The multi-disciplinary organizational team consisting of Professors Doyle, Tanya Elder, Susan Perry, and students Daniel Carter, Ally Poehailos and Jordan Haschke—supported by the George and Irina Schaeffer Center for the Study of Genocide, Human Rights and Conflict Prevention—aimed to bring together at AUP as many people as possible from around the world who would represent the interests of the Faith for Rights initiative.
In addition to the conference, the AUP team also envisioned a virtual platform that would serve as a repository for academic resources for teaching courses on the relationship between religion and human rights. “The idea of a platform came after lots of discussion regarding how we as students could facilitate connections between our personal goals and the important issues we were exploring in class and through the conference” explains Poehailos.
The experience was truly hands-on for the students who, in addition to thinking through the big ideas, chaired planning meetings, recruited fellow students to volunteer, took participants on tours of Paris, and handled logistics such as accommodation, catering and expenses. “With this conference, I was able to take on more responsibility that utilized my communication experience gained through classwork. I was able to invite and correspond with high level delegates from education and non-governmental organizations from around the world and bring them together at AUP,” says Carter.
With a particular interest in NGO work, Poehailos felt the need to consider the ways in which the platform could serve as a bridge between the investments of the private and the public sectors in human rights education. Using the AUP conference as a springboard, Poehailos and Professor Elder would collaborate on a personalized directed study entitled “Cultivating Coexistence: Faith for Rights,” which would count towards her graduation requirements. Poehailos was then invited to Geneva, where she would present her findings alongside professors Elder and Doyle, and Carter who assisted with the proposal. Through their participation, deeper connections between the UN and the University would be established.
Through these two high-profile events, students were able to engage in poignant and powerful discussions on the challenges and opportunities within the faith and human rights framework. Their focus on the role of academic hubs and networking in promoting research and dialogue on the relationship between religion and human rights was unique in its kind and will undoubtedly fulfill existing needs for such tools.
“Not only did I gain valuable experience that complemented my studies, but I was proudly representing the students of AUP to the broader academic and professional world while building lasting connections for myself and the University,” tells Carter. These connections would lead to greater opportunities for both parties down the road.
“More came from my directed study than I could have dreamed, the same being true for my enrollment in Professor Doyle’s course on identity formation,” reflects Poehailos. She emphasizes that she is most fortunate for the professional connections that she has been able to build, both with her own professors and with other professors, academics and professionals from across the globe who share in her same desire: “to see peace prosper, and to play a part in making it happen.”
To further the conversation around the intersection of faith and human rights, the George and Irina Schaeffer Center for the Study of Genocide, Human Rights, and Conflict Prevention in collaboration with Professors Waddick Doyle (Communications, Media and Culture) and Susan Perry (History and Politics), will be hosting an interfaith dialogue on February 19th. Guests will come from various religious traditions known for their interfaith engagement. An informal conversation will follow. The event will be held in Q-801 from 17:00h to 19:00h.
