About the Organization

Coope Sol i Dar: A Professional Services Cooperative For Social Solidarity is an initiative carried out by a group of professionals interested in establishing bridges between conservation and development, primarily for local communities. The interdisciplinary group's experience has centered around: supporting decision making processes at different levels, strategic planning, workshop facilitation as part of more comprehensive processes, protected area management plans, environmental education, community support, sustainable biodiversity use and legislative assessments. The processes developed over the years of experience have been done by mulit-disciplinary and inter-institutional groups, with broad participation. The Coope Sol i Dar team has participated in initiatives with multi-lateral organizations, the Central American governments, non-governmental institutions, and grass-roots organizations.

Coope Sol i Dar is a cooperative composed of people wiht different areas of expertise, knowledge and interest founded on an ethical base of common values, with social and cultural commitment that dignifies work within a framework of respect and happiness.

Their mission is to propose innovative alternatives so cultural and biological wealth may contribute to improving the population's quality of life, with justice and equity, by working with participatory decision-making processes, from individual and collective spaces, to the local, national, and international levels.

Their general objective of the organization is to promote actions to reduce biodiversity losses and ensure access to biodiversity and a just and equitable distribution of the benefits derived from using its elements, to improve the quality of life for people and broaden civil society's development opportunities. Their specific objectives are:

1) to promote opening and strengthening participation to influence (administrative, political, and institutional) decisions so there will be a return to community interest and fair and equitable distribution of the benefits derived from using natural resources.

2) to promotoe south-to-south exchanges and learning to fortify regional positioning and generate strategic alliances.

3) to promotoe transfer and assimilation of knowledge, tools, and lessons learned from local levels to national and international levels, in a two-way process.

4) to recognize, value, respect, and share knowledge and turn it into learning.

5) to promotoe a comprehensive, trans-disciplinary vision of environmental management and community development.

6) and to evidence the contribution given by the different life forms and cultural practices to conservation and social development, based on their potential and environmental limits within their surroundings.

CoopeSol i Dar believes that the following ideology is fundamental to its creation:

• We believe that we have the responsibility for returning the educational and developmental opportunities that society has given us back to it, especially for the less fortunate.
• We believe that reflection helps us stop and evaluate our past actions so that they enrich our future.
• We believe that all human beings have rights inherent to their dignity as a person, so respecting human rights is a necessary condition for sustainable development.
• We believe that all human beings have the right to be different, respecting their way of thinking and acting through tolerance.
• We believe that each person is part of the social, economic, biological, and historical context, which provides each person with a particular world vision, which turns into broader, more comprehensive ways of dealing with issues such as gender, inter-generational equity, and fair, equitable distribution of benefits.
• We believe that each person has the right to information and communication, in two-way processes, with transparency and honesty during information exchange.
• We are recovering the need for the concept of a participatory, integrated state that respects the different rights of heterogeneous human groups with different visions of development.

At this cooperative, Coope Sol i Dar uses everything possible to achieve the following aspirations:

• Independence
• Solidarity
• Equity
• Excellence
• Transparency

Job Description

Interns will be assigned specific objectives and tasks consistent with their previous preparation and the particular needs of the program.

Some illustrative project activities include:

Tarcoles Fishing Cooperative: the intern could live and work in the fishing community of Tarcoles. There are a variety of areas that an intern could work in including organizational and business strengthening; diversification and production alternatives; community resource management (waste management, recycling, product handling; improved storage); fisheries biology research activities; delimitation of fishing areas; training in more sustainable fishing practices; work on a fisheries code/standard; training in tourism and hotel basics, including teaching functional English, and development of visual aids for training; teaching computer classes; providing positive activities for at-risk youth in areas such as art and music; community development programs, gender issues; etc.

Interns may also be based in San Jose with periodic stays within the project area. Interns will prepare a specific work plan with their supervisor (Biologist Vivienne Solis for Coopertarcoles) and have monthly performance reviews. Other technical staff are available for consultation. Coope Sol i Dar personnel and resource persons will provide on-site orientation to cultural aspects of working with fishing communities.

# of Positions per term

1

Start Dates

Any academic quarter or semester

Duration of Internship

3-6 Months

Academic Background

Environmental Science/Studies, Marine Biology, Fisheries, Biology, Parks and Recreation, Gender Studies, Organization Management, Conflict Resolution, Community Development, Youth Development, or related areas

Skills/Experience

Management, organizational development, social communications regarding gender in development. Flexible, adaptable, person who will be respectful of the local culture and not try to change that culture. Previous experience living/studying in Latin America highly advisable.

Language Ability

Completion of 3rd year university level Spanish required. More preferred. Previous experience living or studying in Latin America strongly preferred.

Other Requirements

Good interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills, team work, cultural sensitivity and flexibility to adapt to on-going and multiple activities.

Total costs vary depending on how long you plan to be abroad, where you will be living, your personal spending habits, and current exchange rates. The following estimates will give you a ballpark figure for this internship. Get help with the math from our handy Cost Calculator.

IE₃ Program Fee

The program fee for the first term of any internship is $2,750 - $2,950. You do not pay tuition in addition to the program fee. Visit your University's IE₃ page for details, costs for additional terms, and campus administrative fees.

Estimated One-Time Expenses

Expense Type	Price
International Travel	$800-$900
Visa Fees
Recommended Immunizations

*See Additional Cost Information below.

Estimated Monthly Expenses

Expense Type	Price/month
Housing	$330-$450*
Food	$50-$200*
Local Transportation	$50
Recreation	$50
Personal Expenses	$50

Compensation

None.

Additional Expense Information

*Housing with a homestay family in San Jose can be arranged. The cost is approximately $300-$330 for homestay family with 2 meals/day and laundry. Housing in the field runs roughly $25-$20 per day and meals about $12 per day. Plan an additional $150-$200 per month for incidentals, local transport, travel, and recreation. Housing with a host family in the community of Tarcoles can be arranged. The cost will be less than in San Jose.

This is a short video in Spanish about the organization Coope Sol i Dar:

This is a short video about the community of Tarcoles on the coast. Coope Sol i Dar has a long term project in Tarcoles and this is where an intern would spend most of their time. It is in Spanish with English subtitles.

Coope Sol I Dar

San Jose Information

San Jose Tourist Information