Home About Services Campaigns Advocates Fellows Blogs Resources

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.

Translate this page:

The Fellowship Pr... > Christina Hooson ...

Christina Hooson and the Dženo Association

University of St. Gallen in Switzerland

Christina is currently studying for her Masters in International Affairs and Governance at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland.  

Christina first came across the issue of Roma Rights during her Bachelor studies in the context of the democratisation process in Eastern Europe. The ongoing neglect of Roma Rights puts into doubt the completeness of democratic consolidation. She is looking forward to having the chance to help contribute to influencing international actions and increasing global awareness of Romany issues, steering it away from the stigma loaded dialogue which characterises much of the popular discourse on the subject.

Her move from London’s vibrant, diverse and ever changing environment in which she grew up and completed her BA in European Studies to the smaller, more homogenous setting of a city with around 71,000 inhabitants has led her to reflect on much that she had taken for granted. Whilst recognising that the UK’s capital is not without its problems, the largely constructive coexistence and interaction of so many multicultural complexities is something to be cherished and nurtured. Dialogue, tolerance and respect are essential and at a micro level, much of what Christina witnessed seemed to confirm their abundance. The time she spent at the British Humanist Association representing the rights of the non-religious would have hardly been fruitful if the above ingredients had been missing. On returning to St. Gallen after her fellowship at the Dženo Association she hopes to build on those foundations of dialogue, tolerance and respect to further advocate Romany issues.

In return, she is hoping that her time at Dženo will help her overcome – or at least better understand – a quandary which has accompanied her throughout her studies, namely the underlying paradox between discussing issues such as human rights on the one hand, and the risks associated with taking the moral high ground as a student with certain, well embedded preconceptions of accepted norms such as democracy, equality and justice on the other.

Email Christina

Read Christina's Blog


We are not accepting donations for individual fellows at this time, please click here to donate to AP's Fellowship program.

Back