Some alumni stories
Chantelle works at Mama Cash in Amsterdam, the oldest international women’s fund in the world. She previously worked at Isandla Institute in Cape Town, as coordinator for the Good Governance Learning Network (GGLN). The GGLN is a coalition of about twenty member organisations, including NGOs, research institutes and think-tanks that are committed to equitable and sustainable urban planning, with a particular focus on issues of land, housing, HIV/Aids and democratic local governance. Chantelle also co-edited and published an article in a special ISS Alumni issue of DevISSues.
I came from South Africa to join the HDS programme with the intention of broadening my knowledge on international human rights law, human rights approaches and social justice perspectives. Studying within the HDS specialisation provided an opportunity to consider and compare the various perspectives on social movements, human rights, social justice, and legal frameworks, while allowing access to other conceptual positions on everything from Marxist economics to environmental justice. I was also offered the space to pursue my own interests and passions, such as feminist theories of international law and the shifting dynamics of civil society in a post-apartheid South Africa. My studies at the ISS have been integral to the ongoing process of building my own conceptual understanding of how the world works – the patterns and complexities of human society – it has been exciting to see my academic studies being an important part of the way that I see and approach my current job and my future careers options. The opportunity to consider the multiple layers of human society from the perspective of multiple identities and fields (law, economics, sociology, history / herstory etc) was central to my studies at the ISS and has been an important part of my work at Mama Cash. It was also directly relevant to my work at Isandla Institute and with the GGLN, as well as my political identity as a feminist.
My name is Gbenga Afolayan and I am from Nigeria.
I worked as an academic staff member of the Federal Polytechnic Ilaro, Ogun State and I was also involved in voluntary service with a local NGO in Ibadan, Nigeria.
I came to ISS because a friend recommended the institution as the best European institution offering development studies in 2007 while participating in Summer Institute at Senegal. I was a student in Human Rights, Development and Social Justice. My experiences in human rights, social justice, international human rights instruments / institutions and other development issues have established ISS, which stands out among its equals in Europe and beyond. I was struck with the way ISS is internationally-informed, involved and supported with a distinctive internationally-enriched curriculum, research, culture, partnerships and excellent academic team. I’m very proud of ISS for its excellent practices and experiment with novel approaches to promote internationalization which the institution values as part of its core institutional ethos.
My name is Khandaker Farzana Rahman from Bangladesh, MA Candidate in Human rights, Development and Social Justice
As a street law trainer on human rights for four years and active member of law student’s organization ‘Law Review’ for promoting human rights and social development among the young law students, I got the scope to explore the scenario of violation of human rights of Bangladesh. That’s why, after obtaining an LL.B and LL.M. from the University of Dhaka, I planned to undertake my higher study in Europe to investigate the dynamics of the cross cutting issues between human rights and development.
My research interest centred on the child rights oriented juvenile justice system and the Master programme in Human rights, Development and Social Justice at International Institute of Social Studies provided a sound platform for undertaking my research in a resourceful atmosphere. Studying at ISS also enabled me to amplify my social life in a multi-cultural environment that offered me ample opportunity of getting to know international students around the globe.
My name is Bambang Alfred Sipayung and I am from Indonesia
My reason for choosing ISS is because it has an international reputation as a development studies institute and an international network. With my background working in conflict and post-conflict situations, I had practical questions for which I hoped to find the answers during my study at ISS and specialized in CRS.
Such practical concerns were taken up on a sophisticated and scientific level: more often than not practical concerns were informed by the scientific knowledge which needs critical scrutiny.
My name is Mbota Amani Mwikwabe and I am from Tanzania
The reasons to join CRS and study at ISS were related to my career. I have worked as a Public Relations Officer, so day-to-day we are dealing with both peace and conflict within the country and surrounding countries like The Congo, Rwanda and Burundi. Internationally my country has troops in Darfur-Sudan and Lebanon. So far this is the right course I chose to do and I really appreciate what we were learning here.
My name is Mercy Wambugha Mwasaru and I am from Kenya
My coming to ISS was motivated by my work in the department of Internal Security. My country has had recurrent violence which appear to be cyclical in nature (every 5 years) and security officers have always been accused of being compromised in discharging their duties but being ineffective and inefficient.
Being in the department of reforms and training, my target was to get acquainted with the dynamics and current trends in violence/conflicts, how to prevent/manage/handle such occurrence. This will be achieved by incorporating what I learned from the oasis of knowledge at ISS to the reforms packages and training manuals for our officers.
I am Yaekob Mekuria from Ethiopia.
Before I came to ISS, I worked as a lawyer. Here, I studied for a Masters of Arts in Development Studies specializing in Conflict, Reconstruction and Human Security.
My educational experience has focused on relevant and challenging theories. Instructors in my Specialization were skilled in combining theoretical insight with practical application in their teaching to better prepare me for future career. They acted as equals with students both in classroom and outside in social networks in providing guidance and valuable feedback. I have benefited working in teams with other students who have rich and varied backgrounds for many of them are working professionals. Organization of the study curriculum was also designed to meet the current global scientific and social demands in the real situation.
My research paper focussed on the Legal Framework of the Nile Basin Initiative and its potential challenge in implementation.
My name is Hauwa Abdulkadir Lawal from Nigeria
I worked as a Social Welfare Officer in the National Commission for Nomadic Education, Kaduna- Nigeria where I was in charge of promoting Nomadic Girl Child Education and Nomadic Women empowerment. I came to ISS to acquire the necessary skills and competence that will assist me in mainstreaming gender in my work schedule.
I was a student in the Women, Gender, Development (WGD) specialization. My experience in WGD was really exciting and explorative because I was exposed to various Feminist Epistemologies and thinking. What struck me most is that I was expecting the course to be tailored towards development as practice and not development as a process.
My Reseach Paper focussed on the role of International Development Partners (IDP) in enhancing basic education, looking specifically at their initiatives of enhancing the girl child education in rural communities of Northern Nigeria.
Linda Germanis has a background in Economics for Public Administration and International Institutions (MSc, Bocconi University and “Institut d'etudes politiques « Sciences-Po »”of Paris) integrated with an MA in Conflict Reconstruction and Human Security (ISS).
While enrolled at ISS she cooperated with the International Institute of Historical Justice and Reconciliation (IHJR) on two projects: “Zoom In Palestinian Refugees of 1948, Remembrances”; “Sacred Sites in the Holy Land: Historical and Religious Perspectives”.
She worked at the Regional Bureau of UNESCO Bangkok on a Mobile Training Team Project on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) thematic Issues such as food security, disaster preparedness, international understanding, gender.
She has experience in monitoring and evaluation of public funds, as well as strategy and procedures design, working as consultant for Ernst & Young on the transition between the European Structural Funds 2000-2006 and 2007-2013. Personal project website: http://atfirstsight.ning.com/
Nicole Hosein
My work in development has been primarily in the area of gender, as an activist focusing on gender-based violence and as a researcher focusing on child sexual abuse with The University of the West Indies and gender-mainstreaming democratic governance, HIV/AIDS, climate change/disaster risk reduction and energy and the environment with UNDP. I came to the ISS for the unique learning experience of an international environment that I believed would improve my knowledge base and I have not been disappointed. The CRS program at the ISS has served to enhance my knowledge on gender dynamics in situations of violent conflict and has been valuable in increasing my knowledge of sexual violence in conflict. Additionally, the experience of having a group of dedicated and encouraging lecturers has contributed to a learning environment that promotes interactive and lively discussions. I am confident that the theoretical knowledge I have gained and analytical skills I have developed, as a CRSer will only serve me in a positive way in future employment.
With the support of Civil Society Building Knowledge Program (ISS-Hivos collaboration), Cypri has continued his research on social movements, human rights and development and in particular the strategies of civic actors in Papua, Indonesia (January - June 2011). He also works for an Indonesian civil society organisation, SUNSPIRIT FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE and inititated a people-to-people solidarity movement called Gerakan Baku Peduli from Indonesia.
He also published an article on 'Development Aid: Challenge for Real World Justice' in the Dutch magazine Vice Versa. The article can be downloaded for free here.
Samuel Kofi Woods is an ISS alumnus from Liberia (postgraduate diploma in international law and development, 1999). After a long period of human rights activism, for which he received national and international recognition (including a 1994 Reebok Human Rights Award and honors from the Special Court for Sierra Leone in 2005), Woods became Liberia's Minister of Labour in the government led by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as from february 2006. Since May 2009, he is Liberia's Minister of Public Works. On 10 December 2010, on the occasion of a seminar on human rights defenders organized by Justitia et Pax
Sebastien works as the Consultation Coordinator for the Mikisew Cree First Nation in Canada. See a recent news report related to his work. N.B. Click on TAB: NEWS HOUR FINAL (under Global Edmonton) on the left sidebar, then select the June 6th video, and scroll to the 6th minute.
It’s an intense job with lots of responsibilities. While my thesis (editor note: on 'Indigenous Peoples’ Rights in Alberta’s Oil Sands: The Roles of Corporations and the State') has been beneficial in many ways, nothing compares to the learning done in the field. Reading has become an integral part of my work, as the regulatory framework guiding oil sands development is ever-changing. Policies are construed in a lopsided manner, and seem to ignore First Nations interests, despite certain guarantees in the Canadian Constitution. I engage and have meetings with different stakeholders, including the Alberta Department of the Environment (talking about water management), the Alberta Department of Energy (to decide how extraction should take place) with lawyers (deciding which parcels of land need to be protected) and with oil companies (deciding how to “minimize” the impacts of a pipeline). I am also working with consultants, who aid us in performing Traditional Land Use studies (to identify areas of special interest such as hunting grounds or spiritual sites). By demonstrating land use, we are more in a position to make stronger claims for change. However, change is a slow process in such a bureaucratic environment.
I am dealing with people that have a lot of power; that much is evident, and it appears as though First Nations are on the lower end of the power spectrum. Consequently, the pace of development is having a tremendous impact on cultures and traditions. As development continues (largely unhindered), certain forms of knowledge and ways of understanding the natural environment are disappearing. Gradually, it seems that participation into the "mainstream" economy is the way forward for many of these peoples, whether this is positive remains a question of perception of course.
Symph started at the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) of Kenya in January 2011 as a Research Associate that has been tasked to carry out field and desk research in preparation for a hearing of victims that will take place some time in May 2011. Previously Symph worked as Programme Associate at the Kenya Human Rights Commission, an NGO started ten years ago by Professor Makau Mutua and others, and not the 'external oversight body' - the Kenya National Human Rights Commission.
I have been fortunate during the course of 2010 to literally put into practice what I had learned from the MA in Human Rights Development and Social Justice (HDS) specialization. The HDS programme is quite unique in comparison to similar programmes offered by other institutions around the world. As a social scientist coming from a non-legal background, I appreciated that the HDS team avoided too much legal jargon in their lectures. Most important of all I liked the team's socio-legal approach to the human rights discourse, moving beyond the notion that rights realization can be approached in a relatively straightforward way through the law.
While helping to develop a reparation and rehabilitation programme for victims who had suffered gross human rights, I realized that the domination of human rights studies by legal practitioners has led to a gap between human rights law and the realities of human rights violations faced by people on the ground. I think the contribution of law and the social sciences are mutually exclusive in the realization of human rights in the world today.
After leaving the ISS, Kwanravee (Ei) continued her work as a journalist and photo-journalist in Thailand, covering social justice developments there, including the "red shirts" movement. She was quoted in a newspaper article about her perspectives on the movement. In July 2011 she was appointed as an assistant lecturer at the Centre for Human Rights and Social Development, Mahidol University.
It is realised that a much-touted dichotomy of the discourse splitting "Bangkokians" and "Countrymen" has been perpetuated, intentionally or unintentionally, in order to stigmatise and discriminate against those joining the red shirts ... We want to be a mirror reflecting as closely as possible the complete picture of the red shirts movement, which has been staged non-violently thus far.
Masashi Tsudaka from Japan studied Human Rights, Development and Social Justice in the 2006/2007 academic year. He has been working in Palestine for the Japanese development organisation JVC.
I am mainly in charge of nutrition projects in Gaza and a community health project and advocacy in East Jerusalem. If you are interested in the Israel/Palestine conflict and the humanitarian situation in Gaza/West Bank/East Jerusalem, you can read what's happening right next to my neighborhood.
It is unbelievable that I will have this global nework of former ISS students at hand from now on. I can't thank the ISS enough for giving me such a wonderful thing in my life.
I worked in disaster management, internal security operations, peacekeeping operations and humanitarian activities in post conflict reconstruction in Africa and the Middle East before coming to ISS. Looking back in retrospect after my encounter with ISS, I can confidently assert that I could have done my job much better had I had the knowledge acquired at the Institute. Undoubtedly ISS has broadened my horizons on development issues and sharpened my theoretical and analytic skills in handling Conflict, Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Human Security. The CRS programme equipped me with necessary tools enhanced my understanding, including about policy, decision-making and strategy. The multicultural setting at ISS is second to none, and is in itself a learning experience that no classroom lecture (teaching) can provide. Finally, the warmth and care, and support of faculty and administrative staff of ISS made the burden of academic work lighter. This in my candid view makes ISS a unique institution and the place for learning and human capacity development for global change.
Washington Katema (HDS 2008-08) is Democracy, Human Rights and Governance (DRG) Advisor for the United States Department for International Development (USAID).
I have been with USAID/Zimbabwe since April 2010 as the DRG Advisor responsible for the Electoral and Political Processes portfolio. I enrolled at the prestigious International Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus University (ISS) in The Hague, The Netherlands in 2007 and graduated with an MA in Development Studies in 2008. At ISS, I specialized in Human Rights, Development and Social Justice (HDS). The global footprint of ISS in developing original thinking in the field of development studies assisted me in sharpening my analytical tools and solidified my technical competence and professional rigor in the fields of human rights and democratic governance. The multi-cultural environment and a culture of excellence as epitomized by the highly qualified and dedicated staff and enthusiastic students shaped and influenced my professional foundational blocks. ISS has a special place in the chambers of my heart.
Immanuel Hlabangana (Zimbabwe) - Advocacy Programme Manager for Christian Care
Studied Human Rights, Development and Social Justice (MA) in 2005/2006
The key to the study in Social Justice and Human Rights is defined by how development policy and practice can infuse a rights based approach. Not only do I appreciate the learning environment, combining classical style lecturing with a high tech approach, but the opportunity to meet individuals from over 50 countries is incredible!
Eurgenia Appia (Ghana) - Research Officer for the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).
Studied Human Rights, Development and Social Justice (MA) in 2005/2006.
With a range of participants from so many countries, ISS gives a unique opportunity for students to develop a global network. My participation in the new HDS programme has provided me with the essential tools to better understand globalisation and social justice, and to tackle development issues from a rights-based perspective.
Maya Trabin (US, Israel)- Associate Online Editor for the Youth Radio
Studied Human Rights, Development and Social Justice (MA) in 2005/2006
Studying at ISS is like studying in sixty countries at once. Whether sitting in class or exploring the Netherlands, you have the opportunity to learn from a community that is truly global. In and outside of the academic setting, issues are deeply investigated because nothing can be taken for granted from one single point of view.
