Program Exposes Students to Rewards and Challenges of Human Rights Work
HARTFORD, Conn. – The Human Rights Program, under the direction of Sonia Cardenas, associate professor of political science, is going full-bore this summer, with seven Trinity College students working for organizations ranging from Amnesty International in Washington, D.C. to Physicians for Human Rights in Boston.
The summer fellowships, which each carries a $3,500 stipend, are awarded annually on the basis of the student’s interest, preparation, maturity, and compatibility with a particular organization. About 20 students apply each year for the program that was made possible by a significant gift from Peter Blum ’72, P’11. His gift helped establish an endowed fund.
In making the gift, Blum said the Human Rights Program “exemplifies what a liberal arts education is all about.”
The undergraduates who are chosen for the 12-week fellowships are placed with organizations that have ongoing relationships with Trinity. The students generally conclude their work in mid-August. To be selected, the students don’t have to be human rights majors or minors, although many are. By the end of the program, the students typically have gained a sophisticated understanding of human rights issues and the world of advocacy.
“The Human Rights Summer Fellowships provide students with a transformative, hands-on experience,” said Cardenas. “Students are exposed both to the rewards and challenges of working at a human rights organization, and they return to campus excited by the possibilities. The human rights organizations with which we work, in turn, describe Trinity interns as outstanding, smart, hard-working, and enthusiastic.”
The seven Summer Human Rights Fellows are:
• Jennifer Abalajon ’10, who, as a fellow at Amnesty International in Washington, D.C., is working on the Campaign for Individuals at Risk. Abalajon’s responsibilities include close interaction with an Urgent Action Network (UAN), focusing mostly on cases from the Americas, including an end to impunity in Mexico for violence against women. (When someone is facing an immediate and often life-threatening human rights violation, members of the UAN provide an effective and rapid response by sending letters, emails and faxes directly to those who have the power to stop the violations.)
• Greg Lorenz Amarra ’10, who is an intern at Physicians for Human Rights in Boston. He is working on the Health Action AIDS Campaign. Amarra was part of a team that helped facilitate a leadership summit in Washington, D.C., including coordinating the summit with congressional offices. He was also given the task of writing a report on the health workforce in Rwanda.
• Michael Blottin ’10, who has a summer fellowship with the Human Rights Project of the Urban Justice Center in New York City. Blottin is working on the organization’s upcoming Human Rights Report Card, an assessment of New York City Council members and legislation. Contributing both to human rights education and advocacy, Blottin’s internship has afforded him other opportunities, including attending a roundtable at Columbia Law School.
• Sophie Hollingsworth ’12, who is interning with the International Rescue Committee in New York City. Hollingsworth is working one-on-one with refugee populations, including those from Vietnam, Iraq, and Tanzania. She is helping them adjust to life in a new country. Despite the large size of her organization, Hollingsworth is most impressed with the level of dedication shown to each refugee.
• Kayla Lawson ’11, who is working on the Counter Terror with Justice Campaign at Amnesty International in Washington, D.C. Lawson is contributing to projects involving torture, especially survivors of torture. She has enjoyed putting what she has learned in her classes into action: “Having read a lot about the importance of accountability in the aftermath of atrocity, I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to do something tangible and concrete,” she said.
• Panida Pollawit ’12, who has a fellowship with the Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict in New York City. Pollawit is working on donor proposals and researching human rights issues in developing countries. She is most surprised with “how small projects, such as teaching entrepreneurship to local villagers in Africa, can make the difference between a successful story and ongoing struggle.”
• William Pollock ’10, who is an intern at Witness in New York City, an award-winning organization that uses film and video technology to document rights abuses around the world. He has been working with the organization’s Outreach section, attending film festivals and learning a great deal about “the collaborative process it takes to create human rights documentaries.”
The students will discuss their experiences at a symposium in September.