The Hive - Volume One
Demos Intern(et) Network
Felix Condry, Virna Di Palma, Noël Hatch, Alyssa Joye, Anna Rader, Sophie Middlemiss, Rosie McKearney, Nabeelah Shabbir, Rachael Morgan, Oli de Botton
Felix Condry
Research Intern, June to July 2006During his time at Demos, Felix did some research, analysis, helped out with jobs, takes, challenges and duels.
Current Activities: MSc Security and Development (Bristol), research-analyst for Interchange Solutions
Academic Information:
2:1 BA (Hons) Politics, Philosophy and Economics (Oxford)
Skills and Experience: Intern on Capitol Hill, volunteer worked in Lebanon, supervisor on family farm, A Level economic teacher and coach of the fear Under-14s 3rd XV
Personal Statement: "Would like to be an adventure racer, with dogs."
Contact: felixcondry@gmail.com
Links of Interest: www.politicaltheory.info
Felix's Wiki Hive Space
Demos Mentor: Hannah Lownsbrough
Demos Referee: Celia Hannon
A Word From Demos: "I have to admit that most of my requests of Felix involved using his handyman skills around the office – but I somehow doubt that this is a career he is wanting to pursue in view of his ridiculously over-qualified CV. He also found time to do some pretty damn impressive work of the academic kind." Alison Harvie, February 2007
A Word About Demos: "Euphonious and tasty"
Virna Di Palma
Research Intern, April to July 2006During three months, Virna contributed significantly to the Home Front project and Demos' wider Global Security programme. She also conducted research for emerging ideas on security and privacy.
Current Activities: Business Development, American Conference Institute
Academic Information:
3.7/4.0 BA (Hons) Political Science (Northeastern)
2:1 MA International Peace and Security (Kings College London)
Skills and Experience: Completed various independent research projects, Fluent in Spanish, proficient in Internet applications, graphics, Microsoft Office and PowerPoint.
Personal Statement: As a seasoned researcher and exceptional communicator with a diverse background and demonstrated commitment to social and political change. I wish to pursue a career as a research with a focus on US-Latin American Relations.
Contact: virna6383@hotmail.com
Links Of Interest: www.eyeontheun.org/
www.cceia.org
Virna's Wiki Hive Space
Demos Mentor: Charlie Edwards
Demos Referee: Rachel Briggs
A Word From Demos: "Virna is a committed and creative thinker who brought a passion for the subject matter together with a desire to make a difference in practice" Rachel Briggs, February 2006
A Word About Demos: "I would like to mention how fortunate I feel to have worked for Demos in the past, an organisation which remains unmatched even in New York."
Noël Hatch
Research Intern, April to July 2006During his time at Demos, Noël worked on the Local Trust project and the Skills Paradox project. He completed primary and secondary research and facilitated expert seminars and focus groups. He also helped co-ordinated various events, some with cabinet ministers, but mainly with blue-sky thinkers.
Current Activities: Responsible for research and funding at Kent County Council Innovation Unit, the IDeA Community of Practice for Innovation and introducing Désirs d'Avenir to the UK.
Academic Information: MA in Political Science (Sorbonne)
Skills and Experience: Fluent French and Spanish, basic Catalan and German
Personal Statement: "My time at Demos provided me with valuable research and communication skills, from innovative analytical techniques to boiling point events management. I learnt that providing people with the social capital and trust to get informed, get inspired and get involved in everyday democracy is the key to democractic renewal. Keen interest in actively involving citizens in local democracy and service design and fostering collaborative innovation.
Contact: noel_hatch@yahoo.co.uk
Links of Interest: http://everydaysocialdemocracy.blogspot.com
Desirs d'Avenir
IDeA
Noël's Wiki Hive Space
Demos Mentor: Sam Hinton-Smith
Demos Referee: Simon Parker
A Word From Demos: "Noël was enthusiastic and tenacious reseacher who provided me with great big dollops of intelligent analysis, organisational support and good company." Simon Parker, February 2007
A Word About Demos: "I really enjoyed my time at Demos. Not only did I learn a lot, I also made some great friends."
Alyssa Joye
Research Intern, March to June 2006While at Demos, Alyssa worked on several projects, including the Atlas of Ideas and the Future of the English Language project. She also carried out background research while working on a teaching and leadership project with the NCSL. Alyssa contributed research and helped edit an essay on gender and professionalism which appeared in Production Values and assisted in event co-ordination for several events.
Current Activities: Job hunting
Academic Information:
BA Individualised Study (New York University)
MSc Gender, Development and Globalisation (LSE)
Skills and Experience: Experience in publishing, market research and charities, good IT skills including basic SPSS, Filemaker Pro, Photoshop, Quark and Final Cut Pro
Personal Statement: "My time at Demos developed my ability to research, write and edit reports on international and social policy issues to tight deadlines. My areas of interest are boundless, but the key areas of focus are gender issues, international trade and development, education, mental health and drug policy."
Contact: amjoye@yahoo.com
Links of Interest: Alyssa's Wiki Hive Space
Demos Mentor: Duncan O'Leary
Demos Referee: Kirsten Bound
A Word From Demos: "Alyssa’s like a Class A drug: you see her work and you keep wanting more. She was a model of serenity, whatever challenges we threw her way." Kirsten Bound, February 2007
A Word About Demos: "So many enthusiastic minds in one place - it was fun."
Anna Rader
Research Intern, February to April 2006Whist at Demos, Anna undertook research and administration for the Self-Build Cities progamme. She conducted initial research and presented her findings on the role of new technologies in informal learning and how their use can support pedagogic goals in schools, which fed into the Their Space report. She also facilitated recruitment sessions for new interns and co-ordinated workshops on the legacy of the Barcelona Olympics and the future of security sector reform.
Current Activities: MA International Peace and Security (King's College London) and learning Russian
Academic Information:
A Level - English Literature (A), Geography (A), Politics (A)
2:1 BA (Hons) Politics, Philosophy and Economics (Oxford)
Skills and Experience: Intern with Hansard Society (2005), Intern with People for the American Way (New York, 2004), won awards at international Model United Nations conferences, Trustee for Free The Children, youth delegate for the State of the World Forum in New York, computer literate in both PC and Mac operating systems
Personal Statement: "I've learnt a huge amount about the linkages between different policy issues, and expanded my range of research interests enormously: I now want to look more at cultural space and the urban environment, together with my ongoing interests in security, development and citizenship. I am looking forward to getting stuck in to some good, hard research for my dissertation on national identity and nation-building in Somalia, and to carrying all of these interests into the world of work in September."
Contact: anna.rader@gmail.com
Links of Interest: Anna's Wiki Hive Space
Demos Mentor: Hannah Lownsbrough
Demos Referee: Hannah Green
A Word From Demos: "Anna approached her work at Demos in a sensitive and thoughtful way. She completed a wide-ranging and rigorous literature review that was invaluable to the final success of the project." Hannah Green, February 2007
A Word About Demos: "I loved that stationary cupboard, but I hope I never have to see one again!"
Sophie Middlemiss
Research Intern, January to March 2006During her time at Demos, Sophie co-wrote the Closing The Gap report on the DfID/Demos security sector reform workshop with Charlie Edwards. She led the intern team organising the Picture This workshop. She also conducted research, co-ordinated events and organised interviews for The Journey To The Interface project.
Current Activities: MA International Relations (LSE), Research Intern with Polis and Correspondent with Adfero
Academic Information:
AS Level - Religious Studies (A), Drama (A)
A Level - History (A), English (A), French (A)
First Class BA (Hons) History (Cambridge)
Skills and Experience: Intern with Polis (2007), International Media Analyst with Echo Research, Researcher with Control Risks, Russian speaking, adept with Microsoft Access, Excel, Word, Powerpoint and PhotoShop.
Personal Statement: "My work at Demos triggered my interest in the ethics of post-conflict reconstruction and the challenges of managing the international-local dynamic. I'm also interested in ethno-national conflict resolution. After a research stint in Kosovo in December 2006, I hope to return to work in the region."
Contact: S.A.Middlemiss@lse.ac.uk / 07929 204223
Links of Interest: www.birn.eu.com
Sophie's Wiki Hive Space
Demos Mentor: Abi Hewitt
Demos Referee: Charlie Edwards
A Word From Demos: "Sophie was extremely hard-working and helped with research for two major pamphlets: Journey To The Interface and Closing The Gap. She was invaluable to the team and to the organisation as a whole." Charlie Edwards, February 2007
A Word About Demos: "Three glorious months of M&S lunches, events drinks and interns' seminars, crowned by a glimpse of David Cameron."
Rosie McKearney
Research Intern, November to December 2005During her time at Demos, Rosie helped devise our intern recruitment workshop and developed the Demos Media Experts guide. She also acted as Publications Manager and Intern Co-ordinator for a short period.
Current Activities: Second year BA Politics (Bristol)
Academic Information:
AS Level - Geography (A), Performance Studies (A)
A Level - Politics (A), Philosophy and Ethics (A), Psychology (A), General Studies (A)
Skills and Experience: Intern at Hill & Knowlton's Public Affairs department and Mark Oaten MP, Pitman Business Skills Diploma, fully computer literate with experience of Microsoft Word, Access, Excel and Outlook, seventy-five words per minute typing speed.
Personal Statement: "I learnt a huge amount at Demos and can't wait to get out into the working world. I'm looking for more exciting internships that I can apply my skills to. I'm interested in politics that goes beyond parliament and into areas such as gender. I would love to work at an organisation such as Reuters or the BBC."
Contact: Rosanna.mckearney@gmail.com / 07791 574319
Links of Interest: The Ball that Rosie is organising
www.fawcettsociety.org.uk
Rosie's Wiki Hive Space
Demos Mentor: John Craig
Demos Referee: Alison Harvie
A Word From Demos: "Rosie was utterly fantastic person to have at Demos. Most staff were oblivious to the fact that the intern producing such sterling work was actually only just out of 6th form – testament to her abilities. Legend." Alison Harvie, February 2007
A Word About Demos: "Demos really did change my life: it taught me a lot about the kind of organisation I want to be a part of and I will never forget the brilliantly innovative people there."
Nabeelah Shabbir
Media and Communications Intern, October to December 2005Nabeelah worked across the spectrum of Demos projects. She worked on our newsletter and launched the think tank watch, attended new website planning sessions. Nabeelah also organised a debate with cafebabel.com in anticipation of the Demos British Muslims project.
Current Activities: Editor-in-Chief of English Language version of cafebabel.com
Academic Information:
BA English and German Literature (Warwick)
Skills and Experience: Internhips with the editorial departments of Sweet & Maxwell, www.opendemocracy.org and UNRIC (Brussels)
Personal Statement: "Thriving in my current editorial role where I am using up to four languages a day, editing a challenging section focused on European politics and using the opportunities to travel on the job - last mission was to Barcelona leading two journalists from the network."
Contact: lahnabee@gmail.com
Links of Interest: www.cafebabel.com
UNRIC Magazine which Nabeelah helped launch
www.opendemocracy.net
Nabeelah's Wiki Hive Space
Demos Mentor: Charlie Tims
Demos Referee: Catherine Fieschi
A Word From Demos: "Nabeelah was enthusiastic, full of ideas and always proactive. Part of her legacy is that she helped form relationships with all sorts of organisations with whom we continue to work. She was an enormous asset to Demos." Catherine Fieschi, February 2007
A Word About Demos: "There's a lot of good company to do your thinking with. It set me up well for my future pursuits."
Rachael Morgan
Research Intern, September to November 2005During three months with Demos, Rachael was involved in the early stages of the Atlas of Ideas project. She also looked at the use of nanotechology in remediating the brown field sites of the future London 2012 Olympic venues. Through Demos, she developed an interest in network theory, ethics and public participation in built environment projects.
Current Activities: Project Assistant for the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation's Gateway Programme
Academic Information:
First Class BA (Hons) Geography (Simon Frazer University, Canada)
First Class Honours Certificate in Urban Studies (Simon Frazer University)
Skills and Experience: Strong interpersonal skills, spatial analysis, urban economic developement theory and practice, business location analysis, environmental assessment, exceptional written and oral communication, Geographic Information Systems ArcGIS and IDRISI, Powerpoint, MS Project, Visio, Indesign and Web Publishing software
Personal Statement: "Using the knowledge Demos gave me, I hope to build on my degree and experience in Vancouver to seek a place at a town planning school and eventually a position in the UK. I am a good fit for planning organisations engaged in multidisciplinary dialogue, who are seeking creative solutions"
Contact: rachael.l.morgan@gmail.com
Links of Interest: Rachael's Blog
www.secondcityproject.ca
Rachael's Wiki Hive Site
Demos Mentor: Hannah Green
Demos Referee: Kirsten Bound
A Word From Demos: "Rachael did fantastic work, but I have to say the most memorable thing about her internship was the day (Halloween, I admit) that she came to work dressed as a dead girl." Kirsten Bound, February 2007
A Word About Demos: "Demos was a wonderful place from which to discover the exciting dialogues occuring in the UK."
Oli de Botton
Research Intern, July to August 2005During his time with Demos, Oli worked with the education team on personalised learning and completed both primary and secondary research on the topic. He also helped support work for the NCSL on provision for new head teachers.
Current Activities: Head of Sixth Form at a London Comprehensive and Freelance Journalist
Academic Information:
Three A's at A Level
1st Class BA (Hons) Classica (Cambridge)
Skills and Experience: Worked for the London Development Agency's Strategy Team, written for various publications including Children Now, English and Politcs Teacher with four years experience
Personal Statement: "My time at Demos helped me add some perspective to my career as a teacher and has made me eager for change both in classrooms and all public arenas. I want to combine my grass roots experience with political activisim and influence."
Contact: olidebotton@gmail.com
Links of Interest: Oli's Guardian Blog
Oli's Website
Oli's Wiki Hive Space
Demos Mentor: Sophia Parker
Demos Referee: Sarah Gillinson
A Word From Demos: "Oli had a great internship, contributing enormously to Demos work on public services. He was able to combine his own experience of teaching with a thoughtful and creative approach to policy. He was man of the match in a five-a-side football match too." Duncan O'Leary, February 2007
A Word About Demos: "Working at Demos was both intellectually stimulating and a good laugh"