Jonathan Duprat serves as United Nations Center for Regional Development (UNCRD) in Nagoya, Japan. Jonathan is supported by a grant from the UNA-USA Fellowship Initiative.

My name is Jonathan Duprat, I am a graduate student with Arizona State University’s Master in International Affairs & Leadership program. I’m from the south of the United States having lived in both Florida and Alabama. I am honored to have been interning with the United Nations Center for Regional Development (UNCRD) in Nagoya, Japan as well as being a UNA-USA fellow since the 29th of August.

Living in Japan has been a unique experience that not only has given me a new
perspective on life, but also professionally related to the work we do at UNCRD. The
Center is a hub for sustainable development research and communications in Asia and
reaches further beyond. Japan is a nation that has deeply integral laws and community
initiatives related to waste sorting, management, and disposal, as well as sustainable,
efficient and affordable public transport. While the United States has placed a great
emphasis on improving how we treat the environment in our everyday lives, it is not to
the standard that I have seen. I hope to take not only the skills and knowledge from my
internship here back to the United States but also become more engaged in affairs
related to sustainable development and environmentally stable business practices.

The skills I have fostered beyond research on environmental practices and law also extends to international networking skills with government officials, ministers, and experts. These are skills that are extremely important to not only the United Nations mission but also to helping connect our globalized world overall. If there is anything I can say I am taking away as I proceed with the next month of my time with the United Nations it would certainly be the skills you develop in communications that are applicable in your professional and personal life. I am honored to be surrounded by so many experts and supportive people at my office that have given me advice and helped me in this fast paced international environment.

UNA-USA is a community that I owe much to in terms of helping me advance my professional skills and to be more sure about myself in life. I hope to continue to be a part of this community going forward bringing awareness to it and the United Nations wider goals of bringing the world together against various struggles in our times. UNCRD has been a real eye opening experience for me about how truly dangerous our attitude toward the environment has been, and while there are many experts doing amazing jobs of developing countermeasures and bringing awareness the future lies in the hands of us the youth to truly fix.

UNA-USA has been a phenomenal opportunity that I hope gets more attention as it is setting up a wave of young professionals to play key roles in changing our country and world for the better.