A Voice For the Voiceless

MISSION

The Advocacy Project seeks to produce social change by helping marginalized communities to become advocates for social justice and claim their rights

AP Interns Reflect on Obstacles They Encountered, August 2, 2006

******
AdvocacyNet
Intern Update, Volume 4#9, August 2, 2006
******

The Advocacy Project's 18 summer interns are blogging on the AP website about their summer assignments. The interns are working with community-based partner organizations in Bosnia, Kosovo, Czech Republic, United Kingdom, Italy, Guatemala, Nigeria, Fiji, Palestinian Territories, Afghanistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and India. Excerpts from their blogs follow. Read more on the AP 2006 internship program.

• Gunfire on the Road to Jalalabad
• Land Reform Crucial to Nepal's Dalit
• Inspiration to Teach in Afghanistan
• Ramallah Responds to Qana Massacre
• Survivors of Trafficking Slip Through the Cracks in Nigeria
• Women Question Patriarchal Society in Fiji
• Opinions in Nepal Mixed Over King's Future
• Feeling Empowered in Kuala Lumpur
• Sewing Training Helps Women in Sri Lanka
• Finding the Roots of Trafficking in Nigeria
• Patience Before Peace in Nepal
• Massacre Survivors Rebuild Their Homeland in Guatemala
• Encountering Aliens in Delhi

Gunfire on the Road to Jalalabad

Erica Isaac (NYU) is working for womens' rights in Afghanistan with the Afghan Women's Network.

"One thing is very clear, no one was trying to hurt us. If they were, one or more of us would have been hit or killed. As we drove the rest of the way to Jalalabad - in what became eerie silence - I couldn't help but wonder what that bullet was trying say to us."

Land Reform Crucial to Nepal's Dalit

Nicole Cordeau (Georgetown University) is working for Nepal's Dalit (lowest caste) with the Jagaran Media Center.

"Just land distribution may not be as 'sexy' as democratic elections, free press, and respect for civil and political rights, but it is equally important. Indeed, the current situation of gross inequity plays directly into Maoist hands. The rebel force effectively controls most of rural Nepal, where it actively confiscates and redistributes plots of land. Their army's foot soldiers are recruited from the landless, largely Dalit, mass."

Inspiration to Teach in Afghanistan

Alison Long (American University) is working for girl's education with the Oruj Learning Center in Afghanistan.

"As our car pulled away from the compound, I realized that this short visit to the shelter stimulated whatever it was inside me that had led me into teaching and the education sector more than seven years ago...That feeling - when you can help someone, no strings attached - that's why I study, that's why I work. In fact, that's why I get up in the morning."

Ramallah Responds to Qana Massacre

Sarah Sachs (Columbia University) is working for cooperation between Palestinians and Israelis with the Alternative Information Center (AIC) in Beit Sahour/Jerusalem.

"Residents of Ramallah gathered in solidarity with the Lebanese people to protest yesterday's Qana massacre, which killed 57 Lebanese civilians, including 37 children, who were hiding in an underground bunker. Representatives of the various Palestinian political parties joined together to march against Israeli violence and international disinterest."

Survivors of Trafficking Slip Through the Cracks in Nigeria

Laura Cardinal (Columbia University) is working for victims of human trafficking with the Women's Consortium of Nigeria (WOCON).

"Then there are those girls who have been intercepted by the police or immigration before they arrive at their final destination. Often angry at having their plans interrupted, they are still wishing for their promise of a better life and do not recognize the danger they were in. These are the cases I see slipping through the cracks."

Women Question Patriarchal Society in Fiji

Autumn Graham (Tufts University) is working to educate citizens about their rights with the Citizens' Constitutional Forum in Fiji.

"This was an eye opening experience for them - they thought about history in a different light. They imagined what life was like for women at various times...They began questioning the way their world functioned."

Opinions in Nepal Mixed Over King's Future

Lori Tomoe Mizuno (NYU) is working to mobilize civil society networks to work towards conflict transformation and peace building with the Collective Campaign for Peace (COCAP) in Nepal.

"From the random samples of opinions gathered over the past few weeks, I've found that there is a mixture of beliefs... Many believe in the complete disposal of the king. But others believe that having a monarchy that is symbolic, as seen is Japan with the Emperor or the United Kingdom with the Queen, isn't so bad. The random taxi drivers and shop keeps I've spoken to seem to lean more towards allowing the king to remain."

Feeling Empowered in Kuala Lumpur

Melissa Muscio (Tufts University) is working on women's development with eHomemakers in Malaysia.

"A woman who just a short time ago had no work, let alone business experience, could now come up with a sales strategy on the fly. She had gone from a feeling of helplessness to a feeling of empowerment, to the point that she wanted to reach out and help others."

Sewing Training Helps Women in Sri Lanka

Greg Holyfield (University of Arkansas) is working to preserve and protect economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights with Home for Human Rights in Sri Lanka.

"One woman told me today that though she is 35, no one will marry her. Her land is now occupied by the army (her house having been destroyed by an LTTE and Sri Lankan battle), her father was abducted and hasn't been seen in 10 years, and her mother is mentally deranged. She then explained how happy she was that HHR has found those who have been missed by the big NGOs and that her sewing training is going to help her supplement her meager income."

Finding the Roots of Trafficking in Nigeria

Jessica Sewall (Georgetown University) is working for women's rights in Nigeria with the Women's Consortium of Nigeria (WOCON).

"News of their success spread back home, and they came back to bring more girls and women to share in this success. The more that went, the thinner the profits were, but networks of trafficking began instituted, and these early women became some of the earliest madams. Although this success is now close to non-existent for Benin City girls and women wishing to travel abroad and increase the economic status of their families, the culture of traveling abroad has indeed been imbedded in Benin, and fallacious stories of wealth attainment when traveling to Europe still abound."

Patience Before Peace in Nepal

Stacey Spivey (Georgetown University) is working for lower caste Dalit with the Jagaran Media Center.

"Just like the traffic on the highway, the peace process in Nepal is at a standstill. With difficult issues, such as disarming the Maoists, creating an interim government, and deciding on a Constituent Assembly blocking the way forward, Nepal has a lot to deal with before it can become a peaceful and democratic nation. Right now, just like with the accident, each side is simply pointing fingers and refusing to compromise."

Massacre Survivors Rebuild Their Homeland in Guatemala

Charles Wright (Georgetown University) is working for indigenous survivors of a 1982 massacre with Adivima in Guatemala.

"When he finished, I was emotionally-zapped, but also in awe of the resilience of the survivors. Against the odds, they had returned to the land of their ancestors and had started to rebuild a new life..."

Encountering Aliens in Delhi

Donna Laverdiere (Duke University) is working for street children with Butterflies in Delhi.

"While many children in a classroom in the West may be able to play such roles - recognizing it is only make-believe, or at least feel safe and protected - children here live these realities every day, and the line between the real and the imagined is blurred. In the end, I managed to find some suitable activities for the children...I found activities about aliens, exploring, and travel."