Positions Available at UNHCR

I was exploring a position with the UNHCR, and the attached link popped up with more than 20 jobs… Check it out. But first some information about UNHCR from their website. (I haven’t worked for UNHCR but did for ILO, FAO, UNESCO, ITU, UNRWA)

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, takes the lead in protecting people forced to flee wars and persecution around the world, providing life-saving aid including shelter, food and water to ensure their basic safety, rights and dignity. With 18,879 women and men working in 137 countries, we work tirelessly to make a difference in the lives of 89.3 million forcibly displaced people worldwide.
Our dedicated and professional staff work around the clock in roles including legal protection, community services, public affairs, health and more. Despite the challenges they can face, our staff are proud to work for UNHCR and determined to make a positive impact.

Why a career with UNHCR?

Our dedicated staff work to protect and assist people fleeing conflict and persecution at a time when global forced displacement is at a record high. Our colleagues bring a wide range of specialized skills, including expertise in legal protection, administration, community services, public affairs, health and other disciplines.

Here’s the link. Careers

Good luck.

Internships Available with BRAC

A promotional graphic for BRAC's internship program featuring vibrant background colors, showcasing opportunities for exposure, mentorship, early career recruitment, and certification for participants. The image includes diverse individuals engaged in discussions and activities related to the internship.

You can explore this opportunity at the web link here.

Bridge Internship

Why not check it out, soon! DEADLINE Nov. 1, 2025.

Mobile phones or Community Telecentres? That is the Question. Or is it?

I love this recent article about the use of ICT for development for several reasons. First, the case they describe is from Ghana where I worked in the mid-70s (and described in my memoir); second, it’s discussing both mobile phones and community telecentres. Mobile phones were an important part of our rural training on the UNESCO/GOM STEP program in Malawi, and community telecentres are still prominent in many countries including in Dominica where I volunteered this past summer. Thirdly, I did a few assignments with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and its the UN body that oversees coordination and implementation of telecom protocols. So all things related to ICT and development are of interest.

Here is part of the article.

Mobile Phone Revolutions Make Telecenters Even More Essential

By Wayan Vota on October 28, 2025

While development practitioners debate whether smartphones have rendered Community Information Centres obsolete, new research from Ghana reveals a more complex truth: CICs aren’t competing with mobile technology—they’re complementing it in ways that are crucial for equitable development.

The conventional wisdom suggests that with Ghana achieving a 55% mobile adoption rate and 10.7 million people accessing the internet through mobile devices, traditional telecentres should be withering away. Bridging digital gaps in a mobile device age – a study of 10 CICs across Ghana’s Upper East Region, surveying 451 users, demonstrates why this assumption is dangerously wrong.

The Complementarity Thesis

The study looked at CICs – also called telecentres – and reveals that although mobile phones are suitable for simple tasks, complicated tasks are better performed in CICs, suggesting a complementary nature of the two. This isn’t about choosing sides in a technology battle. We need to recognize that different tools serve different needs within the same digital ecosystem.

The statistical evidence is compelling. Access to CICs showed a significant positive correlation with community impact, while activities conducted at these centres demonstrated an even stronger relationship with outcomes. These outcomes represent measurable community transformation.

For the whole article, please use this link.

https://www.ictworks.org/mobile-phone-revolution-made-telecenters-even-more-essential

The United Nations and Disability Support

I invite you to read this important article about the United Nations and Disability by my friend and former colleague, Peter Fremlin. I also encourage you to subscribe to and support his newsletter Disability Debrief (with details at the bottom of his article.)

A diverse group of people attending a meeting at the United Nations, focusing on rights for persons with disabilities. One participant is in a wheelchair.

https://www.disabilitydebrief.org/debrief/un-slow-progress

Lots of food for thought …. and action! Thanks, Peter.

Generative AI and International Development

Our friends at ICTWorks have highlighted a new publication from the Association of South East Asian Countries (ASEAN) that presents not only the benefits but also the risks that Generative AI brings to entities conducting international development.

First a short geography lesson. Where is ASEAN and what countries are represented? See the map below.

Map illustrating the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), highlighting countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and others.

For information about what ASEAN does, see their website here.

Homepage – ASEAN Main Portal

To obtain the full ASEAN Guidelines on Use of Generative AI, you can find the publication here.

Click to access genai-governance-ethics.pdf

To find the summary of the above document by ICTWorks, use this link.

https://www.ictworks.org/six-generative-ai-threats

Bernie Sanders and AI

See some comments from Bernie on AI and its effects on jobs in the USA. Food for thought from Bernie.

Personal Observations on Using Generative AI

I have begun to use Generative AI in my own writing and drafting of documents. The best advice I have is to always check what the system spits out to ensure accuracy and avoid the pitfalls highlighted in the report.

A REMINDER

Don’t forget to order a copy of my memoir from this website, or from AMAZON.

Cover of the book 'Overseas Adventures' by Arthur E. Shears, featuring an aerial view of a beach with waves and a sandy shoreline.

Back cover of the memoir 'Overseas Adventures' by Arthur E. Shears, featuring a brief summary about volunteer work in Africa and Asia, along with a photo of the author.

Ever Consider Joining the Canadian Armed Forces?

As a teenager, I joined the Army Cadets at my High School in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia and eventually became head of our cadet team. At university, I joined the reserve officer university training pr0gram (ROUTP) and spent two exciting summers learning the skills of soldering, service and leadership.

Yesterday, I was reminded the CAF are recruiting. See their email below.

Did you know the Canadian Armed Forces has over 100 possible career options? Join us to learn about the enrollment process and available career opportunities. Join us: https://forces.ca/en/events/#/details/16163 https://search.app/HGiJR

A grid displaying various career categories within the Canadian Armed Forces, including Transport & Logistics, Naval Operations, Aviation, Health Care, Combat Operations, Computing & Intelligence, Safety & Emergency Services, and Engineering & Infrastructure.

For those young people who have not decided to go to college or university, or for those currently studying, you might want to check out the above career site.

An excellent career option for some, while serving your country at the same time.

Why not check it out?

CUSO and UN’s International Year of the Volunteer

2026 has been declared by the United Nations as International Year of the Volunteer for Sustainable Development. You might recall that I was a CUSO International volunteer in Nigeria in the early 70’s and a Field Staff Officer for them in Ghana in the mid-70s. Volunteering and volunteers are great!

In Bangladesh, our ILO project used Australian volunteers, while later in Malawi, our UNESCO project benefited from getting national (Malawian) UN Volunteers.

And just this summer, I did volunteer work with Catalyste+ in Dominica.

Today, I got information on the latest CUSO newsletter. It’s an interesting read.

To see the newsletter, try this link.

https://polo.feathr.co/view_email?cpn_id=68e7aa51d9d05e6b9201a23c&t_id=68e7aa51d9d05e6b9201a23d&per_id=6733b7a3eb1a480eb299ec8c

Pleasant reading.

Want to Learn More About How to Become a Catalyste+ Advisor and Work in International Development

This year I applied to Catalyste+ and became an Advisor. I reviewed the various opportunities that matched my skill set and was chosen for two assignments in Dominica in the Caribbean. One was in-country for two weeks and the other virtual which lasted on and off over three months. They were both enjoyable and productive. In fact, during my assignments the Dominica TVET Council was able to draft their Five Year Strategic Plan 2026-2031.

Group of five individuals wearing safety vests and hard hats standing in front of industrial equipment in a mountainous area.

Catalyste+ is having an information session in late October. This is your chance to learn about their work and how you might fit in.

Image promoting Catalyst+ information sessions, featuring a group of people in a forested area with details about English and French sessions scheduled for October 29 and 30.

To register for the English language session, use this link:

Meeting Registration – Zoom

For the French language session, check here:

Meeting Registration – Zoom

Enjoy the information session.

Volunteer Opportunities Abroad

A diverse group of volunteers standing together outdoors, smiling and engaged, promoting a volunteer initiative with WUSC.

It’s been awhile since I wrote about WUSC on this BLOG but a reference in the latest newsletter from the Atlantic Council for International Cooperation (ACIC) announcing new vacancies had me visiting their site again. Here’s what the ACIC said in their newsletter:

Your expertise can make an impact. By volunteering internationally, you can help create a better world for all young people. WUSC has provided over 10,000 Canadians with high quality, rewarding, and safe international and e-volunteer opportunities. Whether you are an early-career, mid-career or a retired professional, you can give your time and share your skills and experience in support of development programs that improve education, economic, and empowerment opportunities for young people around the world.

WUSC, much like CUSO International which I worked for in my early career, still sends Canadians abroad for development work (and to learn a lot in the process). WUSC also offers e-learning volunteer opportunities, a good option for those with families or other commitments who need to stay close to home. What is new and very encouraging for interested persons in low to middle-income countries is the opportunity to apply for a South-South volunteer assignment. There is also the chance to apply as a WUSC national volunteer in your own country. For example, I see on the current list of openings a position available in Iraq.

SOUTH-SOUTH Volunteer

The image below shows an example of an assignment description, this one for a job in Ghana lasting seven months. Check out the eligibility requirements shown. The full job description has many more details .

Screenshot of the WUSC volunteer opportunity page for a Business Development Advisor position in Ghana. Includes assignment details, eligibility requirements, and application buttons in English and French.

Conditions of Service for Canadian International Volunteers

The snapshot below lists the conditions of service for a Canadian WUSC International Volunteer. For those who might want to check out conditions for South-South or National volunteers, you can visit WUSC and explore further.

A list outlining the support package for Canadian International Volunteers with WUSC, detailing various benefits and conditions included in the program.

WUSC website

You can learn about WUSC and its volunteer opportunities here.

WUSC (World University Service of Canada) – Education Changes the World

Executive and Junior Level International Development Positions

A friend at the Canadian Association of Independent Development Professionals (CAIDC) shared the following. Have a look and kindly share.

Director (Chief Financial Officer)(D1) IAEA – International Atomic Energy Agency ∙ Vienna ∙ Senior Executive level ∙ Closing September 22

Assistant Analyst, Portfolio EBRD – European Bank for Reconstruction and Development∙ London ∙ Junior level ∙ Closing September 23

Advisor, Strategic Planning GICHD – Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining ∙ Geneva ∙ Senior level ∙ Closing September 26

Chief Strategy Officer IRRI – International Rice Research Institute ∙ Los Baños ∙ Senior Executive level ∙ Open until filled

[FO] (Senior) Environmental/ Social Development Specialist – Occupational Health and Safety AIIB – Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank ∙ Beijing ∙ Mid level ∙ Open until filled

Good luck if you do apply.

Author: arthureshears