Testimonials

"The main highlight of my IHRE experience was my internship with Children of Fire.  For me, it was the perfect component to link my in-class experience with real life challenges.  To be able to learn in the same place that the likes of Nelson Mandela, Helen Suzman, George Bizos, and Richard Goldstone had studies was a humbling experience in and of itself.  Everything we learned in the classroom was actually occurring all throughout South Africa and in our internships."

-Aaron Hayes, University of Connecticut

"IHRE confirmed my passion for human rights.  I truly enjoyed learning from my classmates and professors of various backgrounds as they shared their opinions and perspectives.  The classes are small enough for discussion yet diverse enough for interesting debates."

-Shafferan Sonneveld, Wilfrid Laurier University

"I think the biggest lesson learned was that one does not need to be a human rights lawyer or head of an NGO to be part of a positive cause.  The curriculum s filled with ways in which people of all backgrounds (artistic, academic, activist) can be involved in positive change."

-Ronald Joseph, Bard College

"I gained a deeper and richer understanding of the complexities within the human rights field.  IHRE challenged me to question why I believe in human rights and gave me a more nuanced understanding of their importance."

-Rachael Goldenberg, Wellesley College

"I got much more out of the program than I thought I would.  It gave me insight into the issue of racism in a way that I never would have learned (or understood in the same way) here in the U.S.  Having a connection to South Africa and understanding some of the issues that present themselves there is critical in this day and age.  Being in Johannesburg, South Africa's economic hub where rich and poor meet face-to-face, brought me closer to those issues by exposing me to them first hand."

-Gavino Garay, Bard College

"IHRE was a great chance to get a glimpse of the world of NGOs and human rights. I loved being in classes with South African students and I built great and lasting friendships throughout the program. Working with the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition gave me a unique opportunity to learn about a country and people in turmoil and bring that knowledge back to the human rights work I have been doing in the U.S."

-Maura Donovan, Hamilton College

"Learning in a classroom with both North American and African (also very diverse in terms of nationality, race, class, ethnicity, and religion) students and faculty was an extremely invaluable experience and contributed to the richness of discussions, sharing of the most diverse of experiences and thoughts and was in itself a priceless learning resource."

-Karen Mwaniki, Wellesley College

  "The IHRE program opened up countless doors for me to continue and focus my passion for human rights. It gave me a framework through which to channel all of my energy to help people into something useful and academically sound. On a personal level I grew immensely as a person - studying with IHRE is so unique compared to my friends' study abroad experiences in Europe that I've never once regretted my decision to go to a more 'off the beaten track' study abroad destination. "

-IHRE Participant Reflection

"IHRE has allowed me to see that there is no longer a need to refer to ourselves as black and white, but rather as human beings working together towards achieving a better world for all."

-IHRE Participant Reflection

"I learned that the human rights discourse is not always positive.  People use it to justify oppression.  IHRE made me conscious that I can use the human rights discourse to oppress if I am not aware - I am not immune to such things."

-IHRE Participant Reflection

"The mixing of cultures and backgrounds provided us with an unforgettable awareness and lifelong appreciation for each other.  It was an opportunity to have a better understanding of each other's cultures and backgrounds.  It was an establishment of a worldwide network of international comrades, an intense exchange of diverse ideas and ideologies, and intense educational process."

-IHRE Participant Reflection