This year, I was privileged enough to be a recipient of the Gallatin Global Human Rights Fellowship.

Through the fellowship, I was given the unique opportunity to work on  human rights issues abroad.

I chose Berlin, of course, in light of the refugee situation that has recently unfolded in Europe, with millions fleeing to Europe in search of a better life. Originally, I had proposed to analyze the initiatives of local grassroots organizations in Berlin and how successful these different movements were for promoting refugee integration. But then I saw the lack of action taken by government officials, and worse, the public demonization and characterization of refugees as terrorists, moochers, etc.

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I fully believe that each human deserves to live a dignified life, and such a life is dependent on a person's access to housing, education, employment, and more. Refugees are people like us, who have been violently and cruelly stripped of their property, displaced from their homes, attacked by the very people who vowed to protect them, forced to escape situations of certain death and further make decisions that endanger their very lives. Often times, refugees are locked into a narrative of victimhood which obscures their agency and power, which makes their own hopes, dreams, and aspirations invisible for the attainment of survival.

Consequently, my research project has changed to explore the links between trauma, resiliency and integration, in an effort to support commonsense, dignified policy for refugees which respects their internationally-recognized human rights. We must empower refugees but we must also support their needs, whether it be food, shelter, access, or even a voice, when theirs have been constantly suppresesd. 

I have created a survey which seeks to shed light on the refugee situation, to make some sense of t he countless stories which have entered this continent, many of whom we have rejected with our ballots without a second glance. By providing accurate data concerning the plight of refugees and using this information to pressure the government into passing effective and beneficial policy, which alleviates the burden of integration and addresses the needs of refugees.

Then and only then can a truly dignified life be achieved by refugees, which is a benefit to all of society.