Halfway through the quarter. . . February 2, 2010

*Joanna*

Hard to believe it’s already time for midterms! The Human Trafficking Clinic is definitely taking up most of my time this quarter, but I feel like I’m making a lot of progress in my research. My research project focuses on the restavek issue in Haiti, or the use of child domestic workers in Haitian households. This is a very controversial practice in which poor families send their children to more affluent households in large cities, including Port-au-Prince, on the premise that they will be fed, cared for, and sent to school in exchange for performing household chores. Unfortunately, most restavek children never attend school and become victims of abuse. Since the terrible earthquake on January 12, the issue of trafficking-in-children in Haiti has been a major topic in the media.  In times of desperation, children become far more vulnerable to human trafficking and exploitation.

Other than my project for the Human Trafficking Clinic, I am working on a paper on US foreign policy towards third world countries during the Cold War for my class in Human Rights and International Security, and will receive my take-home midterm for my Introduction to Human Rights Class tomorrow. I have also be busy making plans for Human Trafficking Awareness Week in April, when the HTC Task Force is planning to hold an art show, a benefit concert, and a film festival to benefit the Human Trafficking Clinic.

A Tortured Heart January 29, 2010

*Nirvana*

Today I interviewed someone about the State of the Union speech, picked up some bread, and, oh yeah, got tortured. I don’t mean the “Oh my gosh, why won’t this boy love me” kind of torture, but actual physical torture.

In my International Law and Human Rights class, my professor asked (we were never forced) us to stand on the balls of our feet with our arms stretched high above us and our fingertips pushed against the classroom wall for five minutes in a “stress position.” Some of my classmates gave up after the first minute, more dropped out at the second minute, and just a few of us managed to endure that agonizingly slow last minute, which my professor managed to extend into hundreds of never-ending seconds.

I had read about the “Five Techniques” of interrogation the night before, and I really didn’t think it would be that bad. Years of basketball and volleyball have conditioned me for wall sits and wall push-ups, but the blood quickly stopped flowing in my arms and they’re still sore (it’s a bit painful just to type this). Then I began feeling light-headed. At least I had the luxury of knowing that in five minutes this pain would be over, even if my professor “lost track of time” for a bit. Most people subjected to this kind of treatment have to stand like that for an hour, with no sense of whether they have another five, or another fifty minutes to go. Plus, they also have someone yelling at them and beating them with sticks to stand in the correct posture.

It hurt, yes, but was it actually torture? Technically, it wasn’t. These kind of stress positions fall under the category of “Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment.” There’s no permanent damage or possibility of death after all. Still, is it right to treat another human being in this manner? I don’t know what to believe here. On the one hand, we don’t live in an honest world and in order to obtain information that could protect my right to security, then perhaps it’s necessary to use these intimidation tactics. But have we lost perspective? It seems like we are now taking degrading treatment to extremes, where a five-minute threat has become an hour-long exercise in cruelty.

For me, it was five minutes of my Friday that passed by with witty comments from my classmates and the comforting supposition that this was an exercise; it could never actually happen to me. For so many people though, this is a reality–and one they never expected either. I guess that’s the thing about human rights: we don’t acknowledge them till we’ve lost them. I certainly don’t go through my day thinking about my “right to life and security of person,” but it’s there, protecting me from zealous professors and military tyrants alike.

Winter Quarter Begins January 8, 2010

*Joanna*

Winter quarter has officially started! I’m glad to be back at school, even if it means dealing with the Colorado snow and cold. This quarter should be really challenging and rewarding, and so far my classes are really interesting.  I am taking Human Rights and International Security, the Human Trafficking Clinic, and Introduction to Human Rights. Intro to Human Rights is a required course for all Human Rights students, and includes a breakout session with a PhD student.  It is really interesting to hear about the different subjects that Human Rights students are interested in.  Some of the students in my breakout session are interested in international migration, genocide, women’s rights, environmental justice,  HIV/AIDS, child labor, and global poverty, just to name a few. It’s great to have class with people with such different interests and from different backgrounds.

Other than classes, I am working at the Admissions Office twenty-four hours a week and volunteering for a student organization. Monday is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, so the Task Force is busy organizing outreach events for that day.   I am also busy making travel plans, and will be going to Guatemala in March and Haiti in May.  I spend a lot of time researching organizations that I could intern with as well, so I am definitely staying busy!

Law School? January 3, 2010

*Nirvana*

Happy New Decade! I hope everyone had a lovely holiday season. I took advantage of DU’s long winter break and returned home to India, where I had the following conversation about five million times:

“What are you doing now, beta?”

“I’m still in school, studying International Relations.”

“Oh. What does that mean exactly?”

“Well, I’m interested in human rights, particularly in refugee and immigrant systems.”

“Oh…Oh.”

Insert awkward silence here.

“But what are you going to do with that?”

“Maybe work for the United Nations. I’m more interested in the legal and ethical–”

“Legal? You’re going to be a lawyer? That’s okay then.”

Tamil Nadu, India (N. Bhatia)

I sometimes wish Asians belied the stereotypes and weren’t quite so adverse to a more liberal-arts education, but their hearts are always in the right place. And considering the heated opinions and detailed memories of my family’s own refugee experience during Partition, I have a feeling they have a better appreciation for my interests than they’re letting on.

I guess it’s hard for them to understand what I am doing, when I barely understand it myself. Yes, I am fascinated by journeys of human migration and how political states influence those stories, but how do I fit into all of that? It’s jolly good to know what you’re passionate about, but how does that lead to a career-path? That’s the point of graduate school though, isn’t it? To develop one’s interests?

That’s why I am especially excited for the upcoming term–which starts tomorrow. In addition to an introductory class on human rights, I am also taking a course on human rights and international law. That ought to please my Indian network, but moreover, it ought to provide some inspiration for “life-beyond-school” possibilities. Our winter break reading was a brief overview of the field entitled International Law, and I already have a better idea of just how many factors are involved in preserving an individual’s rights. I think this phrase from the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (1789) succinetly sums up the essence of human rights law:

“…believing that the ignorance, neglect, or contempt of the rights of man are the sole cause of public calamities and of the corruption of governments…”

This course might lead to law school in the future, but for the moment I’m simply eager to embrace all my many prospects–vague as they might seem.

Winter Break December 9, 2009

Final grades are in and now Korbel students get to enjoy a nice, relaxing break . . . sort of. For many first-year students like myself the winter break is a great time to begin the search for an internship. The majority of Korbel students, and all students in the Human Rights program, have to complete an internship. Many students complete the internship over the summer between their first and second years. Internships are extremely competitive and the process can be very daunting, but luckily Korbel’s Office of Career and Professional Development is very helpful. They look over your resume, help you find internships appropriate for your degree program and interests, and have a great list of available internships.

I am also a member of the DU Task Force on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking, so I will be doing some research over the break on community outreach opportunities so we can hit-the-ground-running come January. The great thing about Denver is that there are so many non-profit organizations that do work around the world, so there are a lot of community activities that we can participate in to spread the word about human trafficking.

I  am working over the break for the Admissions Office, but will finally have time to read some of the books I had to put aside when classes started. A few other students and I will be reading Confessions of an Economic Hitman for a mini-book club.

DU is closed from December 24th-January 4th, so I will be going home (Albuquerque) for the holidays. Classes start again on Monday, January 4th, so until then, Happy Holidays!

Finals Week! November 17, 2009

My name is Joanna Miller, and I am currently a first-year student in the Human Rights Program, with a concentration in Development. I am originally from Albuquerque, NM, and received a BA in History and Sociology from the University of New Mexico. I chose the Josef Korbel School because of the flexibility of the degrees, the interdisciplinary nature of the program, and the location.  I moved to Denver over the summer and absolutely love it!

This quarter I am taking three classes: International Law and Human Rights, Comparative Politics: States and Societies in the 21^st Century, and Contemporary Slavery and Human Trafficking. I can’t believe it is already week ten! The quarter passed by so quickly, especially if you are used to the semester system. I have three papers due this week and then will be finished on Friday.

I love my Human Trafficking class, and decided to apply for the Human Trafficking Practicum for next quarter- and was accepted!  This counts as a methodology course for Human Rights students, and I will be able to gain some valuable research experience and work with different anti-trafficking organizations.

Next quarter, I will be taking three courses: Human Rights and International Security, Introduction to Human Rights, and the Human Trafficking Practicum.  I will still be working twenty hours a week, and am involved in the DU Task Force on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking. I think I will have no problem staying busy!

The Quelling of Innocence November 11, 2009

I have a confession to make: I’m a little bit addicted to school. This is my second Masters after all, and I do want to get my PhD one day. For a long time, I thought the only thing I was good at was being in school. I pore over course catalogs, take notes in multi-coloured pens, and love packing my schoolbag at night. It’s not the safety of structured classes or an unhealthy yearning to write essays that attracts me to education though; it’s learning about all the things I didn’t even know I didn’t know.

Even after a short stint as an astrophysicist, I still can’t calculate the mass of a white dwarf. I think I’ll survive not knowing how to do that, but until I took that class I didn’t even know about the existence of white dwarfs. It’s such a blessing and a curse to go through life not knowing about half of the universe’s beautiful mysteries.

And that’s kind of how I feel about Korbel’s new Masters in Development Practice program (which I mentioned briefly here). First of all, I like knowing that there are areas of study that I still want to delve into. I’m completely enticed by the logistics of this program: a cohort of classmates interacting with our counterparts around the world, spending six months out and about in the communities we discuss, and actually making progress instead of just conceptualizing it? What’s not to like? Secondly, the whole point of this program is to quell our innocence; to become better global citizens by sharing our resources and introducing ourselves to new ideas and beliefs.

Maybe in my next lifetime (or next graduate program), I will be able to do a program like this, but in the meantime, the MDP department will be hosting plenty of opportunities to engage Korbel students in their vision of learning from one another. My favourite one so far is the idea of a film festival, where each student is to bring a film chosen by their respective community to represent themselves.

I asked MDP Program Director Daniel Wessner which film would best speak for our dynamic Korbel community, and he replied “‘To Kill a Mockingbird’…although there are more current films than that.”

Erm, that’s certainly an interesting choice. And it makes me think about what film best represents me? I know you want me to say “Slumdog Millionaire,” but after much deliberation, I’m going to say “The Namesake” (which was originally a book and so that alone speaks volumes (hah!) about myself). It’s a story about coming home and accepting our heritage, which is something I think this 1.5 generation of immigrants and refugees is struggling with, and that’s what I would like to share about my “community.”

How about y’all? Which film best emotes something you would like others to learn about your own “village?”

A Global Nomad Finds A New Home. November 5, 2009

Hello World!

My name is Nirvana and I’m a first-year student at the University of Denver’s Josef Korbel School. I’m still exploring all the opportunities Korbel has to offer (I was very tempted to join the new Masters in Development Practice program after my fascinating meeting with the director yesterday!), but at the moment I’m a very eager International Human Rights student.

Originally from India, I like to think of myself as a Global Nomad, meaning I’m simultaneously from everywhere and from nowhere. My father’s work required him to move all around the world, and so I grew up in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. As a third-culture kid, I have been exposed to the ideas of cross-cultural communication and globalisation since birth, and thus I knew that my future would lie in something “international.”

I also love to write and take photographs, and so I figured being a foreign correspondent would be the best way of combining all my varied interests. That being said, I spent the last year getting my Masters in Journalism from Northwestern University, while quickly realising the romantic notion of a reporter deep in the jungles of some remote country no longer exists in today’s Web-connected world. My reporting beat however, was “ethnic and minority issues in Chicago,” a rather daunting task given the overwhelming diversity of that city. A story on cuts in state funding for refugee stipends helped me narrow my focus, as I was aghast at how much was expected from someone with refugee status while so few resources were available to them. I became, as the rest of my classmates donned me, a “Refugee All Star” covering stories on legal issues, migratory patterns, language barriers, economic opportunities, and most importantly, profiles of these true global nomads.

I’ve always been an immigrant, and the history of my family is one of refugees, but Ive been blessed with brilliant opportunities. I know all the stories now, but I’m here at Korbel because I want to do more than share in someone’s experience; I want to help change their daily reality. That may sound idealistic, but that’s my favourite thing about Korbel so far–no one is disillusioned or disenchanted, and we are all willing to fight for what we believe in. And that’s why I’m happy to call Denver home–for a little while at least.