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.
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Carolyn Ramsdell and Survivor Corps in El Salvador
SIT Graduate Institute
Carolyn will be serving as an AP Fellow in El Salvador with Survivor Corps (formerly Landmine Survivors Network). Survivor Corps is a global network of post-conflict survivors striving to overcome war and rebuild their communities. As leaders in the International Campaign to Ban Landmines and the UN Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Survivor Corps has played a monumental role in advocating for social justice and human rights.
Since 2001, Survivor Corps-El Salvador has worked to strengthen a network of organizations and individuals working together to support survivors of El Salvador’s 12 year civil war. With the support of La Red de Sobrevivientes y Personas con Discapacidad de El Salvador (El Salvador Network for Survivors and Persons with Disabilities) survivors are empowered to share common experiences, advocate for their rights, and continue the process of building peace and reconciliation in a country scarred so deeply by civil war.
Carolyn is eager to spend her summer assisting Survivor Corps-El Salvador tell the story of post-conflict survivors by amplifying their voices and advocating for disability rights. She is completing her master’s degree in sustainable development at SIT Graduate Institute with a concentration on policy analysis and advocacy. Her research has focused on development trends in Latin America and human rights. Carolyn received her bachelor’s degree in journalism and political science from Northern Arizona University and worked as a news intern for the Arizona Daily Sun.
Before beginning her graduate studies, Carolyn spent three years in Bolivia with the Peace Corps. As an agriculture extension volunteer she worked in rural indigenous villages promoting sustainable and organic farming methods, teaching English, and working to help strengthen local women’s groups. Her primary project was spearheading a community-based beekeeping association. She worked with rural farmers and coordinated several professional workshops on hive management techniques. After her volunteer service, Carolyn continued her work with Peace Corps Bolivia as a Volunteer Coordinator acting as a liaison between volunteers and administration. She was president of the Peer Support Network, Security Advisory Council representative, and a technical trainer for agriculture extension volunteers. She also co-authored a training manual in Spanish and English for Bolivian beekeepers.
After returning from Bolivia, Carolyn spent a year working as the Volunteer Resources Manager for St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance, the world’s first food bank. Her team managed the largest volunteer program in Arizona; bringing together community members from all walks of life to provide essential services and emergency food assistance to Arizona’s hungry.
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We are not accepting donations for individual fellows at this time, please click here to donate to AP's Fellowship program.