Why Being an Intern at a Non-Profit Matters to Me

Hello! My name is Nicole Rasmussen and this is my second week as an intern at the Ascend Alliance headquarters. I’m still in the learning process of everything that goes on around here, and I’m still getting to know what Ascend’s role is in worldwide development. Let me give you some of my thoughts on Ascend’s mission and worldwide development.

I am very interested in development in developing countries. I have taken several economics classes at the University of Utah and read several books about development economics. It fascinates me how important this work is and how difficult, and expensive it is. It also surprises me how little effort the developed countries seem to put into it. The US government only spent about $15.7 billion in 2003 on development aid, compared to its hefty spending in 2005 of $547 billion on military and defense. Only 15-20% of aid comes from private organizations, like Ascend, which means governments carry the biggest burden. Unfortunately, few governments meet UN standards of development aid contributions.

These facts are humbling to me, especially taking into account how much the world spends on military expenses (over $1.4 trillion), and how little the world spends on development aid (a little more than $100 billion). Just last month these numbers became personal to me when my brother was deployed to Iraq. He is part of the rebuilding effort in Baghdad, and although I am happy that he will mostly have nothing to worry about, security wise, it makes me sad to think the US has chosen the route of military rather than the route of peaceful development. Instead of sending people with food and kind hearts, the US puts men like my brother in harm’s way with guns and bombs, under the guise that they are building a better life for the Iraqis. I have a hard time believing a better life can be built with guns, barbed wire, and explosives.

I am proud of my brother, and I am also privileged to be working for a non-profit organization that chooses to rebuild lives with education and knowledge. My brother and I are working for the same common goal, however I want to see the day when soldiers will no longer be necessary for development and my work in the non profit world will be the most valuable: that of peaceful and safe development aid.

Written by: Nicole Rasmussen
ASCEND Alliance Intern