Darko Petrović

I was born in Belgrade (Serbia) in 1985 to my Serbian father and Polish mother where I have spent my early childhood until 1994. As of then I have been on a turbulent tour for quite some time, first for three years in Kraków (Poland), then for eight years in Hamburg (Germany), where I have received my high school diploma, until I have finally settled in the Netherlands for additional four years at the Maastricht University. Here I have recently graduated a BA in European Studies and an MSc in Public Policy and Human Development through which I covered a rich variety of topics, ranging from the Eurovision Song Contest to the ban of cluster munitions and over-fishing in West Africa. In between I have been at many places for various reasons, among which my personal highlights have been two internships at and with the United Nations in New York (2007) and Madagascar (2008) respectively. Owing to my background I have developed great enthusiasm about everything related to international affairs, history, politics, culture and development. Since my high school I have been especially passionate about Model United Nations and during my time in Maastricht I have established together with my fellow students the inter-facultary United Nations Student Association (UNSA) and one of the largest Model UN conferences in Europe – the European Model United Nations. Owing to my engagement in many UN related extra-curricular activities in Maastricht and abroad as well as my EU and development related curricula at the Maastricht University I have also developed a passion for humanitarian work. Most notably, this has manifested itself in the establishment of the UNSA's Project Committee aiming to help achieve on a local level the MDGs in developing countries, my participation in various activities related to the ban of cluster munitions and in particular my recent Master Thesis on the relationship between food security through sustainable fisheries and the prevention of armed conflict. Especially through the thesis I have gained key insights on the importance of food not only in terms of human development but also the maintenance of international peace and security. This allowed me to further understand the various links that are at the base of many international challenges, many of which all boil down to one issue – food security (surprised?). This is precisely the issue into which I expect to engage myself more intensively in the future. For this reason, I am particularly happy and honored to be given the extraordinary opportunity to work in partnership with TNT at the World Food Programme in The Gambia. I am convinced that the internship will further broaden my horizon and I hope to be able to assist the UN in the field with the best of my knowledge, motivation and above all passion for achieving positive results. I expect my engagement to be both enriching and challenging but since I also hope to be in my 'free time' also a youth basketball coach I guess that it will be also some serious fun ;) Of course, all for a good cause.