Let's Talk Human Rights

“Women of African descent have been the most oppressed and vulnerable group of women for 500 years; because of the exploitation, because of the building of an identity that was not ours, and a building of a narrative that has kept us discriminated against. And so, in the event that we have another decade [on people for African descent]. I have already placed in my report to the United Nations in November of this year the perspective that if we have another decade that it must also focus on issues related to women of African descent. We cannot for another 10 years be at the bottom of every relevant statistic globally.”

After working with coffee almost every day for 3 months, I will never experience a hot glass of that rich drink the same.

Kevin spent his summer in The Gambia working with The Center for Research and Policy Development—a non-profit, non-partisan entity dedicated to social research, advocacy, and capacity building for inclusive democratic governance.

This summer, I worked with IGED-Africa, contributing to projects addressing women's property rights, period poverty, and more, while also engaging in research for potential partnerships and engagement opportunities.

This summer, Aila Carr-Chellman and Mercy John spent time working at Counterpart International, an International Development NGO. Though each student worked within the Governance office their focuses diverged into the Iraq Civil Society and El Salvador.

Step into the world of digital advocacy with Bryn and AI Intelligence with Olive, as they share their experience with the Gender Tech Initiative Uganda.

Gabriela Garlo spent her summer in Washington DC as a fellow working with Halo Trust USA and remotely working with Legacies of War to advocate for demining.

After experiencing 22 years of dictatorship, The Gambia is now on a path of rebirth and reconstruction. The emblem of this movement for change is The Gambia’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). Established in 2017, the NHRC is composed of dedicated commissioners and staff that are professionals with a wide range of backgrounds ranging from ex police officers, lawyers, ministry of justice staff and more. However diverse their backgrounds may be, their passion for protecting and promoting human rights unifies them and allows them to work together towards making The Gambia a country that exercises human rights.

Going door to door seems outdated, but at Environment America, canvassing is a crucial part of advocating for the environment. After my first three weeks of canvassing, I switched over to focus on the legal side of the Old Growth Amendment, doing outreach for the Plastic Pellets Free Waters Campaign, and setting up for Lobby Day.

Curious what the summer looks like for a research intern, volunteer, and part-time engineer? Keep reading to hear about my experience in Ghana.