Every year NGO CSW/NY has between 5 and 8 interns to help facilitate the mission of the committee to achieve Gender Equality, and to assist with customer service during the actual Commission. Since last year SI has sponsored the internship programme.

SI Un Representative Bette Levy explains: “The interns are a diverse group of extremely bright and motivated women and men, from a variety of countries, as well as ethnic, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds. Most of the interns do this internship as part of their undergraduate or graduate school programme, but some do it totally voluntarily, hoping to pursue a career in Human Rights, Public Policy or diplomatic corp. We will add several more interns between now and January 2017, as we gear up for CSW61.

SI and NGO CSW/NY benefit greatly from the interns, their time, energy and enthusiasm, is invaluable. They keep us on our toes and bring the youth perspective to all we do. This year to increase their learning experiences, they are attending many meetings and side events at the UN, and have been assigned to other NGO committees that focus on both SI’s mission and NGO CSW/NY, increasing how much SI can cover here in NY at UN HQ.

This year they are writing blogs following their attendance at the meetings or sessions at the UN.

If you would like to follow their learning experience check out the NGOCSW/NY website WWW.NGOCSW.ORG under about us or click on the links below to read the blogs.

Meet the Interns

Maria Pilar Gallardo
Pilar joined the NGO CSW/NY in 2016. She has a background in business administration and has worked for several financial institutions. Before joining the NGO CSW/NY she worked at Instituto Cervantes in New York, one of the most renowned Spanish cultural organisations devoted to the promotion and expansion of the Spanish cultural heritage. There, Pilar was involved with topics related to culture development and women empowerment in Hispanic countries as well as overseeing the overall functioning of the Institute. She is fluent in Spanish and loves hiking and watercolor.

Olivia Lin
Olivia is originally from Beijing, China. She studied abroad in the United States since she was 16 and graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Human Development from the College of Community and Public Affairs at Binghamton University. As an undergraduate, she interned at the American Civic Association in Binghamton, New York. They assist with helping immigrants and refugees start a new life in local community while preserving their cultural and ethnic diversity. Additionally, Olivia was the Vice President of an Asian-American cultural organisation at Binghamton University. They focused a lot on community service and promoting cultural diversity. Olivia is fluent in Chinese, both Mandarin and Cantonese. With her passion for feminism, young women’s leadership and social justice, she is extremely excited to be working with the NGO CSW/NY to make sure women’s voices are heard.

Nikki Trutter
Nikki is a senior, majoring in Film and Television at Tisch School of the Arts, at NYU. She is a Politics and Creative Writing Minor, with a focus in Political Documentary. She has interned at the Weinstein Company, and Magnolia Pictures. As a feminist, her real passion is women’s rights, and social justice issues. Nikki understands the power of media in a globalized society, and is looking forward to working at NGO CSW/NY in order to blend politics and the arts in the continual struggle for women’s rights. She also enjoys long walks on the beach, bleak French films, and other useless pastimes.

Christian Porter
Christian graduated from Kean University with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration from the College of Business and Public Management. He is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Public Administration from Kean University with an expected graduation date of May 2017. For the last three years Christian has fulfilled various positions in the public sector. Most recently he served as the Administrative Assistant to the Department of Public Works Director in his hometown of Seaside Park, NJ. In this role he worked with senior management to provide effective, efficient, and responsible public services to the borough and gained personal experiences that allowed him to realize he was passionate about helping others. Prior to working in municipal government, Christian held a position as a Resource Interpretive Specialist for the state’s Division of Parks and Forestry in Island Beach State Park. His interests within the field of Public Administration include public & environmental policy, human rights, and sustainability. Christian also has a passion for volunteer work and civic engagement, in the past he has worked with Parents of Autistic Children (POAC) and Clean Ocean Action. Whilst enrolled in his graduate program, Christian learned of the opportunity at the NGO CSW and is excited to combine his personal interests with his professional/academic skill set.

Aleksandra Aultman (Sasha)
Aleksandra has entered her last semester at The City College of New York. She is a full time student pursuing a Bachelor of Arts Degree in International Studies with two minors in Anthropology and Public Policy. Aleksandra moved to the United States from Russia in 2007. The experience of starting over in a new country has instilled confidence in her along with the importance of hard work and responsibility. She is interested in global events, human rights, gender equality and culture. Aleksandra is native Russian speaker and have a basic knowledge of the French language. She loves travelling and experiencing other cultures. Aleksandra believes that promoting reproductive rights, securing women’s economic empowerment and ending discrimination and violence against women are areas that need to have more attention directed towards them. With NGO CSW/NY, she is hoping to learn more about the tools and resources available for women who want to stand up and make a difference, and prove that they are strong and competitive.

Useful Links

• Poverty is Sexist by Olivia and Pila
• Rethink Media by Aleksandra