SIS students were asked to submit photos of human rights issues in order to raise awareness of the important work they are doing around the world. Below are our top submissions. Please take a moment to read about the fantastic work SIS students have done!

Lina Lindahl

Lina Lindahl
International Communications Graduate Student

This picture is taken outside of a rural village called Umoja in Kenya. We walked for an hour in the late morning before the sun reached zenith. The only thing I saw was dry land and I was told that it hadn't been raining for months. We finally reached a place where we were greeted by a man and a group of women. It couldn't even be called a village because there were only a few huts built out of cow dung and hay. The man had agreed to host the meeting in the "village" he was in charge of. The women came from villages all around the area to learn about the effects of female circumcision. Each month some of the members from Umoja went around to educate women about the effects of these practices and how they need to be changed and the how to keep the traditional ceremonies even though the final stage (circumcision) could be taken away. All of the women then went back to their villages to educate everyone else in their community.

This is a perfect example on how powerful and innovative people could be within their own community. It's important to recognize the efforts that are happening worldwide and highlight the importance of working with local grass-roots initiatives when working for human rights. Let's celebrate the brave people around the world that risk their life for a better tomorrow for all!