Cambodia 2009
Brandon Brunner, M.A. Candidate 2010, Conflict Resolution
Through the course Challenges to Peacebuilding in Thailand and Cambodia, I was committed to focusing on the issues of human trafficking. On our first night in Bangkok, in the city’s most famous red-light district, Patpong, I had my first experience of witnessing firsthand what human trafficking looks like. At first glance, the flashing lights and crowded streets seem to lure all types of different tourists, but we walked through the market, it was impossible to avoid the advertisement of sex for sale. I was struck by the number children on the streets and in the red-light districts both in Thailand and Cambodia, begging for money or selling flowers. This revealed the tremendous challenges that poverty poses to local communities in both these countries. I heard stories of people moving from rural areas and into the cities in seek of work, which made them more vulnerable to trafficking.
After returning from Thailand and Cambodia, I continued to research on the issues of human trafficking and modern day slavery. I was interested in the anti-trafficking movement, especially programs that worked on preventing exploitation of children. I became aware of an opportunity to go back to Thailand over the summer with the SOLD Project, working with their partnered organizations and their Human Trafficking Prevention Program at a local elementary school in Chiang Mai. I traveled throughout Thailand for a period of five weeks, working with different organizations through the SOLD Project and witnessing the challenges and successes of combating human trafficking on the ground. Making the connections with people who are vulnerable to trafficking or have survived it, and their dedication to seek means to empower their future, enlarged my hope in this field to put an end to trafficking and sexual exploitation and solidified my dedication for future work in this field.
Adam Kogeman, M.A. Candidate 2009, Conflict Resolution
Traveling throughout Cambodia in January of this year exposed me to the abject poverty in the country – both urban and rural – and it seemed as if economic and social opportunities for her citizens were few and insubstantial. It also exposed me, however, to a wide variety of Cambodian citizens, including development practitioners, conflict resolvers and students, who greatly impressed me with their intelligence, ambition and forward-thinking. It was obvious that the potential of the Cambodians I met was being unfulfilled not because of a lack of capability, but because of a lack of opportunity. Prior to the trip, I had an interest in international development as a means of mitigating poverty and inequality as well as promoting long-term peace and stability in war-ravaged regions. The experience cemented my desire to engage in international development and upon returning to the U.S., I applied for a fellowship with Kiva, a web-based microfinance organization which connects online lenders with entrepreneurs in developing countries. After a long, competitive and multi-faceted application process, I received word in July that I had been accepted to the program. Key to my acceptance was the experience I had gained in Cambodia, which allowed me to impress my interviewers with knowledge of life in developing countries and an understanding of the complexities of what I might face as a Kiva fellow working there. I am now looking forward to an amazing and unique opportunity with one of the foremost microfinance organizations in the world and, though my overseas assignment remains unconfirmed, I could return to Cambodia to do my part in building a more prosperous and fair society there.
Melissa Booth, M.A. Candidate 2010, Conflict Resolution
It was the streets of Bangkok’s red light district that first exposed me to the reality of human trafficking. The lights, sounds, and people that comprised the raucous spectacle of the Thai commercial sex industry made a previously distant and illusive concept suddenly become real and explicit. Over the two weeks that our Challenges to Peacebuilding course traveled in Thailand and Cambodia, we met with organizations working specifically on the issue of human trafficking. Practitioners described how women are sold by their families, men are forced to labor on fishing boats, and children are stolen from the streets of their villages. I began to perceive the depth, the breadth, and the profound suffering involved in the worldwide trade in persons.
With the poignant scenes on Southeast Asia still fresh in my memory, I intended to continue my study of human trafficking. I learned of a summer fellowship with Polaris Project in Washington, DC, and was eager to seize the opportunity. Polaris Project works to combat domestic human trafficking, meaning they direct all of their efforts toward reducing the crime within the United States. After learning about modern-day slavery on the other side of the planet, it was astounding to confront the profound realities of the crime here in my own country. I worked with Polaris Project for eleven weeks, and my original curiosity developed into a full-fledged research endeavor. For me, the images I saw in the recesses of midnight streets in Thailand became a substantive force for action. I hope to continue learning about human trafficking and contributing to its abolition in any way I can.
Sierra Leone 2010
Brittany Hill, M.A. Candidate 2010, Conflict Resolution
Last January, through the Challenges to Peacebuilding Course in Sierra Leone, I experienced a side of West Africa I had never experienced before; the NGO world. Sierra Leone is plagued with poverty and still recovering from the devastation of civil war while ex-combatants and war victims alike, struggle to reintegrate into society. Each NGO we interviewed expressed a true sense of dedication for the work they were doing to bring peace to Sierra Leone’s post conflict society. Despite their enthusiasm, I couldn’t help but notice how similar all of the work was between NGO’s and how little communication flowed between them.
Once I returned from Sierra Leone my intrigue for the inner workings of the NGO world and their involvement in peacebuilding continued to grow. I heard of an NGO in Liberia called Innovations for Poverty Action and immediately noticed the uniqueness of their work and approach to peacebuilding in Liberia. IPA seemed perfect. They don’t just implement peacebuilding programs, they evaluate programs to show how they can best be improved and more effective in the future. I couldn’t think of a better way to further my studies and by February of this year I had an internship. The programs we currently evaluate include one on rural ex-combatant reintegration, Urban youth reintegration and a peace education program implemented in the rural areas as well. In my mind, the experience I had and impression I got from all the different NGO’s in Sierra Leone was the driving force behind receiving this internship. Peacebuilding is a complex and yet fascinating field and I can only hope to continue working in this field after completing my internship this August.
