What happens when you put 14 Type A people together for a weekend...

I just got back from my training session for my internship. I met the other 13 interns who will be joining me on this programme. Most of us will be in the Balkans with the exception of Kat in The Gambia and Marc and Per in Bangladesh.

You know those dumb advertisements you see in magazines and on TV "Meet Tomorrow's Leaders"? That's exactly what this was. Our coordinator described us as "the best of the best" (and yes, I'm going to write this because I'm sure the only people who will be reading this are the other interns themselves). I was intimidated to be with such a group of people but we quickly became friends.

So is this what human rights are all about? 14 of us in cramped quarters, no air conditioning, wretched weather, perpetual bad hair days and living with people whom you've just met yet feel like you've known forever. For once, it was nice to talk with others of similar backgrounds about democracy, racism and governance without reverting to tree-hugging hippie ramblings.

Of course, our nightly debates were fueled by copious amounts of liquor and I developped a particular affinity for Jack (as in Daniels) [Thanks Marc!]. Kat's right: Keith's should be sponsoring our next get-together.

I was able to cry on someone's shoulder without feeling like an idiot and talk about wanting to change the world and having him agree with me.

I left the week with inspiration that people truly can make a difference. We're all going to prestigious organisations where we will have the chance to contribute, help and learn a little about the world and a lot about ourselves and what we can do. We all agree that there's something special about the group and I know we'll be meeting again (and again) in the future.