September 6, 2012
This summer, which started out absurdly ordinary, turned into a life changing experience. My original plan to spend tedious hours making minimum wage at a mini golf place was thankfully interrupted when I received a call one early June morning about an internship I had applied for.
As I was jolted out of sleep by the words “Hello, I’m calling from the UNESCO Chair & Institute of Comparative Human Rights…” I unknowingly began a journey that would shape me in ways I was not prepared for. My internship took place at the University of Connecticut, where in 2001 the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) awarded UConn the first UNESCO Chair in Human Rights in the US.
As an intern in a small office, I played a large part in helping plan an annual conference called the International Leadership Training Programme: A Global Intergenerational Forum. The goal of the Forum was to select bright, promising, young human rights leaders from all over the world and bring them to the United States for a twelve day training program.
It was my job to undertake the massive challenge of organizing such an event. With thousands of little details that needed attending to as well as sixty participants from every time zone in the world to correspond with, it was more than enough to keep us busy for the summer. The days passed by in a blur of hard work, challenging assignments and stressful deadlines.
After two months, I moved to the UConn campus the night before the conference began, not entirely sure what to expect. Though I was excited and admittedly a bit nervous, my head was filled with shuttle transportation schedules, rooming lists, meeting times, endless amounts of details and yet-to-be-completed tasks. From the minute I walked into my room and met my roommate, a witty and passionate young woman from Lebanon, I realized this conference would have a very different meaning for me than just work experience. As a person who has never been outside the country, I was amazed to befriend people from every corner of the world. I had always thought of myself as a shy person, but in an experience such as this, where I was in charge of a group of people who looked to me as a leader, there was no room for fear. Within just a few hours I had stood up and made speeches, introduced myself to everyone in the room, and been the go-to person for any and all questions. I barely even recognized myself.
The sense of community that surrounded this group so quickly amazed me—here was a group of strangers gathering for a conference and bonding as if they had known each other forever. All it took was a smile, a laugh or genuine interest.
I found a confidence in myself that had never existed before. I already feel the difference it has made in my life—in socializing with strangers, participating in the classroom and making professional connections. It is an experience I am so grateful for, and one which I look forward to continuing every day.
Beyond the growth that happened within me, I found hope and inspiration from the people I met there. It is easy to become bogged down in the cynical news of war, destruction and disaster that surrounds us every day. I was lucky enough to get to meet the other side of the equation. It was incredible to see the real life implementation of human rights initiatives across the globe.
Here were young people who were not only actively involved in changing lives, but succeeding in their humanitarian endeavors. Compassion is not a myth—it exists. And it starts in your own “backyard” (as we called it). That’s one of the most important lessons I learned; that the practice of human rights starts within ourselves.