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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The Fellowship Pr... > Blogging for Peace > 2003 > From the Field, A...

From the Field, August 6-Sept. 3, 2003

Highlights:


Post-Communism, Czechs Still Adjusting to Capitalist Life

Kim Birdsall (Georgetown University, Dzeno Association) describes a city in flux, busy making the physical adjustments from communism to capitalism, but mentally still in transition:

"For many years, Prague has been in a state of constant construction, green scaffolding and wooden planks ever-present on buildings that are forever being refurbished... It seems to me that they are still catching up on infrastructure updates from the neglect of the Communist era. The constant rebuilding and developments are another manifestation of the Czech Republic’s adjustment to a new and unfamiliar capitalist economy.

Much of the reconstruction involves cleaning the exteriors of buildings, painstakingly removing years of soot, grime, and pollution that cover the gorgeous facades. Tourists like to see monuments and churches that have been restored to their former glory, and much of the work seems to be for their benefit. Entrepreneurs are now trying to make back the bucks denied to them under Communism, as witnessed by the marked-up tourist prices on everything sold around the most-visited castles and cathedrals...

Under communism, everyone who did the same job was paid the same wage, and there were no rewards for hard work or extra hours. For that reason, even though people still continue the practice of arriving to work in the wee hours of the morning, workers lack motivation and employee productivity is not always high. I do not notice this phenomenon at Dzeno, but it may be because the staff is young and dedicated. Even though I don’t feel as if I work longer or harder than in the United States, Ivan is always commenting on how busy and productive I am, as if it is an unexpected thing."

Kathmandu Rocked by Protests as Peace Talks Falter

AP intern Katherine Kuo (Georgetown University, Collective Campaign for Peace) describes the situation in Kathmandu during her time there, as the peace talks between the Maoists and the Nepalese government stagnated:

"Kathmandu has been rocked by protests this summer... I ran into a mass rally of political parties demanding the overthrow of the monarchy in June. A number of student organizations mounted their own demonstrations, demanding free education through secondary school, and closing and vandalizing a number of schools... The government, fearful of losing public support, refrained from making any arrests over these incidents. Even the staff of the Yak and Yeti Hotel, a prestigious local hotel, went on strike this week, forcing a Malaysian group promoting Marlboro to move to the Hyatt. King Gyanendra still lives under an intense cloud of suspicion because of the murder of the last king's entire family in June 2001. These demonstrations have placed significant strain on the government, which was already struggling to deal with the Maoists, the stagnant talks, and deteriorating public opinion.

...In the last few weeks, security has increased significantly in the Kathmandu area. Police and army patrol the streets by night, stopping every vehicle that drives by. The Maoists continue to threaten individuals and organizations in several districts. Most people I speak to are very worried, and believe that these talks will result in nothing, and that violence will break out again. Public opinion is overwhelmingly against the resumption of hostilities... The Maoists will lose public support if they begin fighting, and the monarchy must ensure that the talks are successful to maintain what little legitimacy it still has. Many youths from conflict-affected areas have migrated to India, fearful that violence will break out again and that they will be forcibly conscripted by the Maoists, or arrested and tortured by the army for being suspected Maoists."

[Editor’s Note: The peace talks and ceasefire agreement between the Nepalese government and the Maoists collapsed on August 27th]

Italy's Article 18 Helps Trafficking Victims and Prosecutors Alike

Julie Lee (Georgetown University, TAMPEP) recently interviewed Turin law enforcement officials about Article 18, the law that makes it possible to grant resident status to victims of trafficking.

"Italian law generally does not permit foreigners in Italy to legalize their status if they entered the country illegally.

A significant exception to the policy relates to victims of trafficking. Article 18 of law no. 286/1998 provides temporary residence permits for 'reasons of social protection.'

Dr. Fulvia Morsaniga is Chief Commissary of the State Police, Immigration Office in the Questura. The Immigration Office is responsible for distributing residency permits. Victims obtain permits in two ways: the judicial route (when they file formal complaints and testify in court) or the social route (when they choose not to file a criminal complaint, but make a statement that attests to their victimization). Under the judicial route, the Prosecutor decides whether or not to grant the permit. Under the social route, the Questura decides whether or not to grant the permit.

Dr. Morsaniga states that regardless of whether a person decides to cooperate with the legal prosecution of his or her traffickers, a denouncement will be made. In this case, the police make a denouncement. If the police do not have enough information to make a denouncement, then they do not issue a permit, she says. From this standpoint, Article 18 is an important mechanism for law enforcement to gain the cooperation of victims in trafficking investigations.

Dr. Morsaniga participated in TAMPEP’s 'Turnaround' Project in Nigeria, a campaign aimed at sensitizing civil society and warning at- risk women of the dangers of trafficking. She believes that international cooperation is key to helping curb human trafficking in Europe, and envisions an international office comprised of national police forces to assist in investigations and the transfer of information.

For the moment though, Article 18 suits law enforcement officials in Turin just fine."

Wrestling with Self-Censorship in Lebanon

Courtney Radsch (Georgetown University, the Middle East Reporter) has also been working part-time at an English-language newspaper in Beirut. She describes the dilemma one story posed for the paper’s editorial staff.

"The story involved a Kurdish student in Syria who was arrested while sitting for exams. It was a small story, but clearly implied a much larger and important issue. The article off the wires, however, did not go beyond a description of what happened or put the story into the larger context of the Syrian treatment of Kurds or the political issues surrounding the Kurdish minority in Syria.

"You have to know that we won't get into Syria tomorrow if we publish this story, even if it's a brief, and I don't think it's worth it," one staff member told Rami [the news editor].

But this is not the standard that should be used to judge whether the paper covers a story or not, explained Rami. We must decide whether our readers in Kuwait or Jordan need to know this story - if it is newsworthy in and of itself regardless of the potential effects on distribution. We decided that it wasn't worth an inside story, so we had to decide whether to run it as a brief. Rami once again explained that the distribution criteria should not play a role in this decision process, but that since the article was limited in scope and we didn't know if this was something that happens often or had happened in the past in Syria we would not run the story.

I think the decision not to run the story was a good one because the article lacked context. I suspect that the arrest of this Kurdish minority student is important and potentially reveals a more profound issue in Syrian politics. But the story did not explain what this was or add any value beyond reporting an isolated event. However, the conversation about censorship and distribution demonstrated first hand the challenges of publishing a free and independent newspaper in an authoritarian country."

In Bosnia, Intern Wanted: Must Have Web Skills, Proposal Writing Ability, and a Sympathetic Ear

Marta Schaaf (Columbia University, Bosfam) explains that being a good intern with Bosfam, a woman’s organization in Srebrenica, demanded not just proposal writing skills, but humanity:

"On my last day at Bosfam, many of the members told me that it would feel strange for them to spend their days in Bosfam’s Center in Tuzla without my regularly joining them for coffee. It will be strange for me too.

Although I sometimes grew frustrated with the amount of time I spent drinking coffee, I see it as one of the most important components of my internship. Apart from learning how to make Turkish coffee Bosnian style (making me all the more eligible for the Bosnian men the women eyed for me) I developed an appreciation for the daily challenges Bosfam members face.

I had worked in post-conflict situations before, but that work was primarily administrative and involved little contact with beneficiaries. Because the Advocacy Project internship was with a local organization run by the same people it aimed to assist, all of my work necessitated communication with beneficiaries. Close cooperation meant adapting my working style to theirs, but also just spending time with the women as they discussed the fluctuating price of tomatoes and whether or not the municipality had paid the electric bill in their collective center. As my language skills improved, I too could express indignation at the fact that electricity had been cut in the collective center, or comfort a woman who was crying.

I am pleased with the concrete things I accomplished at Bosfam - helping to complete their new website, writing project proposals, and compiling a product catalogue. However, when friends and family ask me about the internship, I will mention the coffee first."

Infighting Diminishes Effectiveness of Palestinian Civil Society

Caitlin Williams (Georgetown University, Middle East Non-Violence and Democracy) highlights the reality of Palestinian civil society - that even in the face of Israeli occupation, NGOs cannot present a united front:

"Foreign aid has been pumped into Palestinian civil society for so many years now that NGOs have become like commercial businesses. This means the competition can be fierce and one has to be wary of those who may try and ruin one’s reputation. Ever since the LAW scandal, donors have been extra cautious about whom they fund. Complete transparency is a must and if donors get a whiff of dishonesty or even inefficiency, they’ll move on to the next proposal. This means that reputations can be ruined fairly easily, and infighting has caused large rifts within civil society here.

This was all a shock to me... What surprised me even more is how quickly gossip goes around, statements are misinterpreted, and feuds arise from no malicious intent. At the workshop in Gaza we did an exercise, similar to the telephone game, that showed how easily stories change the more times they are told, but it did not prepare me for the way in which a molehill can grow into a mountain in this environment.

I have recently been informally mediating between two people who are having some disagreements... Their largest problem, in my opinion, is a lack of good communication. This means there have been misunderstandings about responsibilities, about each other’s functions and about each other’s projects. These misunderstandings have ballooned into conspiracy theories and imagined attacks while battle lines have been drawn on both sides... What I find saddest is that if they worked together, their projects could enhance each other and help many more Palestinians.

A friend of mine said to me last night, with the slightest hint of sarcasm, "We think that the Israelis and their occupation of our land is the biggest challenge facing us... wait until they leave and we have to found our own state!" I’m beginning to see what she means."

Sex Education Makes Girls More Aware, Less Vulnerable to Being Trafficked

In Benin City, Erica Williams (Yale University, the Women’s Consortium of Nigeria] met a girl who exemplified the benefits of an education program run by Girls' Power Initiative (GPI) that attempts to make women more self aware and confident:

"Given that I had no idea how to get around Benin City, Phil [GPI’s office manager] asked Ety, a GPI graduate and intern, to escort me.

Ety is nineteen years old, a shy but self-assured young woman who successfully completed GPI’s three-year comprehensive girls' education program, which focuses on reproductive health and rights and assertiveness. In her third year, she did an intervention on rape and incest in her mother’s village.

GPI’s girls’ education program reflects their vision of "educating girls into healthy, self-reliant, productive, and confident women for the achievement of positive changes and transformation of patriarchal values in Nigeria." GPI has research libraries and resource centers in the four states, and provides counseling and referral services for girls who are dealing with cases of rape, sexual abuse, family and relationship problems, and trafficking.

GPI’s anti-trafficking activities are preventative in nature. According to Mrs. Osakue at GPI, girls who go through comprehensive sex education are better able to resist trafficking because of the self awareness, coping skills, and assertiveness that they learn. GPI is concerned about trafficking in both its internal and external forms. The offices in Akwa-Ibom and Delta States work on internal trafficking. Mrs. Osakue pointed out that despite the fact that external trafficking gets more attention, internal trafficking may actually be worse because "the girl trafficked to Europe usually doesn’t die, and is at least able to earn money, but the girl trafficked internally only gets N7500 ($55) for a whole year of exploitation.""

Read more at Erica's Blog

Will Kosovo Move Forward?

In her last blog, Claudia Zambra (Georgetown University, the Kosovo Women's Network) outlines the pleasures and frustrations of her day to day life in Kosovo, and expresses her hope that Kosovo can overcome the problems that currently face it:

"Thousands of people in Baghdad are out on the streets demanding water and electricity, the essential commodities that should be available to every society that wants them. Four years after the war, Kosovo still suffers from these same problems. My last two days there were almost unbearable. KEK (Kosova Electric Company) suddenly changed the schedule for rationing electricity... the alleged schedule went as follows: one hour of electricity, and six hours off... We were forced to leave the office early because our generator ran out of fuel... and, of course, record high temperatures made the whole experience even more exciting.

[On the streets] there were no streetlights to organize the traffic, resulting in highly congested intersections that pedestrians had to carefully assess before attempting to cross the street. As usual the city hummed with the buzz of hundreds of generators.

Life goes on in Pristina in this way, day after day and season after season. Winters go by with longer power cuts, a situation that my Venezuelan-tempered body cannot imagine. There are no ATM machines which allow you to access bank accounts outside of Kosovo and no credit cards are accepted anywhere. Bank queues are out of this world in the one bank that sells and cashes travelers’ checks.

Yet, there are no Kosovars out on the streets protesting or demanding these precious commodities... For all its problems and inefficiencies, Kosovo can be a charming place. People are warm and friendly, and helpful whenever they can be. They make you take off your shoes before entering the house and offer you cute, comfortable slippers instead. They know how to make coffee and love to drink it in pleasant cafes all over town, they give you free dessert sometimes in restaurants, and... they treat their guests wonderfully. They also like Venezuelan soap operas, and many of them fearlessly practice their newly acquired Spanish skills with anyone who will listen. The country itself has some beautiful scenery to offer, including waterfalls, mountains and valleys - all within a two-hour drive, at most.

Yet I wonder if Kosovars wouldn’t be better off if they went out and protested, to publicly express what they all maintain in private conversations. Or maybe they would be better off if they learned to be less accepting of their inefficiencies and more demanding of their leaders, especially if they want the international community to take them seriously. Nobody knows the recipe for fixing Kosovo, but I hope it manages to keep moving forward - it would be a waste to see such a place stagnate, or worse yet, to fall into more violence."

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