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A Voice For the Voiceless

The Advocacy Project helps marginalized communities to tell their story, claim their rights and produce social change. We recruit graduate students to volunteer as Peace Fellows with partners.

The Impact of Service "Speaking with locals and living in a country is the best way to learn about the real lives of citizens, not just the stories in the mainstream media. I will be more critical of what I read as a result of this experience. I also feel even more grateful for my education, and I feel a stronger responsibility to assist others who do not have resources or access to opportunities in their communities." Maria Skouras (New York University) volunteered in 2011 as a Peace Fellow for eHomemakers in Malaysia. For more 2011 feedback click here.

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From Braille to Bonsais: July 20, 2011

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AdvocacyNet
Bulletin 206

July 20, 2011

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From Braille to Bonsais
Highlights from the Advocacy Project July Blogs


Thirty Peace Fellows are volunteering for social justice in 15 countries. All are producing blogs and tweets. This is the second of several blog summaries. We encourage readers to visit their blogs directly and share your thoughts on their excellent work.


Microcredit for the Blind in Bangladesh
Amanda Lasik (UC San Diego)
"During one of my community visits in Barisal, 25 people crowded into a tiny house to eagerly tell me what they had purchased with their loan or why they had joined the community group. One group member told me that she was not interested in a loan at this time but had joined the group to learn about and discuss disability issues with members of her community. As I looked around the packed room, I got the feeling that the disability education being shared by this group was much more powerful than what could be conveyed by a colorful brochure or a glitzy website." Read more... 
Amanda is working with the Blind Education and Rehabilitation Development Organization (BERDO) in Bangladesh.


No Quick Fix from Oil in Belize
Amy Bracken (Tufts University)
"The prospect of oil in one's backyard can spark the imagination, eliciting hopes of quick development and wealth, an escape from the hardship of daily life. USCE might indeed build a swing set or a building to house a clinic and bring some computers to a village. It might also provide some temporary jobs and pave a road, but the real long-term and irreversible impacts just might be environmental, economic, and cultural devastation." Read More... 
Amy is working with Sarstoon Temash Institute for Indigenous Management (SATIIM) in Belize.

 
Gypsy Hatred in the Czech Republic
Beth Wofford (University of Maryland)
"The women told stories which made me marvel at the cruelty of people. When they would go into stores they would overhear managers telling employees, "Watch that gypsy. They like to steal." If they would pass a mother and her baby, the mother would tell her children, "Don't let that dirty gypsy touch you." Emilie's grandson reminisces about his time in Canada, "They don't look at us there. They actually smile. Here they will smile at your face and then talk about you as soon as you turn around." Read More...
Beth is working with the Dzeno Association in Czech Republic.

 
Enslaving the Hand that Feeds in Nepal
Chantal Uwizera (American University)
"We were served by a waiter who was probably around the age of 12. He cleaned our tables, cleared away the dirty dishes, brought us water and took our orders, tasks that he performs many times throughout the day and into the night. His piercing eyes seemed to silently condemn us for enjoying the naan that was served to us. I couldn't help but notice how many children were working in teashops and restaurants in Nepalgunj." Read More...
Chantal is working with Backward Society Education (BASE) in Nepal.

 
Caro's Narrow Escape from FGM in Kenya
Charlotte Bourdillon (Tufts University)
"At the age of 13, Caroline underwent genital cutting, and was placed in a year of isolation in preparation for marriage. 'My father was not ready for my education,' she says. She was in grade 4at the time. On the final day before she was due to be married, Caro whispered a plea to her cousin, who in turn told her aunt. That aunt helped Caro escape and continue with her schooling. 'What drives me to do this? I was cut, and through this I understand the pain of other girls.'" Read More...
Charlotte is working with the Kakenya Center for Excellence in Kenya.

 
The Healing Power of the Bonsai in Vietnam
Ryan McGovern (Suffolk University)
"One day he ventured deep into the forest searching for young bonsais he could cultivate when he stumbled upon one of several thousand unexploded bombs still scattered in the country, losing his right hand. Now this might cause many people to question how they spend their leisure time, but not Mr. Can, as he took his passion one step further by making it his vocation. He saw there was money to be made from bonsais, so why not combine his love of bonsais with his livelihood?" Read More... 
Ryan is working with the Association for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (AEPD) in Vietnam.



When Sonu and Rekha Eloped
Samantha Syverson (Georgetown University)
"Sonu and Rekha both come from working class migrant communities from different regions and religions. They met in Halol where Sonu lived with his mother, who rented a space in Rekha's family home. Sonu was born female but identifies as male. The two are close in age and over time their friendship developed into love. On January 1, 2006 Sonu and Rekha ran away together. Rekha's family charged Sonu with abduction and theft." Read More...
Samantha is working with PARMA in India.

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