A Voice For the Voiceless

MISSION

The Advocacy Project seeks to help community-based advocates produce, disseminate and use information, and so become more effective advocates for human rights and social justice

Krystal Sirman and Survivor Corps in Jordan

In May 2008, Krystal Sirman received her Master’s degree in international development, with a concentration in human security and development, from The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs.

As an undergraduate student, Krystal was the director of Africa Initiative, a student organization, in which she led 12 university students to Ghana for three months during the summer of 2004 to volunteer in the schools and hospital of a rural town. Prior to this, in January 2004, she participated in Africa Initiative’s Ghana program for three weeks as a volunteer herself. Most recently, Krystal traveled to Bangladesh for three weeks to conduct research for her Master’s Capstone Project. Krystal is from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where she graduated from Louisiana State University in 2004 with her Bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in sociology.

This summer, Krystal will be working in Amman, Jordan with Survivor Corps (formerly the Landmine Survivors Network) as an Advocacy Project Peace Fellow. Survivor Corps's mission is to empower individuals, families, and communities affected by landmines to recover from trauma, reclaim their lives, and fulfill their rights. It accomplishes this mission through a survivor-centric strategy that is focused on the health, economic independence, and rights of survivors.

Survivor Corps-Jordan was established in Amman in 1999 as the first amputee peer support group in the Middle East. Among their many activities, Survivor Corps-Jordan is particularly active in ensuring that survivors and individuals with disabilities raise their voices and advocate for their rights, both in their country and internationally. They are also active in raising awareness of the general public about survivor and disability rights, as well as the issues facing those who are disabled. Krystal is excited to be able to contribute this summer to Survivor Corps-Jordan's unique advocacy efforts involving art therapy, a youth summer camp, and youth-oriented workshops focusing on ethnic tolerance, social skills, and inclusion.

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