A United Nations intern living under a tent.
By topffer
@topffer (42155)
France
August 12, 2015 9:47am CST
I was speaking in a discussion yesterday of a paleontological excavation where paleontologists were camping in the wilderness. There is not a lot of money for paleontological excavations here, and they had no other choice... but they like what they are doing. I have accepted in the past to work at a low salary during a few months, because the job was interesting for me and the employer had not enough money to pay for it as it should be. It is a personal choice not difficult to do : when you enjoy your job, never mind the salary as long as you have enough to live.
But when you are not paid...
I am reading today an article about an United Nations intern in Geneva from New-Zealand who has to sleep under a tent by lack of money. United Nations took the decision one or two years ago to not pay anymore the interns. Geneva is an horribly expensive city, and you have to be rich to live there. Somewhere it is not fair, because only students with rich parents able to support them can be interns at the United Nations. Or you have to lie. This guy probably lied to get the internship as I know that when an intern is not paid, he has to certify that the has enough money to support himself. I think he should have better said nothing during his internship instead of calling the media to tell that he was sleeping under a tent. He will probably never get a job at the UN now...
Have you been paid during internships ? Were the wages good or where you sleeping under a tent ? What do you think about this kiwi ?
When New Zealander David Hyde,22, accepted an unpaid internship with the United Nations he didn't expect to be living in a tent in Geneva. David is one of many interns living below poverty line
4 people like this
6 responses
@Mavic123456 (21891)
• Thailand
12 Aug 15
I think it is a good practice also, aside from testing the interns' resiliency to hard life this is also a grip to reality.
I think it is a test of patience also and how could someone be a servant to others, because for my understanding this is what United Nations organization do, helping the needy.
I was not paid when I did my internships. it is part of the learning as they said.
1 person likes this
@topffer (42155)
• France
12 Aug 15
Yes, many students are not paid, or are receiving very low wages. I also think that you do an internship to learn. I am not sure that it is a good practice, but if this guy lied on his possibilities to support himself, he should have assumed the consequences until the end of the internship.
@Mavic123456 (21891)
• Thailand
12 Aug 15
@topffer i honestly admit that I did not read the article you posted as a link. but I should say, that we learn so much from internship it is supposed to be "hands on" or we call it also as ON THE JOB Training.
1 person likes this
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
21 Oct 15
I would not want to be an unpaid intern.
It is worst than slavery.
At least slaves have a place to stay, and their masters give them food.
I think both parties are at fault. UN is at fault for not taking care of the interns financially, and the interns should not take up this internship.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
13 Aug 15
I have not ever served an internship, but the ones I have known of have always been paid. I am not sure the UN is on the right track this way.
1 person likes this
@topffer (42155)
• France
13 Aug 15
If the internship is only for a few weeks or a month, I understand that some employers do not pay, thinking that they are according a favor to a student that will be not useful to their business. However, many not supposed to pay are giving a bank check to the intern at the end of the internship if they have been satisfied. When it is a 6 months internship like in this article, I also think that they should at least provide the food and shelter : the UN are not giving a good example of what should be done.
@allknowing (153544)
• India
13 Aug 15
There is more to it than meets the eye is what I understand here. He as you assume has told a laie and then makes his pathetic conditon public Search me!!
1 person likes this
@Letranknight2015 (52665)
• Philippines
13 Aug 15
I have never been an intern, probably did work for my brother once for free on most occasions. But I didn't get used to his strictness so I finally quit and just be on my own. Base on comments I read this person lied about the tent, he just mocks or insults those who were really living in the tents, I wonder why they accepting him because he's living in a tent is beyond me.
