- Name: Paul Diamond
- Age: 50
- Current location: Toronto, Canada
- Home town: Glasgow, Scotland
- Education: Bsc Anthology & Archaeology
- Current position: Co-Director, The Sandwatch Foundation + Director, Special Projects, The Zemi Foundation
- Organization description: Sandwatch is a UNESCO funded/supported environmental program, active in 50+ developing countries around the world: www.sandwatchfoundation.org. The Zemi Foundation (www.zemiglobal.org) is a cultural resource management organization active all around the Caribbean.
- Bio: For Paul Diamond, an education in archaeology, and expertise as a computer technician, has meant a career spent working in the Caribbean sun. After leaving IBM Canada, he helped St. Kitts and Nevis create their first computer labs, developed the national computer curriculum for the British Virgin Islands, and served as the Senior Technical Officer at the Nevis Historical and Conservation Society. His Sandwatch Foundation is funded by UNESCO, and he currently runs the Zemi Foundation.
- Countries I've worked in: St Kitts & Nevis, British Virgin Islands, Belize and short term in Guyana, The Seychelles, The Cape Verde Islands, The Bahamas
- Sector / subsectors: Enivronmental Sciences, Education, IT, Climate Change
- Country: Bahamas, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Cape Verde Islands, Guyana, Seychelles, St Kitts & Nevis
- Region: Central America, Caribbean
- Sector: Education, Environmental, Government, International development, IT, Science
- Degree subject: Anthropology, Archaeology
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Tell us about the organization you work for and your role there.Read more
How can you track and study something as vast and subtle as climate change? Answer: You need a lot of people. Paul tells us about grassroots research, and the rise of “citizen science”.
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Describe a day or week in your working life.
Working with UNESCO, while being able to travel anywhere in the world? Paul gives us insight into his not-so-average average day.
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Tell us about your career trajectory, what skills and experience contributed to the attainment of your current role?
Paul’s career has come full circle. From travelling the world working on archaeological digs straight out of university, to living the corporate life in Toronto while working for IBM, and finally, living life on the road, in his favourite destinations.
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Tell us about some of the things you enjoy most abut working in an international setting, both personally and professionally.
Cliche or not, Paul tells us his favourite thing about working internationally.
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Describe any professional challenges that you've encountered while working cross-culturally.
Moving to a Caribbean island? Time to get a new watch.
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What abilities and qualities does it take to be able to succeed in this kind of work specifically and international work in general?
Paul tells us the most important skills you need to work abroad.
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What kinds of jobs are out there at the moment in your field? Where do you see openings developing?
Paul talks to us about getting a job, and the skills you need to make a difference.
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What are some possible entry points? Do you think having a specific degree or type of education is important or relevant to getting work in your field?
If you’ve got your heart set on working with the UN, you better have a Master’s... but the environmental field is wide open.
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What's your best advice in terms of tangible steps a person could take to move into this kind of work?
Paul breaks down his best tips, and gives us a road map on how to enter this field…and succeed.
