing paramilitaries, drug traffickers and the army has helped to create the largest population of internally displaced people outside Sudan - at least 3.8 million, and growing.

Threatened off their lands, los desplazados leave their simple life of subsistence farming for the harsh, bewildering realities of urban slums. Most don't want to or can't return home, where fear and uncertainty await. What they want is to seguir adelante — to move forward — with dignity and opportunity. In three of Colombia's largest cities, Mercy Corps is lending a hand."

I have chosen Mercy Corps to be today's "Featured Organization". It is a non-government organization (NGO) that I feel is doing great work in Colombia. Click here to learn more about their work in Colombia. I especially recommend that you check out their Photo Essay on Colombia's "desplazados."

Birthday surprises, galore!

Thanks to all my friends and family for your kind words, thoughtful cards, encouraging phone calls, and extravagant birthday gifts! You've all really made my day!

It has been a nice, sunny day here in Medford, Massachusetts. First, I woke up to the sound of my mother singing a very "jazzy" version of Happy Birthday. Then, I walked to the school bookstore and bought myself a snazzy new "Tufts" track jacket. Next, I headed down to Davis Square and treated myself to some icecream (Oreo flavor) at JP Licks. And since then, I've been having an amazing time here in the library.

While the library isn't the most exciting place to celebrate a birthday, I have to say that I just received a nice little birthday "surprise." Today is the "Spring Fling" at Tufts Univesity, a day of celebration when the undergraduate students drink too much and let it all hang out. Apparently, one female student felt the need to let it all hang out by removing all of her clothes and running through the Ginn Library at Fletcher. Of all the surprises I've gotten today, the "birthday suit" might have been the most memorable (and strangely humorous)!

I'd like to also thank my amazing roommates and friends for celebrating this day with me. Knowing how busy everyone is makes me appreciate you guys all the more! You're the best.

Thanks again, everyone.

Internship with IOM confirmed

Yesterday I spoke with Fernando, the head of IOM programs in Colombia and he confirmed that I'll be working directly under him this summer! He sounded like a very nice guy and I am confident that we are going to get along very well. In talking with him, I learned that I'll be based in Bogotá and that I'll have the opportunity to travel around to the various IOM field offices, something that I am really looking forward to. He mentioned that I'll be working on issues related to Law 387 that requires the government of Colombia to provide basic humanitarian assistance to recently displaced individuals. I am hoping to have the chance to study the long-term impact of income-generating projects for displaced men, women, and children.

Until yesterday, I thought that I was going to be based in the IOM office in Apartadó, a small city located in northwestern Colombia. Now that I'll be staying in the capital city of Bogotá, I am somewhat relieved because Apartadó is a fairly small and isolated city and I did not have sufficient information about the security conditions there. In addition to now having the chance to network with other international organizations based in Bogotá, I'm very excited about this opportunity because my good friend, Maggie, will also be in Bogotá this summer. She is a classmate of mine at Fletcher and she'll be doing her internship in Colombia with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

That's all for now. I'll write more soon.

Welcome to Global Digs!

Thanks for checking out my new blog! Here I hope to share some of my thoughts and perspectives on all things global - hence the title of my blog! So, I hope that you will check back regularly as I will do my best to keep things "fresh" here on Global Digs.

Blogging may not actually be one of my strengths, but I going to give this a try. Besides, it seems that everyone has a blog nowadays, doesn't it? So far, my blogging experience has consisted of spending over an hour figuring out how to upload a picture to my blog. Oh, and did I mention that I spent an hour just trying to find and decide on a name for my blog? After realizing that "Aaron's Blog" and "World's Newest Blogger" were already taken, I decided to go with "Global Digs." What do you think?

What else? Well, I am currently finishing my first year of classes at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University where I am focusing my studies on international negotiation and conflict resolution, human security, and humanitarian assistance. I am particularly interested in issues related to Latin America and hope to find work there once I have completed my studies.

This past semester has been quite challenging for me. In addition to the countless hours reading and writing about conflict resolution theories, humanitarian emergencies, gender in conflict situations, and conducting research in humanitarian settings, I have been on an eight-month quest to find the "perfect" summer internship. That's why I am happy to announce that just today I received the following email message:

"Dear Aaron, you have been admitted to make an internship in IOM Colombia. If you are interested in pursuing this opportunity, please contact me to discuss future steps on the process. Best, Fernando."

At last, I know where I'll be spending my summer! So, on May 14th, I'll be traveling to Bogotá, Colombia where I will be working with the International Organization for Migration (IOM). While the exact details of my internship have yet to be figured out, I do know that I'll be working on income-generating projects for ex-combatants, former child soldiers, and people displaced by the conflict. I am excited because this will be a great opportunity for me to put into practice much of what I have been studying for the past two semesters.

That's all for now. Time for me to stop procrastinating and start writing the last of my papers.