Farewell to Communication Assistant Intern, Saemi Jung

In the words of Saemi Jung,

“It was unforgettable and valuable 12 months in EAAFP Secretariat working as a Communication Intern. Still I cannot believe that time flies so fast and it’s time to say goodbye to the Secretariat and my amazing colleagues. During my 12-month internship in EAAFP, I have learned very valuable lessons, experiences and could closely observe how passionate EAAFP Secretariat is to work for conserving migratory waterbirds and nature, despite COVID-19 situation.

During my internship, I engaged in various activities to support raising awareness of migratory waterbirds and their habitats especially wetlands in EAAF. In line with World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) 2020, I joined all WMBD related events, both May and October webinars, WMBD video production, and WMBD Small Grant Fund. It was great chance to learn how to communicate with various levels of external contacts while I was preparing three WMBD May webinar and inviting eminent speakers around the world. Due to COVID-19, all events were organized online and I supported the events by dealing with technical issues behind the scene, pursuing the event to be more interactive and comfortable to share ideas and discuss. WMBD Small Grant Fund was another project that I actively engaged in both May and October and supported awareness raising campaign or material production in EAAF countries. I broadened by perspective that how meaningful and influential campaigns are to promote things and was impressed by seeing creative activities and common harmony in so many countries aiming at raising awareness. I also joined in EAAFP WMBD video production process jointly with external relations team in our secretariat, from nominating celebrities who to dub, making proposal materials, to coordinating dubbing in studio and promoting the video with Ministry of Environment Korea. In the process, I learned the PR strategy of how to promote ourselves to external contacts and the way to collect information and coordinate logistics.

At both international and national level, I joined in a variety of events by being a part of organizing team to prepare from the very beginning of events to wrap up. A major event was a 2020 Flyway Youth Forum, which we jointly organized with Youth Engaged in Wetlands from August 2020 to January 2021 until the final step. With programme team, communication team went through together in a great teamwork and I was actively involved in all process from applicant selection, speakers’ invitation, collecting materials, backing up four days of the events to wrapping up with evaluation and article release. It was great opportunity to go through every single steps to prepare events and learn that organizing an event is not a simple work, done by detail and everyday efforts gathered by large groups. It was also good to get to know good members of Youth Engaged in Wetlands who had a wonderful communication with us and marvelous key-note speakers, advisory teams, speakers, moderators, participants from EAAFlyway and worldwide. The event means a lot to me that all the logistics and coordination I learned would be a solid nourishment and at some point I could find myself actively being in international cooperation that I always desired.

As soon as Flyway Youth Forum event ends in December, I ran into Incheon-Hong Kong International East Asian – Australasian Flyway Black-faced Spoonbill Conservation Cooperation Forum, which I supported event organization by preparing materials and technical support. In July 2020, “Cranes as Messengers of Peace – Cranes and People in DMZ” was another webinar that I supported coordination of the event and met eminent bird researchers at national level. In May 2020, I had a business trip to Sangju, RoK to join celebration of International Day of Biological Diversity and World Migratory Bird Day 2020 at Nakdong National Institute of Biological Resources (NNIBR), hosted by Ministry of Environment Korea and listened to speeches of governmental contacts about what efforts had been conducted collaboratively with local community and government authorities and how important biodiversity is in harmony with human in Gyeongsangbuk-do province connected to Green New Deal policy. In October 2020, I joined Green Korea Incheon 27th Anniversary Event at Songdo Protected Area, observing local contribution and efforts to solve garbage problem in Incheon area and climate change issue.

As a communication team, I encountered to coordinate filming and publications of EAAFP such as brochures, calendars, leaflets and species factsheets, from editing to ordering. I could improve technical design skills and tackle up my creativity while publishing 2020 Korean and English brochures for general public, realizing publication being an essential and fundamental element for awareness raising in any group. Whenever Secretariat got requested for an interview or filming video, I coordinated schedule, drafting scripts, doing follow-up of materials, filming on the site, learning logistics of filming and level up my coordination skills. In the process, I could learn more than publication and filming, but including how to negotiate, communicate internally and with external collaborative contacts as well.

It was quite a long journey for me for past 12 months in Secretariat and I’m 100% sure that the memories and experiences that I gained in the Secretariat will never fade away but be carried in my heart last long. Not only for working skills, I could learn beyond life lessons, working with great colleagues and officers. I must say it was a big luck for me to be able to work with amazing officers and peer interns and honored to get through so many things together for a year. I thank to all of the work which inspired me to struggle but grow me up to be a better version of myself who now enjoy challenges and do not fear of new things up. Hope all you be safe in covid and well!”

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