by José Freire Nunes, M.A. Student
The current MA in Human Rights class had the privilege of attending a remote presentation last Wednesday given by Anilda Rodrigues, program officer for the World Youth Alliance in the United States.
The World Youth Alliance (“WYA”) is a non-governmental organization started in 1999 by 21-year-old Anna Halpine to advocate for an integrated view of the human person grounded in human dignity within the United Nations and its regional systems around the world.
The organization is headquartered in New York City and has six regional offices in different parts of the globe. Their work has already impacted more than 160 countries, and they currently have over 100 interns, ages 18 to 30, working for them.
The WYA’s work is based on three pillars: advocacy, education, and culture. Their goal is to educate young people to become leaders capable of advocating for policies consistent with human dignity while making an impact on culture by fostering arts programs aligned with integral human development.
Rodrigues shared her rewarding experience working with WYA. Originally from Praia, Cape Verde, she emigrated to America when she was nine and obtained her BA in philosophy from Boston College along with a minor in Chinese.
This meeting is part of a series of meetings that the M.A. in Human Rights program will be organizing this fall to allow the M.A. graduate students to learn more about the possibilities available for them in pursuing a professional career in the field of advocacy, NGOs, government, and the private-sector.
In addition to that, these meetings provide a wonderful opportunity to connect with people from different professional and cultural backgrounds. They are enriching both personally and professionally for all involved.
