IHP: Human Rights: Movements, Power, and Resistance

The study abroad experience provided by SIT changed my life for the better. When applying, SIT stood out because of their commitment to experiential learning. In this one semester, I felt I had learned more than in my entire academic career at college. Having the opportunity to critically engage with communities on the ground and actually see real world applications makes concepts and ideas more powerful, instead of a traditional classroom experience. Of course, there are a lot of ethical grey lines to consider for a program that takes students across the world extracting information. SIT does a wonderful job of critically engaging with the privilege of the students to be on a program like IHP, but also spends significant time discussing our role in these communities. My entire worldview has changed, especially when considering the United States role in the world and American imperialism. The nature of a program that focuses on Human Rights is not easy. I have never been so emotionally and physically challenged than in a semester with IHP, because these issues matter and effect real people's lives, and you will see this first hand. The site visits really did a good job of putting all the information we learned in class together. Your success on programs like this really does depend on a few variables, particularly your staff and classmates. Spending almost 24/7 with about 25 people can take a toll, but as you are going through this experience together, these people can be your greatest asset. Luckily, I would say the Human Rights program attracts good people, and I had the opportunity to learn from traveling Professor Umud Dalgic, who really cared about learning. The amount of discussions students would have involving material or just the world at large at random dinners or bus rides with each other and professors showed people’s commitment but also SIT’s commitment to finding the best people to be a part of SIT to really enhance your experience. I now have life long friends due to this program, and will most likely be doing another IHP program next fall.

This program is so unique compared to the other programs my friends have gone on. Unlike most semester programs, IHP Human Rights takes you to three different countries to study, analyze, and compare the human rights contexts and situations. Not only did I learn about the histories and cultures of the countries, I learned so much about the history of human rights, critiques, theories, and ways to practice. We met with local activists, academics, and people who are involved in the human rights scenes in each context, and each student wrote a research paper about a topic of their choosing. It was incredible. I learned so much and got to see incredible beauty and eat delicious food and stay with amazing homestay families. I 100 percent recommend!

During my time on this program, through conversations with locals, visits to organizations, and participation in different events, I witnessed first hand and felt deeply the ways in which existing oppressive systems and institutions have negatively impacted the livelihood of specific groups of people. I appreciate this program because I learned so much and felt immersed in each country as a result of all of the country coordinators' efforts to make this happen. The importance of empathy and taking action was evident every day.

My semester abroad with IHP Human Rights was truly eye opening and changed the ways in which I interact with people and think about issues in my daily life. In a group of 30 students, we traveled to Chile, Nepal, and Jordan and learned from local human rights practitioners, activists, and community members about what is happening in their communities. This program is non-stop; from morning breakfast with your host family to afternoons spent meeting with community leaders or in the classroom, to conversations with your fellow students about the days lessons before you all fall asleep, you are constantly thinking about, learning, and practicing human rights. If you are interested in issues of justice or social organizing this is the program for you!