Beyond the Minefield
When people think about humanitarian demining, they may picture individuals working in former conflict zones, carefully locating and removing landmines and unexploded ordnance. That work is central to creating safer communities, but during my summer fellowship with The HALO Trust, I learned that the effort to support humanitarian demining extends far beyond the minefield.
Humanitarian action is supported by a network of advocates, policymakers, organizations, researchers, and communities. Support must be built, relationships must be maintained, and people must understand why an issue that may seem geographically distant still matters.
During my fellowship with The HALO Trust's Congressional Outreach and Grassroots Advocacy department, I had the opportunity to explore this side of humanitarian work. My experience included congressional advocacy, researching potential partnerships across five states, and developing collaborative ideas at the University of Dayton. Although these projects were different, they shared a common goal: expanding awareness and support for humanitarian demining.
Bringing Humanitarian Demining to Congress
One of the most meaningful experiences of my fellowship was participating directly in congressional outreach.
I visited Representative Victoria Spartz to advocate for support for humanitarian demining. This experience gave me the opportunity to communicate why continued support for demining matters and to see firsthand how advocacy can connect global humanitarian issues with elected officials.
I also visited Senator Todd Young's office to thank him for his continued support of humanitarian demining. While advocacy often involves asking policymakers to support a particular issue, this experience showed me another important side of congressional outreach: maintaining relationships with those who have already demonstrated their commitment.
These visits helped me better understand that advocacy is not simply about making a request. It also involves education, communication, and relationship-building. Policymakers face countless competing priorities, making it important for advocates and organizations to clearly communicate why an issue deserves continued attention and support.
My experience also connected directly to my academic interests in political science and human rights. I have studied how political decisions can affect people and communities, but this fellowship allowed me to see that connection outside of the classroom. Policymakers' decisions can influence the resources and support available for humanitarian programs worldwide.
Searching for New Partnerships
Another major part of my fellowship involved researching potential organizations and institutions that could support or partner with HALO Trust USA.
I researched organizations in Alabama, Indiana, Ohio, Utah, and Pennsylvania, looking for groups and institutions whose missions or interests could align with HALO's work. I compiled my findings into a spreadsheet that could serve as a resource for identifying potential future partnerships and outreach opportunities.
This project required me to think beyond simply finding organizations with similar missions. I considered what types of groups might be interested in international affairs, human rights, post-conflict recovery, humanitarian action, or related issues. I also explored how potential partnerships could help introduce HALO's mission to new audiences.
This experience demonstrated the importance of collaboration in advocacy. Humanitarian organizations cannot raise awareness or build support alone. Partnerships can create opportunities to share resources, reach different communities, and connect people around a common cause.
Researching organizations across five states also helped me see how a global issue can connect to local communities. Support for humanitarian demining does not have to begin in Washington, D.C., or in a country affected by conflict. It can also grow through universities, community organizations, institutes, advocacy groups, and other institutions across the United States.
From Global Advocacy to the University of Dayton
My fellowship also allowed me to think about how HALO's mission could connect with my own campus community.
I created a list of ideas for potential collaboration between HALO Trust USA, the University of Dayton Human Rights Center, and other organizations and groups across campus. I considered ways that students and members of the university community could learn more about humanitarian demining and engage with broader issues surrounding conflict, human rights, and post-conflict recovery.
Possible opportunities for collaboration could include educational programming, speakers, campus events, student advocacy, and partnerships with academic departments or student organizations.
This project was particularly meaningful to me because it connected my fellowship experience with the community where I study. As a Political Science and Human Rights student, I spend much of my time learning about global issues, political systems, and the protection of human rights. This project encouraged me to think about how those conversations could move beyond the classroom.
It also reinforced an important lesson from my fellowship: global issues become more meaningful when people can connect them to their own communities.
One Goal, Many Connections
My summer with The HALO Trust included several projects, but each one contributed to the same larger goal: building support for humanitarian demining.
Congressional outreach can help ensure that policymakers understand the importance of continued support. Partnerships can introduce an organization's mission to new communities and audiences. Universities and campus organizations can create opportunities for students to learn about and advocate for global humanitarian issues.
My fellowship showed me how all of these pieces connect.
Humanitarian demining is ultimately about creating safer communities and allowing people to recover and rebuild after conflict. Supporting that work, however, requires more than what happens in the field. It requires advocacy, awareness, collaboration, and people who are willing to connect policy decisions to the lives of communities around the world.
From visiting congressional offices to researching organizations across five states and exploring potential partnerships at the University of Dayton, I saw how advocacy can operate at multiple levels. A conversation with a policymaker, a new organizational partnership, or an event on a college campus may seem very different from humanitarian work taking place in a former conflict zone. Yet each can play a role in building the support necessary for that work to continue.
My experience with The HALO Trust gave me a new perspective on the relationship between policy, advocacy, and human rights. More importantly, it showed me that supporting humanitarian action is not limited to one place or one type of work. It can begin in congressional offices, communities, universities, and conversations—and ultimately connect people across borders in support of a safer world.
Sophie is a senior with a double major in political science and human rights, with minors in communications and criminal justice studies. On campus, she is involved in the Kappa Delta sorority and serves as the Professional Development and Marketing and Communications Ambassador with the Office of Learning Resources.