Can I Be Single, Christian and Sexual?

Can I Be Single, Christian and Sexual?

God gives us guidelines on how we should act as single Christians.

 

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Unfortunately the reality is that we live in a sexually charged world. Sex is plastered everywhere, and there isn’t a day that goes by where you don’t see ads, TV shows, news headlines or other media filled with sexual themes. As Christians, how do we handle living in such a sexually chaotic society?

Sexuality generates a lot of pain, confusion and heartache for many Christians. Some people may be carrying personal secrets they are afraid to share with others, while some don’t think of sex as a big deal at all. Most Christian’s sources haven’t been very helpful in answering the deep questions that women are asking about sex. In Dr. Juli Slattery’s book, “Sex and the Single Girl,” she dives into what the Bible has to really say about the topic. Based on her book, here are the truths that God wants us to understand about being single, Christian and sexual.

Connecting Your Sexuality to Your Spirituality

Dr. Slattery points out that one of the most important realities from God is that He doesn’t want you to separate your spirituality and sexuality. Whether you are single or married, having sex or choosing to stay abstinent, your sexuality is inseparable from your faith. Our culture encourages us to explore sexually as a way of finding and expressing who you are, but God wants you to think about it in terms of whose you are. Do you choose to belong to God?

Over and over again, society tells you that your sexual choices don’t matter. Most people have bought into the idea that what you do sexually is as trivial as what car you drive. But sex is never just about sex. Our sexual opinions and choices reveal something much deeper about us and our relationship to God.

If you are like many single Christian women, you have constructed a wall between your desires, shame and temptations because they seem like a total disconnect from your longing to know and please God. Your confusion and hidden pain related to sex are inseparable from your relationship with God and you can’t compartmentalize them into two separate groups. God cares about all of who you are, even the “sexual” you.

Instead of being discouraged and confused because you don’t have it all figured out, take it as an invitation to connect with God on a deeper level. God is inviting you to trust Him with your sexuality; no matter how broken this area of your life may feel. By accepting His call, you can begin to develop a more intimate relationship with the Lord. 

Living With Sexual Integrity

Dr. Slattery gives a guideline on how we as Christians can live with sexual integrity the way God intended. First, we have to begin with the truth that humans are sexual beings. Even if you have never had sex, you are still a sexual person and are so by God’s design. He intentionally created you a female with the physical and biochemical properties of sexuality. This means that you have a longing for intimacy, relationships and physical pleasure. God didn’t give us the need for intimacy so it could be isolated or shamed. No, instead God made it so we have a desire to share our hearts, soul and body with another person. Underneath your sexuality is the drive and desire to be known and loved. God created you as a sexual being so that you might understand what it means to long, to desire and to crave intimate oneness. Ultimately, your greatest need for intimacy is to know the God who created you.

Your sexuality is tied into who you are as a rational and spiritual women, as God designed. However going a step further, God’s design was for you to live with sexual integrity. Integrity means “the state of being whole and undivided.” Dr. Slattery then states that to live with sexual integrity means that your sexuality is representative of who you are as a Christian woman. When you live with sexual integrity, your sexual choices are a consistent expression of your relational and spiritual commitments.

You make choices about your sexuality everyday – what to look at, what to think about, how much of your heart and body to give away, and how to deal with your sexual past. Broken sexuality is expressed by single and married women when their sexual choices don’t match up to their commitment to follow the Lord. If Jesus is your Savior, your body (including your sexuality) no longer belongs to you but should be used for God’s glory. As a follower of Christ, you cannot pick and choose which areas to surrender to God. Either He is the Lord of your life, or He is not. This is so crucial to understand.

Women often ask what they should do if they’ve already messed up in the area of sexuality. Even though we cannot erase the past, Jesus offers us a way forward. Jesus came to redeem us in our sin and heal our brokenness. You might know firsthand the tangled mess of sexual sin and how devastating it can be when it is outside of God’s design. However, God invites you to healing and redemption though Jesus.

Understanding Temptation

In Genesis God tells Cain, “sin is [always] crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.” Temptation is going to come to you and it’s important to prepare for it. We fight a daily battle to pursue holiness because Satan is always trying to bring us down. Your desire to express your sexuality isn’t a bad thing, but Satan twists that desire and presents you with shortcuts. These counterfeits may appear to meet the longings of your heart, but you will only end up feeling hurt, rejected and shamed. Every women is vulnerable to counterfeit intimacy. Sex before marriage, fantasies, and pornography are just a few of the ways that we can fall into the trap.

There are a few strategies to help you fight temptation, Dr. Slattery points out. First, you must stop flirting with sin. For example, you may not get naked with a man, but you let him put his hands on you. While you think you might have things under control, you are getting closer to the edge of your morals and values. At any time the temptation can be overwhelming and break you. Secondly, you can put on the armor of God. This means preparing for spiritual battle by building a strong foundation with God, having open lines of communication with Him, and fully understanding His teachings. Then, when confronted with temptation, you will feel powerful in your ability to stand your ground. Lastly, you don’t want to leave yourself spiritually isolated. Fighting off temptation is easier when you have other Christians to help you along. Find other single women who you can trust, and have open discussions about how you want to live with sexual integrity in the face of sin.

Building a Relationship With God

Choosing to live with sexual integrity can draw you into a deeper relationship with God. Yet, there are still barriers to making that a reality. Every woman has had barriers between herself and God, and the main message of the Bible is God’s plan and desire to break down those walls that stand between Him and His children. He wants an intimate relationship with you no matter what past sins you have committed. Demolish these strongholds! Know that God made you to be a sexual person, and as a single Christian you can embrace that by having an intimate relationship with Him until you have found the soulmate God has created for you.

For more answers about sexuality and faith, Dr. Juli Slattery’s book “Sex and the Single Girl” can be found on Amazon for purchase.

Backsliding into Sexual Sin

It takes more than just declaring yourself a Christian to beat a sex addiction.

One morning, as [my wife] Kathy was at work and I was sitting around the house by myself, I was suddenly overwhelmed with the temptation to go down to an adult bookstore. I hadn't even considered indulging in sexual sin since the six-hour ordeal. The lustful thoughts kept persisting and growing in intensity. It was as if a demonic cloud of sensuality filled the apartment. Memories of things I had done and seen flooded my mind. A feeling of sensuality permeated my being.

For years I had lived my life for illicit sexual experiences. Sex had become a deeply rooted idol in my heart, a stronghold of the enemy. Although I was genuinely excited about Christianity, my newfound faith seemed to evaporate in the face of those temptations. They came with such force that my intentions to withstand them simply withered. This was so unexpected and happened so quickly that before I even knew it I was "being carried away" by my own lust. (James 1:14) I went down to the bookstore and gave over to sin. After it was over, I left in total disgust, stunned by what I'd just done. It was unbelievable that I had walked right back into the old pigpen of perversion. "Lord, I never meant for this to happen," I wailed. I really wanted to live the Christian life. Because it had taken so much to even get me to the point of making that commitment, I had no intention of going back on it. So I couldn't understand how this had happened. I chalked up my failure to the fact that it came so unexpectedly and determined that it would never happen again. Yet, a few days later, the same scenario occurred. My complete inability to fight these urges left me terribly discouraged. Sexual sin became a looming mountain in my mind. I could not envision ever being able to scale that lofty peak but knew that going back was not an option either.
Fear of Kathy leaving me kept me from confessing my failures to her. Things were going well between us, but I knew her commitment to me was still fragile. Something like this could easily send her over the edge; so I dared not let her in on what was going on. This began a double life of secret sin and Christianity that would constitute my life for some time. I would white-knuckle it for a period and then fall flat on my face once again.

One day, a tall black inmate who had been working in our clean up crew told me the Lord had given him a "word" that he should share with me. "The Lord showed me that you will be quitting the Sheriff's Department and going into the ministry as a teacher," he said earnestly. I politely smiled but didn't take it seriously. I had "sweated blood" for that job and had no intention of leaving it. The whole conversation was forgotten within minutes.
The weeks evolved into months as I learned to adjust to being a Christian deputy. My relationship with some of my old friends became strained. They didn't care for the new Deputy Gallagher. They wanted me to be the aggressive officer they had come to admire. I began avoiding their company in favor of deputies who were more laid-back: men I had detested as wimps prior to my return to Christianity.
One evening, I tried sharing the Lord with the guy who had been my best friend. He became angry and told me to leave him alone. It really hurt me and I was upset all that evening. For the first time I entertained thoughts of leaving the department. The next day, I happened to listen to a Chuck Smith message on tape. The subject of his sermon was finding God's will. Since that was what I was contemplating, I became very attentive. During that talk he said, "If you feel God is telling you to do something, then do it and don't look back. Don't let others discourage you from obeying God's call."
By the time I made it to work that day my mind was reeling. My clerk was sitting there waiting for me to arrive. After going over our usual business, I shared with him what I felt the Lord was saying to me. "Deputy Gallagher, don't you remember that word of knowledge Smith gave you that day?" Suddenly those words came to mind in full force: "The Lord showed me that you will be quitting the Sheriff's Department and going into the ministry as a teacher."
Now God really had my attention. I spent the rest of that evening praying about it. That night, I came home and shared the whole story with Kathy. "Wow, that's exciting," she responded. We discussed it at length and decided that I should put in my two-week notice and we should plan to move back to Sacramento. My mom's Assembly of God church ran a Bible school I could attend.
I gave my two-week notice the next day. Word quickly got around that I was quitting and immediately several of my old friends confronted me.
"Gallagher, what's this we hear about you quitting?" one of them challenged.
"Yeah, it's true, I am," I responded.
"Why?"
"Because I feel the Lord is calling me into the ministry."
"Into the ministry!" They were laughing now. "How did He call you into the ministry?" they asked incredulously.

 

"I felt He was speaking to me," I responded lamely.
"Did you hear a voice from heaven or what?" they demanded.
"The Lord has different ways of showing His people what He wants them to do."
They were howling now. "Well, how did He show you?"
"Look, I can't explain it to you. Trust me, I'm doing what He wants."
It went on like this for some time. Finally I was able to break away from them. I went home that night feeling like a complete idiot. Kathy was sympathetic to what I had gone through. She tried to encourage me, "We both felt like God told us this is what we're supposed to do."
********** One of the things that really excited me about going to Bible school was the thought that I would overcome my sexual sin there. Unfortunately, this didn't prove to be the case. Less than a mile from the school were three adult bookstores I had frequented many times in the past. Before long, I began to visit the movie arcades there once again. So I brought this perverted mindset into class and often lusted over the female students.
It seemed that summer break couldn't arrive quickly enough. I was sick of the confines of Bible school. Kathy was having her own struggles as well. One night, she suggested we go to a bar. This was the beginnings of another horrible backslide for both of us.
Before long we bought another video recorder and a number of X-rated movies. It didn't take long for me to plumb the depths of sexual sin. Having walked away from my gracious Savior, nothing was now below my dignity. I picked up a swinger's newspaper at an adult bookstore and began scanning the ads about couples that were into swapping partners. I convinced Kathy to join me in the sordid world of swinging. As a result, she became addicted to methamphetamine in an attempt to escape the painful reality of what she was doing.
We stayed backslidden for several months. Kathy finally got sick of the sin and repented. She quickly got on track spiritually. Life became more miserable for me than ever before. It seemed that no matter what I did, I could find no satisfaction. Something would always happen to prevent me from having my way with women. Every situation ended in failure of one kind or another. I somehow knew that God was behind it. One time I even yelled at Him to leave me alone. Gratefully, in His mercy, He didn't honor my request. In the spring of 1984, I gave up. The prodigal son finally came home to his Father. My season of pleasure in sin was just about over.

Victory was not going to be easily acquired for me, however. I had plunged far from God, and it would not be an easy return. When I backslid nine months earlier, I had made an enormously mistaken assumption. "It doesn't really matter what I do because one day I'll just repent and get right with God," I had thought to myself. But in reality every single act of sin had taken me further away from the Lord, and all of that ground would have to be reclaimed one painful step after another.
It truly was a long and arduous journey back to where I could sense God's presence in my life again. I knew when I repented of my despicable actions that the Lord had graciously extended His forgiveness. However, the consequences of having spent nine months in the grossest kind of sin were very extensive. Because of my wicked choices, I had been given over to "degrading passions" and "a depraved mind." (Romans 1:26, 28) I had entered a level of darkness that few come out of. Just because I made a new commitment to Christ did not nullify the powerful hold that the enemy had on my mind. My thinking had become extremely corrupted with a satanic perspective of sexuality and life. I had lived selfishly for so long that I had very little capacity to think about others, most notably Kathy. I was full of pride, exalting myself one moment and reacting defensively to others the next. My anger and frustration levels were higher than ever before. Words fail me to properly express the price that sin exacted on me and, in turn, on my wife.
Moving out to the country helped me to refocus my priorities. It also kept me further away from the areas of temptation. The Lord quietly helped me to see that I needed to institute certain disciplines into my life.
First of all, Kathy and I both began to spend time in prayer and Bible study every morning. This was very difficult at first, but I was becoming increasingly determined to get my life right with God. We would force ourselves to spend twenty minutes in prayer and a half an hour in Bible study. In addition to this, my outside sales position made it possible to listen to Christian radio for several hours every day.
Then one day in May of 1985, I was driving through town and got tempted to visit an adult bookstore. I foolishly gave in to the urge and viewed some movies. This sent me into another spiritual tailspin. I binged on sex for the next two weeks, culminating in a visit to a massage parlor. It was a very unsatisfying encounter, and I left the place absolutely disgusted with myself and fed up with paying the penalty for empty, unfulfilling experiences. "Sex with my wife is better than this!" I told myself. That was the last time I was ever unfaithful to my wife. Sexual sin had finally lost its grip on my life!

How President Buhari has turned anti-corruption war into a complete joke

How President Buhari has turned anti-corruption war into a complete joke

The president has not satisfactorily lived up to his tough words on corruption during his election campaign.

play President Muhammadu Buhari
(Bayo Omoboriowo)

Last week, while addressing representatives of several civil society organisations in Abuja, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo laid some of the blame for the government's fairly unsuccessful anti-graft war at the feet of Nigerians.

"I don't think that the people, especially the civil society have shown enough outrage that one expects in order to consistently beam searchlight on the perpetrators.

"People come and ask where are the convictions but I say where are the campaigns, we should be able to point out these persons so that they will not be able to spend these monies," the Vice President said.

Osinbajo's subtle dig at the Nigerian populace is completely divorced from the wave of populist sentiments that swept President Muhammadu Buhari to power just a little over two years ago.

The president's major selling point as the right candidate for the country was the promise that he could rid the government of the stench of corruption that has plagued it for as long as anyone can remember.

His campaign trumpeted his anti-corruption history as a military Head of State in the 80s and a man of incorruptible integrity that'll rein in the practice of financial mismanagement in the country's corridors of power.

With the results of the 2015 presidential elections, it is fair to say that the Nigerian people were clearly convinced.

However, more than two years down the line, maybe it's time to admit that we've been sold a dummy by the president.

Well before President Buhari's electoral victory, his opposition had long pointed to the hypocrisy of his anti-corruption mandate, especially in light of the political company that he keeps.

Political detractors and neutral sceptics, for their own reasons, indicated that the president's anti-corruption rhetoric was nothing but smoke and mirrors that'll lack the sort of depth that the Nigerian people were desperately hoping for to arrest a very disappointing slide into financial anarchy.

Since the president assumed his mandate, it's an understatement to say the war on corruption has been anything but underwhelming.

play The president has not satisfactorily lived up to his tough words on corruption during his election campaign (AFP)

One of the most pronounced problems of the anti-corruption campaign is the absolute lack of any meaningful high profile conviction.

While Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, has maintained that the ministry recovers stolen funds, like, every day even though she won't account for exact figures, the number of high profile offenders going to jail for stealing in the first place is practically non-existent.

For example, former governor of Adamawa state, Bala Ngilari, was sentenced by the state's High Court to five years in prison on March 6, 2017, after he was accused by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of processing a N169 million contract without due process.

Not only was he sentenced to a prison of his own choosing, he was controversially granted bail only weeks later after citing medical concerns that included high blood pressure, diabetes and insomnia.

On July 20, a Court of Appeal in Yola dismissed all charges against Ngilari and set him free due to lack of merit and sufficient proof of the allegations against him.

Ngilari's case is representative of President Buhari's administration's anti-corruption campaign: disorderly and largely ineffective.

The government can make a case that it is recovering millions of stolen wealth all it wants, but without notable culprits to use as deterrents, it lacks required steam to front itself as a success.

The argument has been made several times by officials close to the presidency that corruption cases are very hard to prosecute especially in line with the dictates of the nation's laws, and this has some merit to it, so one might have a problem blaming the president for something that's so clearly out of his hands.

Except he isn't doing so well with what he actually has power over.

After months of mounting pressure, President Buhari suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal on April 19 due to allegations of his complicity in the misappropriation of funds earmarked for the welfare of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) through the Presidential Initiative on North East (PINE).

play Babachir Lawal has been a thorny issue for the president to deal with (Sahara Reporters)

The SGF was indicted by an ad-hoc Senate committee who alleged that he had awarded a contract of over N200 million to dispose of 'invasive plant species' in IDP camps to a company where he had vested interest.

Despite the Senate committee's recommendation that Lawal be removed as SGF to enable a proper prosecution of the allegations, President Buhari suspended him as a stopgap and set up another committee to conduct an investigation that had already been done.

In an earlier defence of Lawal in January, the presidency had dismissed the Senate committee's recommendation about the SGF's removal, saying that the report "does not meet the principles of fair hearing."

The new panel set up to investigate the allegations was headed by Vice President Osinbajo in collaboration with National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Monguno, and Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.

Another subject under investigation by the panel was the Director of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ayodele Oke, who was also suspended after his public involvement in the controversial N13 billion loot recovered by the EFCC from an Ikoyi apartment in April. He had laid claim to the funds, saying it was earmarked by the agency for covert operations.

Despite the fact that the Presidential Investigation Panel was supposed to take two weeks in April to submit their report to the president, his 103 days away in London derailed that timetable and meant Nigerians had to wait for months on the outcome of that report.

Nevertheless, there were rumours that the panel did find enough to recommend that the president dismiss Lawal and Oke from their positions.

After his return to the country in August, President Buhari made quite a public spectacle out of receiving the report from the panel with the Vice President saying the decision to act on the panel's recommendation rests on the president from that moment on.

play Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the presentation of the Presidential Investigation Panel Report to President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja
(Facebook/Sahara Reporters)

While addressing the media after the presentation, Osinbajo asked for patience from the Nigerian people on finding out what the outcome of their investigation was.

"If you want to know what is in the report you have to wait, you really have to wait," he said.

Now, in hindsight, those words are ominous as Nigerians continue to wait for the president to be done reading that document and deciding to tell the them what they might already know.

Well over a month after the president received the report, he's kept mum over what the way forward is and whether both federal employees will get fired and face subsequent investigations from anti-graft agencies.

President Buhari's reticence in dealing with Lawal and Oke has been attributed to the long standing relationship between Lawal and the president which dates all the way back to 2002, through his failed presidential bids.

play Could President Buhari be possibly holding back on Lawal due to personal ties? (Vanguard)

Lawal's ties to the president appears to be the only reason why the SGF is not being hounded by the prosecution team of the EFCC just yet.

It's reasonable to believe that Oke is also enjoying from that privilege because the president can't take any action against him without Lawal's situation being thrown into the mix, so it's a delicate situation for the nation's commander-in-chief.

For each day that passes without the president taking any definitive action on the perceived corruption right under his nose, the stench is going to overwhelm his government's most defining highlight.

Regardless of what happens from now on, the president might have already proved the sceptics right about his real disposition on corruption as something only the opposition gets punished for.

The corruption episode with Lawal, especially, was a great opportunity for President Buhari to put his foot down and show everyone the sincerity of his own words.

However, with the erratic way the process has been handled, he has not done his administration's anti-corruption war any favours.

The president might just have dealt the death blow to his own anti-corruption war.

Civil Defence to Recruit more 10,000 Personnel

Civil Defence to Recruit more 10,000 Personnel

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The Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Abdullahi Muhammadu Gana has requested for additional 10,000 personnel to be recruited into the service.

According to a statement from the corps spokesman Emmanuel Okeh, Gana made the  remark after the decoration of 10 senior officers promoted from the rank of Commandant to Assistant Commandant General at the Civil Defence Academy, Abuja.

Gana explained that the additional personnel is " in order to meet up with the demands from different Ministries, Department and Agencies of government seeking for deployment of the Corps personnel."

The CG clarified that the promotion of the officers was purely on merit, therefore they must justify the confidence given to them.

Gana also posited that, with the demand from Ministry of Agriculture, the Corps is expected to provide 6,000 personnel to protect the proposed 200 cattle ranches in order to curtail the incessant crisis between the Fulani herdsmen and Farmers.

He encouraged personnel to be patient as the management is working towards ensuring payment of their shift arrears, election allowances as soon as fund is made available by the Government and not to join rumour mongers speculating that their money was embezzled.

United Nations University Junior Fellows Internship Programme 2018

The United Nations University Office of the Rector recruits highly qualified applicants to work as Junior Fellows at the UNU headquarters in Tokyo. Junior Fellows are recruited through a competitive application process twice per year. Graduate students interested in the work of the United Nations — and in particular, UNU — are encouraged to apply.
The underlying principles of the Junior Fellows Internship Programme at the Office of the Rector are centred on creating a dynamic, challenging and rewarding experience for graduate level students and young professionals. Successful candidates will contribute to the work of the Office of the Rector, the United Nations University, and the UN system as a whole. The programme provides opportunities for the development of new skills and knowledge and is a unique and constructive setting for the practical application of capacities acquired through graduate studies.
The programme places a strong emphasis on the training, guidance, and hands-on experience that form the foundation of a successful and beneficial internship. The programme opens with a one-week orientation designed to familiarize junior fellows with UNU, their co-workers, facilities and the working processes within the Office of the Rector. The knowledge and practical experience gained will also be beneficial to those candidates seeking a career in the United Nations. Junior fellows at the Office of the Rector can expect to gain valuable work experience while contributing in meaningful ways to UNU’s mission.
Purpose
The purpose of the Junior Fellows Internship Programme at the Office of the Rector is:

• to provide opportunities for young professionals to gain in-depth, hands-on experience in a UN agency;
• to expose young professionals to an administrative working environment, and;
• to provide support to activities within the Office of the Rector.
• to promote interaction and dialogue between young scholars, professionals and UNU;
• to familiarize junior fellows with the activities of the Office of the Rector and the work of UNU;

Working Conditions
Running parallel to most university semesters, Junior Fellows are selected twice per year, once in May-June for the fall term and once in September-October for the spring term. The fall term begins in mid-August and lasts until mid-December. Starting 2016, the spring term will run from mid-January to the end of June. Visit the Application Process page for the specific dates for each term.
Junior Fellows work full time during the regular working hours of the University: 9:30–17:30, Monday to Friday. Weekends and official UNU holidays are days off. In addition, Junior Fellows are entitled to 1 day of leave per month. Junior Fellows are provided office space and facilities, as appropriate for their work, and are provided a monthly stipend in addition to a fixed transportation allowance for their commute to and from the UNU headquarters building. Junior Fellows also enjoy free access to the headquarters’ library and gym and have the unique opportunity to learn about, contribute to and provide assistance in the organization of conferences, lectures and academic forums and symposiums that take place throughout the year.
Work Assignments
Participants in this programme have the opportunity to engage in a number of ongoing initiatives that provide a unique window into the working processes of the University. Junior Fellows support the work of the Office of the Rector in the following areas:

• meeting coordination: logistical support and minute taking;
• editorial support: proof-reading reports and copy editing;
• communication: preparation and dissemination of newsletters, event summaries, and other communication documents.
• research and writing for institutional development: preparation of executive briefs on priority issues; background research and drafting of topical information briefs in support of internal policy development (i.e. related to the functioning of the University);
• planning: supporting the development of project management tools and systems;
• event coordination: supporting the organization of lectures, conferences, workshops, and other public events;

Criteria
The qualifications that are considered in each application process include, but are not limited to, the following. The candidate:

• has excellent research, writing and analytical skills;
• can establish and maintain effective working relations with people from diverse backgrounds;
• demonstrates resourcefulness and creativity in problem-solving;
• has advanced computer skills: sound, hands-on, knowledge of standard office software (word processing, spreadsheets, databases, etc.); and
• has a demonstrated interest in the work of the United Nations and more specifically, in the work of the United Nations University.
• is currently pursuing or has recently completed postgraduate studies (master’s or doctoral), preferably in a field related to the University’s work;
• is under 32 years of age at the time of application;
• must not have more than 5 years of work experience in their related field;
• has a native or near fluent command of written and spoken 

• Junior Fellows Internship Programme Office of the Rector

  Overview

  Applications procedure

  FAQ

  Related Files

  Contact

• POSITION:

  Executive Management, Institutional Development

  LOCATION:

  Tokyo, Japan

  Timezone:

  UTC +9

  CLOSING DATE:

  2017•10•29

  The United Nations University Office of the Rector recruits highly qualified applicants to work as Junior Fellows at the UNU headquarters in Tokyo. Junior Fellows are recruited through a competitive application process twice per year. Graduate students interested in the work of the United Nations — and in particular, UNU — are encouraged to apply.
  The underlying principles of the Junior Fellows Internship Programme at the Office of the Rector are centred on creating a dynamic, challenging and rewarding experience for graduate level students and young professionals. Successful candidates will contribute to the work of the Office of the Rector, the United Nations University, and the UN system as a whole. The programme provides opportunities for the development of new skills and knowledge and is a unique and constructive setting for the practical application of capacities acquired through graduate studies.
  The programme places a strong emphasis on the training, guidance, and hands-on experience that form the foundation of a successful and beneficial internship. The programme opens with a one-week orientation designed to familiarize junior fellows with UNU, their co-workers, facilities and the working processes within the Office of the Rector. The knowledge and practical experience gained will also be beneficial to those candidates seeking a career in the United Nations. Junior fellows at the Office of the Rector can expect to gain valuable work experience while contributing in meaningful ways to UNU’s mission.
  
  

  >

  Purpose

  The purpose of the Junior Fellows Internship Programme at the Office of the Rector is:
  

  • to promote interaction and dialogue between young scholars, professionals and UNU;
  • to familiarize junior fellows with the activities of the Office of the Rector and the work of UNU;
  • to provide opportunities for young professionals to gain in-depth, hands-on experience in a UN agency;
  • to expose young professionals to an administrative working environment, and;
  • to provide support to activities within the Office of the Rector.

  Working Conditions

  Running parallel to most university semesters, Junior Fellows are selected twice per year, once in May-June for the fall term and once in September-October for the spring term. The fall term begins in mid-August and lasts until mid-December. Starting 2016, the spring term will run from mid-January to the end of June. Visit the Application Process page for the specific dates for each term.
  Junior Fellows work full time during the regular working hours of the University: 9:30–17:30, Monday to Friday. Weekends and official UNU holidays are days off. In addition, Junior Fellows are entitled to 1 day of leave per month. Junior Fellows are provided office space and facilities, as appropriate for their work, and are provided a monthly stipend in addition to a fixed transportation allowance for their commute to and from the UNU headquarters building. Junior Fellows also enjoy free access to the headquarters’ library and gym and have the unique opportunity to learn about, contribute to and provide assistance in the organization of conferences, lectures and academic forums and symposiums that take place throughout the year.
  

  Work Assignments

  Participants in this programme have the opportunity to engage in a number of ongoing initiatives that provide a unique window into the working processes of the University. Junior Fellows support the work of the Office of the Rector in the following areas:
  

  • research and writing for institutional development: preparation of executive briefs on priority issues; background research and drafting of topical information briefs in support of internal policy development (i.e. related to the functioning of the University);
  • planning: supporting the development of project management tools and systems;
  • event coordination: supporting the organization of lectures, conferences, workshops, and other public events;
  • meeting coordination: logistical support and minute taking;
  • editorial support: proof-reading reports and copy editing;
  • communication: preparation and dissemination of newsletters, event summaries, and other communication documents.

  Criteria

  The qualifications that are considered in each application process include, but are not limited to, the following. The candidate:
  

  • is currently pursuing or has recently completed postgraduate studies (master’s or doctoral), preferably in a field related to the University’s work;
  • is under 32 years of age at the time of application;
  • must not have more than 5 years of work experience in their related field;
  • has a native or near fluent command of written and spoken English;
  • has excellent research, writing and analytical skills;
  • can establish and maintain effective working relations with people from diverse backgrounds;
  • demonstrates resourcefulness and creativity in problem-solving;
  • has advanced computer skills: sound, hands-on, knowledge of standard office software (word processing, spreadsheets, databases, etc.); and
  • has a demonstrated interest in the work of the United Nations and more specifically, in the work of the United Nations University.

  Management

  The Junior Fellows Internship Programme at the Office of the Rector is currently managed and supervised by Rachad Nassar, a former participant in the programme.
  

  Current Junior Fellows

  The Office of the Rector currently hosts two Junior Fellows: Mr. Bobur Nazarmuhamedov, currently a PhD candidate in international development at the University of Tsukuba, and Ms. Hannah Nono, currently pursuing a Master of Arts in International Relations at the University of Tokyo.
  

  Alumni

  Is considered alumnus any participant who has successfully completed all the programme requirements. To date, a total of 41 young professionals — 17 males and 24 females aged on average 26 — have participated in the programme. The Office of the Rector has welcomed participants from Afghanistan, Argentina, Australia, Botswana, Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Pakistan, Peru, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, Switzerland, Ghana, Uganda, Indonesia, Japan, Sweden, Canada, the United States of America, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.
  

  What have they become?

  Some of them continue working with international organisations, some of them join the private sector, others decide to study further: below is a list of a number of the programme’s alumni — alongside information on their respective function — which should provide prospective candidates with an understanding of what they could expect after their time at UNU.
  André Asplund, Postdoctoral Associate and Lecturer, MacMillan Center, Council on East Asia Studies, Yale Universtiy (USA)
  Elisabeth Asselin, Correspondence Officer, Canadian Human Rights Commission (Canada)
  Jonathan Auld, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, United Nations Population Fund (Nepal)
  SongYi Baek, Project Officer, The Export-Import Bank of Korea (Republic of Korea)
  Laurens Bistervels, Policy Officer, Asia and Oceania Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (the Netherlands)
  Daniel Bodonyi, Customer Experience Manager, Wahl & Case (Japan)
  Laura Bullon-Cassis, Civil Affairs Officer, United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (Haiti)
  Luke Hamilton, Legal Researcher, Irish Refugee Council (Ireland)
  Benoit Hardy-Chartrand, Research Associate – Global Security and Politics, Centre for International Governance Innovation (Canada)
  Kostas  Kononovas, Strategic Analyst, Macmillan Cancer Support (UK)
  Sultana Ladhani, Business Development Executive, Serco (UK)
  William Lanning, Presidential Management Fellow, Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Government (USA)
  Wrenn Yennie Lindgren, Research Fellow, Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (Norway)
  Neelam Melwani, Second Secretary, Political Affairs, Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United Nations (USA)
  Valerie Moreyra, Princeton in Latin America Fellow, United Nations World Food Programme (Panama)
  Menaal Munshey, Junior Researcher, United Nations University Centre for Policy Research (Japan)
  Rachad Nassar, Programme Associate, Office of the Rector, United Nations University (Japan)
  André Neto-Bradley, PhD candidate, Center for Doctoral Training in Future Infrastructure & Built Environment, University of Cambridge (UK)
  Yuko Oaku, Coordination Specialist, UN Resident Coordinator’s Office (Maldives)
  Ruth O’Brien, International Liaison Officer, Abbey College (UK)
  Katariina Oivo, Attaché, Ministry for Foreign Affairs (Finland)
  Emmi Okada, Programme Officer, United Nations Development Programme (Timor-Leste)
  Sandeep Rajgopal, Programme Assistant, Office of the Rector, United Nations University (Japan)
  Nancy Roberts, Programme Officer, Office of the Rector, United Nations University (Japan)
  Sebastian Scholl, PhD student, International Economic Development, Waseda University (Japan)
  Lee Schrader, JSPS Postdoctoral Fellow, United Nations University Centre for Policy Research (Japan)
  Amelia Thomson, Law student, BPP University, (UK)
  Wazhma Wesa, Director of Afghanistan National Development Strategy, Ministry of Finance, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (Afghanistan)
  Bima Wicaksono, International Relations Graduate student, Tsinghua University (China)
  

  https://youtu.be/pe1x2LgPKHA

  
  
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BIG ANNOUNCEMENT! The Nicest Place in America is…

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT! The Nicest Place in America is…

Be Gentle and Smile - Daily Inspiration

Be Gentle and Smile - Daily Inspiration

 

Who forces time is pushed back by time;
who yields to time finds time on his side.
- The Talmud

In a gentle way, you can shake the world.
- Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi

I have three precious things which I hold fast and prize.
The first is gentleness;
the second is frugality;
the third is humility, which keeps me from putting myself before others.
Be gentle and you can be bold;
be frugal and you can be generous;
avoid putting yourself before others
and you can become a leader among men.
- Lao Tzu

Smile.
Today would be a wonderful day
not to take life so seriously.
Today may end up the way you prefer -
and it may not.
Happiness is not about being a winner -
it's about being gentle with life -
being gentle with yourself.
Let life be a dance,
and choose the kind of
dance you want for today -
perhaps a gentle loving dance.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie
Further reading: Tending the Garden of Our Lives
Depressed? Laugh!
Is There Virtue In Avoiding Battles?
      

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May the world be kind to you,
and may your own thoughts be gentle upon yourself.