Past Internships

The Tufts Oslo Scholars have engaged with Oslo Freedom Forum speakers in their home countries to promote their work as human rights leaders.

2020

Mrugank Bhusari (A'21) is a member of the Class of 2021 from Mumbai, India. As an Oslo Scholar, he worked with Jamila Raqib at the Albert Einstein Institution. Through his double-major in Quantitative Economics and International Relations, he investigated how economic methods can drive evidence-based international policy. He is particularly interested in the intersection of human security, migration, and development. In 2020 he was a Visiting Student at the University of Oxford studying Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE). He has previously worked as a research assistant for Professor John A. List, an experimental economist at the University of Chicago, and a Laidlaw Scholar at Tufts. He was a member of the EPIIC Colloquium (18-19), where his interest in these topics was ignited. Beyond the overarching theories of migration, it was the personal narratives and individual stories that left a deep impression on him; stories of snap decisions, of broken aspirations and of hope. Currently, he is pursuing a career in policymaking and research, with the intention of bringing human dignity to the centre of the discourse.

Adam Foster (A'22) is pursuing an International Relations Major with a concentration in Security and a Minor in Mandarin. In 2020 he worked in human rights and advocacy through One Day Seyoum. Through his internship at One Day Seyoum, he gained valuable experience in lobbying on an international scale and learned more about modern-day atrocities and the abuse of power in Eritrea. He is from Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he spent most of his time pursuing legislative change on the state level, becoming the youngest ever registered Lobbyist in the state's history, with a specific focus on youth advocacy, development of broadband infrastructure, and education. At Tufts, he has continued this interest in politics and international relations as a member of SURGE, ALLIES, CIVIC, and an executive board member of Tufts Peace Action, as well as a member of the IGL's EPIIC 2020 class: Preventing Genocide and Mass Atrocities.

Mahdi Ibrahim (A'23) is from Cambridge, Massachusetts. As an Oslo Scholar for the summer of 2020, Mahdi interned with One Day Seyoum, an organization shedding light on the numerous human rights violations committed by the state of Eritrea against its people. ODS coordinates campaigns, political and legal efforts, projects, protests and speaking engagements to apply pressure on the Eritrean regime as well as governments and citizens around the world. As someone of Eritrean descent, Mahdi had a personal and moral commitment to the mission of ODS and worked on a range of projects. Pursuing a double major in International Relations and Economics and a minor in Colonialism Studies, he is interested in exploring how colonial legacies shape economic development in postcolonial nations. He is also passionate about foreign affairs, particularly as it relates to political economy, human rights, and social movements in the Middle East and in Africa. On-campus, Mahdi is on the e-board for the Eritrean-Ethiopian Student Association and the African Student Association, a member of the Tufts Consulting Collective and the Tufts Labor Coalition, involved with the first-generation community, an RA, and a Tufts with Rwanda fellow. He is also an intern at Global Kids' "US in the World" Summer Institute, working alongside the Council on Foreign Relations to develop a three-week foreign policy program for high school students in NYC.

Colin Kennedy (A'21) is is originally from Seattle, Washington. As an Oslo Scholar in 2020, he interned at Canvas. He continued to learn about governance and social accountability. He is double majored in history and quantitative economics, with a particular interest in journalism, international affairs, and human rights. He grew up and went to school in India, Switzerland, and Ethiopia and is passionate about working with people across cultures. At Tufts, he was involved with the Tufts Daily and the Middle East Research Group. Colin is especially interested in the realm of development economics and accountable governance. In summer 2017, he interned with USAID/Ethiopia's Democracy and Governance Office, where he examined democratic trends in Ethiopia and compiled a report on the development of social accountability and local governance. In summer 2018, he was a Tufts with Rwanda Fellow and studied firsthand the long-term efforts under the Kagame government in reconciliation and economic development following the 1994 genocide.

Taylor Lewis (A'21) is a junior at Tufts majoring in international relations and economics. Taylor interned with Jamila Raqib this past summer at the Albert Einstein Institution. In addition to being an Oslo Scholar, Taylor serves as a co-leader of the Middle East Research Group and as a 2021 Class Senator. Studying Arabic and French, he plans on studying abroad in Morocco this spring. In the meantime, however, he reconnects with his Portland, OR roots by wearing fuzzy flannels and drinking copious amounts of coffee.

Amelia Miller (A'23) is from Howard, Pennsylvania. In 2020, Amelia interned with activist and politician Mu Sochua through the organization Courage Fund Cambodia. She worked on promoting the vital work of the organization through social media and learned more about activism and the promotion of democracy, and supporting activists who are victims of oppression as a result of their work. She is double majoring in International Relations and Arabic and is especially interested in security, foreign policy, and human rights. On-campus, she serves as Events Chair for Women in International Relations, Treasurer of ECOM, Assistant Curriculum Director for Middle East Research Group, and is an active member of Action for Sexual Assault Prevention. This past year, she was also a Tufts with Rwanda Fellow. Participating in this program has furthered her desire to make a positive impact on the world and pursue a career connected to human rights.

Alessandra Moreno (A'21) is a rising senior majoring in political science and Middle Eastern studies with a minor in Arabic. As an Oslo Scholar 2020, she studied both the ways in which the arts can be used as a form of nonviolent action and how nonviolent action in all of its forms can be strategically implemented to replace violence. Alessandra grew up in New York City and attended LaGuardia High School for Music and Art, planning for many years to follow in her parents' footsteps and pursue a career in the arts; however, at Tufts, Alessandra has been able to fuel her passion for human rights and genocide education, inspiring her to think about the ways the arts can be used as political tools. Alessandra currently serves as the Cummings intern on Genocide and Holocaust education and works as the leader and coordinator for the Tufts with Rwanda Fellowship. Also, she is a member of Action for Sexual Assault Prevention, Tufts Wilderness Orientation, manages the Experimental College's social media accounts.

Haruka Noishiki (A'21) majored in International Relations and Psychology at Tufts University and hails from Japan with Jerseyan and Californian roots. As an Oslo Scholar, she interned with the Albert Einstein Institution and supporting Jamila Raqib. On-campus, she leads international relations groups focused on Women's Empowerment (Women in IR), Sino-US relations (SURGE), and journal publication (Hemispheres) while serving as a Writing Fellow. She kicked off the 19-20 academic year with a Summer in DC, Fall in Boston chased with a Spring semester in Paris cut short, and is looking forward to going back to all three homes, old and new. She will conduct her Senior Honors Thesis on cartographical influences on foreign policy decision-making next year. Her areas of interest include East Asia, East Europe, nuclear proliferation, psychological analysis in international decision making and threat perception. She speaks Japanese, English and French.

Elizabeth Shelbred (A'22) is pursuing a double major in International Relations and Civic Studies, with a concentration in Security and Peace and Justice Studies. As an Oslo Scholar in summer 2020, she is interned remotely with Jamila Raqib and the Albert Einstein Institution, which specializes in the study and application of nonviolent resistance in conflicts. From a young age, her travels to various parts of the world sparked her interests in human rights, migration, and conflict resolution. She is a firm believer that education is the key to dismantling systems of oppression and has done research on the transformative power of critical pedagogy. She carried this ideology to her internship with Education for Employment (EFE) during the summer before her junior year, where she aided in assembling a global network of prominent influencers, entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists to fund and promote EFE's Fall 2020 Women's Empowerment campaign across the MENA region. At Tufts, she has been involved with The Tufts Daily and Amnesty International. As Associate Editor and Executive Opinion Editor of The Tufts Daily, she used journalism as a means of preserving the truth and mobilizing change on campus. After college, she plans to pursue a career in conflict resolution and human rights law.

Leah Yohannes (A'21) majored in Peace and Justice Studies and Political Science. As an Oslo Scholar, she worked with One Day Seyoum, an international human rights organization dedicated to raising awareness about human rights violations committed in Eritrea and supporting Eritrean refugees. She gained experience in utilizing communications strategy in human rights advocacy and making human rights work more accessible. She's most passionate about international security, particularly regarding issues of gender-based violence. After graduation, she's interested in pursuing a career in political communications and law. Previously she's worked as a Communications and Marketing intern at the Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall, formerly known as Town Hall Los Angeles. On-campus she's an active member of Tufts Amnesty International and currently serves as the organization's Social Media Coordinator. Additionally, she was also a student worker at the IGL and a member of Kappa Alpha Theta.

2019

Taylor Lewis (A21) interned with Jamila Raqib this past summer at the Albert Einstein Institution. In addition to being an Oslo Scholar, Taylor serves as a co-leader of the Middle East Research Group and as a 2021 Class Senator. He reconnects with his Portland, OR roots by wearing fuzzy flannels and drinking copious amounts of coffee. Read about his experiences here.

Noah Zussman (A20) Noah Zussman double majored in Political Science and Peace and Justice Studies. A former Oslo Scholar, he interned at the Center for Applied Nonviolent Action and Strategies (CANVAS) in Belgrade, Serbia, during the summer of 2019. In addition to his role as the Oslo Scholars Coordinator, he also served as the Head Delegate of the Tufts Model United Nations Travel Team and worked at the Massachusetts Judges Conference in Salem, MA. After graduation, he hopes to serve in the Peace Corps or do peacebuilding work in the Balkans. Read about his experiences here.

Patrick Beliard (A'21), attended the Oslo Freedom Forum in Norway and worked with Dr. Nada Dhaif, a renowned Bahrani activist dedicated to speaking out against government oppression and torture. He was a research assistant for BRAVO, which is the organization that she founded. Read about his experiences here.

Dorothy Neher (A’20) attended the Oslo Freedom Forum in Norway. For three days she had the opportunity to listen and engage in discussion with several human rights activists. Afterwards she interned with Leyla Hussein over the summer. Leyla Hussein is a psychotherapist, writer, specialist on female genital mutilation (FGM) and gender rights, and lead campaigner working to end violence against women and girls. Read about her experiences here.

2018

Atrey Bhargava (A21) worked with Srdja Popovic as a Research intern for his organization, the Center for Applied Nonviolent Action and Strategies (CANVAS) in Belgrade, Serbia. While in Belgrade, he worked with different protest movements and was lucky enough to interact with passionate leaders who were striving to create democracy and the rule of law in different parts of the world. He was able to fathom the strength of “people power” and the need for vigilance and active civil society to maintain liberty. Read about his experiences here.

Carlos Irisarri (A21) completed a summer internship at El Chigüire Bipolar, a Venezuelan satirical news source. During his internship he conducted general research, provided support with Spanish language translation, and created presentations for NGOs among other things. Read Carlos' reflection on his work here.

Claire Trilling (A19) interned remotely with Jamila Raqib and her organization, the Albert Einstein Institution, which specializes in the study and application of nonviolent resistance in conflicts. As a part of her work, she researched nonviolent current events around the world, assisted Jamila with speech-writing, and prepared briefings for upcoming events. Read about her work here.

2017

Zara Rancheva (A18) spent her summer working as a research intern with Srdja Popovic at his organization, the Centre for Applied Nonviolent Action Strategies. Read Zara's reflection on her work here.

Anne Hall (A19) interned with Dr. Nada Dhaif and her organization, the Bahraini Rehabilitation and Anti-Violence Organization. Read her reflection on her work here.

Sara Arman (A19) worked alongside Jamila Raqib at the Albert Einstein Institution, working on non-violent resistance strategies. Read her reflection on her work here.

2016

Nayana Bijli (A16) and Benya Kraus (A18) worked alongside Alaa Murabit and her NGO, Voice of Libyan Women, on the intersection between gender and security. Read a reflection of their work here.

Shawn Patterson (A17) interned for Srdja Popovic and his organization, the Centre for Applied Nonviolent Action Strategies, expanding the field of strategic nonviolence. Read his reflection on his work here.

Hnin Darle Lin interned with Suleiman Bakhit at the Hero-Factor Project, dedicated to promoting heroism as an antidote to extremism for Middle Eastern youth. Read a reflection of the experience here.

Oğul Girgin (A17), Nora Nord (A18), and Liam Flaherty (A18) interned with Justine Hardy at Healing Kashmir in Srinagar, India, working on the impacts of conflict on the psychological well-being of adolescents. Read their reflection on their work here.

Katie Cho (A18) spent her summer working with Ji Seong-Ho, founder of Now Action in Unity of Human Rights in Seoul, South Korea, advocating for the human rights of North Koreans.

2014

Jack Margolin (A16) worked with Srdja Popovic and his organization, the Centre for Applied Nonviolent Action and Strategies (CANVAS) in Belgrade, Serbia, conducting research and analysis, and authoring reports for the use of activists and trainers. Read Jack’s reflection on his work with CANVAS here.

Caitlin Thompson (A17) interned at the Institute for Modern Russia, a public policy think tank that aims to assist in building democratic institutional structures in through research and advocacy. She also worked at the Human Rights Foundation, which puts on the Oslo Freedom Forum and promotes human rights and liberal democracy around the world. Read about her experience here.

2013

Carlota Fernandez-Tubao Rullo (A15) supported the work of Rafael Marques de Morais, Angolan journalist and civil rights activists known for his work reporting on government corruption and blood diamonds. Read Carlota's thoughtful piece on Rafael's work here.

Christina Luo (A13) interned with Lobsang Sangay, Prime Minister of the Tibetan government in exile, in Dharamsala, India. Read Christina's blog entry from the Oslo Freedom Forum 2013 titled "Sustainable Hope" here.

Jonathan Wolff (A14) and Niya Shahdad (A16) supported Justine Hardy and her organization, Healing Kashmir, which provides mental health services and builds resiliency and strength among people affected by Kashmir's political violence. 

2012

William Luk (A13) supported the work of Abebe Gellaw, exiled Ethiopian journalist and founder of Addis Voice, a source and platform for content forbidden by the Ethiopian government. Read William's blog post recounting his experience in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia here.

Sabrina Ghaus (A14) supported the work of Asma Jahangir, human rights lawyer in Pakistan. Read Sabrina's blog post from the Oslo Freedom Forum here.

Carolina Cardenas (A13) worked with Oslo Freedom Forum delegate Mauricio Rodas, scholar and founder of the Ethos Foundation, an organization promoting equal opportunities, liberty, and human rights in Latin America. Read Carolina's reflection from Quito, Ecuador titled "Looking at Povery in a Different Light" here.

Nishant Saharan (A14) spent his break supporting Justine Hardy and her organization, Healing Kashmir, which provides mental health services and builds resiliency and strength among people affected by Kashmir's political violence. Read Nishant's reflection here.

2011

Garrett Friedman (A14) and Patricia Letayf (A12) interned in the summer of 2011 at Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish's foundation, Daughters for Life. Dr. Abuelaish is author of I Shall Not Hate: A Gaza Doctor's Journey on the Road to Peace and Human Dignity (2011, Walker & Co)

Nithyaa Venkataramani (A13) interned with Vincent Manoharan's Cornerstone Trust, a Dalit rights and advocacy organization based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.

Vasundhara Jolly (A13) spent her break supporting Justine Hardy and her organization, Healing Kashmir, which provides mental health services and builds resiliency and strength among people affected by Kashmir's political violence. Read Vasundhara's blog from her internship here.  And read 2011 Oslo Scholars Program Coordinator Mike Niconchuck's reflection from Kashmir during a visit with active scholars here.

2010

Kelly Holz (A10) supported Mukhtar Mai's work to liberate Pakistani girls through education at the Mukhtar Mai School for Girls. Read Kelly's reporting from the field in the context of the simultaneously tragic 2010 Pakistan floods here.