Katryna Mahoney
Supporting Sustainable Democracy and Governance in Sri Lanka
This summer I interned remotely with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Sri Lanka. In line with the Agency’s mission for advancing a free, peaceful, and prosperous world, Mission Sri Lanka supports the Government of Sri Lanka with strengthening its democratic systems, promoting inclusive economic growth, and supporting marginalized and disaster-affected communities. My role as a summer intern was to support the portfolio of one of two technical teams: Governance and Vulnerable Populations, which is situated within the Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance (DRG) sphere. My primary responsibilities were: 1) to develop a set of recommendations for countering trafficking in persons (C-TIP) / human trafficking programming options; and 2) to develop a set of recommendations on how the mission can integrate countering information disorder (disinformation, misinformation, and malinformation) activities into existing programs. Producing said deliverables involved a fair amount of research, including meetings with DC-based technical specialists and close readings of internal assessments and guidance. Further to work tasks, I was fortunate to have a supervisor that supported my professional development and encouraged me to join trainings and conferences. I had a fruitful engagement with USAID and my Sri Lankan colleagues this summer and I look forward to presenting my findings with the team next month in September!