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... > Past Fellows > Summer Interns 2005 > Chiara Zerunian a...

Chiara Zerunian and BOSFAM

Chiara Zerunian is a graduate student of Economics and Economic History at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. As part of The Advocacy Project’s 2005 Summer Internship Program, she worked with BOSFAM in Tuzla, Bosnia.

BOSFAM is an organization that provides assistance to women survivors of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, the worst mass killing in Europe since World War II. The killings transpired during an ethnic-cleansing campaign in Bosnia during the 1990s. In addition to offering a refuge for the victims, BOSFAM gives these women an opportunity to weave rugs and produce other goods which are then sold to generate income. For many, this is their only means of earning money.

Chiara dedicated her time with BOSFAM to improving the business operations of the organization and assisted AP intern MacKenzie Frady, also with BOSFAM. In addition to taking an inventory of the carpets and knitted products, she developed a plan for a new knitting project and provided analysis and research on aspects, like standardization and training, needed for it to be implemented successfully. She also attempted to expand the market for BOSFAM products by examining possible outlets in Germany and Scotland.

While with BOSFAM, Chiara also had the opportunity to attend the tenth anniversary ceremonies commemorating the 1995 Srebrenica massacres. She reflects on the emotional ambiguities evoked by the event and her experience in Bosnia in her blog.

 

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