Office of the General Secretariat of the OAS in Uruguay Dr. Luis P. Piera 1992 2Do Piso

Office of the General Secretariat of the OAS in Uruguay – Dr. Luis P. Piera 1992 – 2do piso – Edificio MERCOSUR – MONTEVIDEO – C.P. 11200

CASILLA DE CORREO 320 – TEL 413.0044 – FAX 413.6602 – E-MAIL – Pag. WEB:

URU-345

MEMORANDUM

Montevideo, October 10, 2003

TO:Ambassador Luigi Einaudi

Assistant Secretary General

FROM:Mr. Roberto Luis Casañas, Director

Office of the General Secretariat of the OAS in Uruguay

RE:Report on the fellowship Program in the Office of the GS/OAS in Uruguay

Please find enclosed the report prepared by the Office of the GS/OAS in Uruguay on the fellowship Program activities conducted in this Office. Since the inception of the Program on August 15, 1997, up until August 31, 2003, a total of 57 fellows have participated in the Program.

This Program was established in order to achieve a number of objectives, of which the following should be highlighted: (i) to complement the regular studies of university students participating in the Program; (ii) to integrate them temporarily into the structure and operations of the Office, as a way to enable them to participate in the various activities carried out in the Office.

The Program is similar to that conducted at OAS headquarters; correspondingly, it targets university students who are about to graduate or who have recently graduated. The students come from three of Uruguay’s five universities (Universidad de la República, Universidad Católica del Uruguay and Universidad ORT), and are chosen in an equitable manner depending on the applications. The Program lasts a total of 480 hours; fellows generally complete the Program on a part-time basis over a period of six months. Students from universities in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, and the United States have also participated in the Program.

In closing, it should be pointed out that the results of the Program have been qualified as highly positive, not only by the fellows but also by the Office, thereby meeting its proposed objectives. An example of the type of work carried out by the fellows is contained in the appendix to this report; it was prepared by Verónica Burgueño under the direction of this Office.

Sincerely,

CC: Mr. Paul Spencer

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Report on the fellowship Program in the Office of the OAS in Uruguay

1. Introduction

The Office of the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States in Uruguay (Office of the GS/OAS in Uruguay) established the fellowship Program for university students in 1997. The Program is similar to that conducted at OAS headquarters; it is designed to achieve a number of objectives, of which the following can be highlighted:

1. To complement from a practical point of view the regular university courses followed by students who participate in the fellowship Program.

1. To temporarily integrate the fellows into the operations of the OAS in order to familiarize them with the Organization’s dynamics, structure, and purpose.

1. To collaborate in the accomplishment of various tasks within the Office. By doing so, fellows contribute to the Office’s operations and make it possible to conduct certain functions within its mission made difficult due to the recent reduction in the number of operations staff.

II.Characteristics of the Program

The fellowship Program within the GS/OAS in Uruguay generally begins at two different moments of the year, March and September, and lasts approximately six months. It should be mentioned that these dates are somewhat flexible depending on the needs of the Office and on requests from potential fellows.

The fellowship Program has the following characteristics:

1. The fellowships are not remunerated;
2. They last a total of 480 hours, to be completed within a six-month period; this is done on a part-time basis Monday through Friday[1]/
3. Medical insurance coverage is not provided

The Program is documented in a number of ways: the candidates must fill out an application form indicating their interest to be part of the Program and, once accepted, must sign a Work Agreement.[2]/

Following receipt of the respective applications, the process for selecting the fellows is based on a personal interview with Office management. A complete assessment of the candidates is conducted; they are questioned about their interests, aspirations and objectives, and various aspects of the tasks and functions to be performed are explained.

Once the fellows have been incorporated into the Program, they are initially provided with information materials about the Organization. These documents are designed to inform the fellows about the formal structure and operations of the OAS, and include the following: Charter of the OAS, the Inter-American Democratic Charter, reports on the history and development of the OAS, and press releases. As well, at the beginning of the Program, the new graduate assistants are familiarized with the environment in which they will be working, both in terms of their fellow workers and the workplace per se. Management also meets regularly with the fellows to provide information on the Organization, its tasks and agenda, as well as various topics related to OAS bodies and their functions.

During their fellowship, the new graduate assistants perform a number of support tasks in the various operating units of the Office in Montevideo. They also carry out a variety of other jobs, such as: organizing seminars, conducting research on projects that fall within the interests and objectives of the Organization, doing administrative support work, distributing publications, completing press and information-related tasks, etc.

Once the fellowship has been completed, the students that make up the Program generally evaluate their experience, with a view to helping management to better tailor the Program to the needs of the next group of fellows.

III.Completed fellowships

The fellowship Program at the Office of the GS/OAS in Uruguay first began in August 1997, and has been a great success to date. A total of 57 university students have participated in the Program from August 1997 up until August 31, 2003, as follows: 19 (33%) from the Universidad ORT; 11 (19%) from the Universidad Católica del Uruguay Dámaso Antonio Larrañaga (UCUDAL); and 23 (405) from the Universidad de la República. The remaining four fellows were from Argentina (1); Brazil (1); Canada (1); and the United States (1). Appendix I to this report provides all the relevant details. The ages of the fellows ranged between 19 and 27; all were in the process of completing their graduate studies or had recently graduated.[3]/

The Program involved students from a variety of university careers, as follows: International Studies, Relations or Business (the name varies depending on the institution attended); International Analysts; Journalism; Business Administration; Economic Sciences, and Law. The Program is connected with various graduate-level educational institutions within Uruguay, both public and private. An attempt is made to grant fellowships on an equitable basis, taking into account variances that may exist based on the respective candidates; as of 2001, for candidates from the Universidad ORT, priority was given to students in Communications (Journalism option).

With respect to public institutions, as detailed in the Comparative Table in Appendix I, the fellows come from:

1. Faculty of Law and Social Sciences of the Universidad de la República: one studying for a Doctorate in Law and Social Sciences, and 18 studying for a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations. Total: 19 fellows

1. Faculty of Economic Sciences and Administration of the Universidad de la República: three students in Economic Sciences and one in Business Administration. Total: 4 fellows

As for private institutions, the data contained in the Comparative Table show the following breakdown:

1. Two students studying for a Bachelor’s Degree in International Trade and Integration at the Universidad Católica del Uruguay; one student studying for a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and eight students in International Business. Total: 11 fellows

1. From the Universidad ORT, four students studying for a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and 15 studying for a Bachelor’s Degree in International Studies. Total: 19 fellows

As well, students from foreign universities also participated in the fellowship Program conducted by the Office, as mentioned earlier. The following breakdown is drawn from the Table in Appendix I:

1. Universidad de Buenos Aires in Argentina; a lawyer.

1. P.U.C.R.S in Brazil; one student in Law and Economy.

1. Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada; one student in microbiology.

1. Belmont University in the United States of America; one student in Political Science.

1. Results

The fellowship Program has been qualified as highly positive, both by the fellows who participated, as well as by the Office.

From the point of view of the fellows, the results of the assessments carried out show the following:

• A deep interest in and positive appreciation of the opportunity to learn about the OAS–its organization, work methods, structure, relationship with headquarters, relations among the various member states, negotiations, etc.

• The excellent human environment existing among the various collaborators within the Office, the warm relationship and spirit of comradeship, as well as the creation of a sense of belonging to the Organization.

• The possibility of being present at events promoted or attended by the Organization, allowing fellows to contact the various participants, both at the national and international level.

• The possibility for growth in the work or professional arena, through widening one’s personal horizons or perspectives, as well as growth at the personal level.

In addition, the results obtained from the fellowships have been positive from the Office’s point of view. For example, the contributions made by the various fellows are seen in a positive light in terms of allowing the Office to better achieve its different goals and objectives. Furthermore, by enabling the temporary integration of the fellows within the internal operating structure of the Office, the Program has helped to publicize more widely the purpose and roles of the Organization.

APPENDIX I“Fellowships conducted in the Office of the General Secretariat of the OAS in Uruguay – 1997-2003”

The table in Appendix I contains the most relevant data with respect to the fellows that participated in the Program during the period from August 15, 1997 to August 31, 2003.

Verónica Burgueño

Office of the General Secretariat of the OAS in Uruguay

September 30, 2003

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Fellowships offered by the Office of the General Secretariat of the OAS in Uruguay (as of August 31, 2003)

TMMS (Morning shift)

TTAS (Afternoon shift)

‘fellowship -- 480 hours completed; extended to November 2003 at request of Fellow

“fellowship ongoing

(a) Fellow who completed the fellowship by working 8 hours a day for three months

(b) Fellow who asked to repeat his fellowship for another 480 hours

(c) The Mission of Brazil to the ALADI asked that a student who was completing short internships within a number of international organizations be allowed to work at the Office of the OAS in Uruguay. For this reason, her fellowship lasted only 16 hours

(d) The UNESCO office in Uruguay asked that a microbiology student be allowed to complete a fellowship at the Office of the OAS in Uruguay for ten days. Taking into account her field of study, she was asked to carry out research work on algae and micro-organisms for the Gaurani Aquifer Project.

[1].Full-time fellows are accepted on an exceptional basis; this explains why the 480 hours are sometimes completed in close to three months. As well, the following four special situations have arisen: in two cases, fellowships for less than 480 hours were accepted based on sound reasons, and in two other cases the fellowship period was extended at the request of the Fellow (See Appendix).

[2].These documents are similar to those used at OAS Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

[3].Although most of the fellows were students, there were a few situations where they graduated during the actual fellowship, and a few cases where they were recently graduated professionals.