Which continent, exactly?

This blog's title isn't in reference to actual continents (I've now been to four), but is rather drawn from "The Third and Final Continent," a stunning short story by Jhumpa Lahiri, from her collection, The Interpreter of Maladies. In particular, I'm inspired by the following quote that summarizes the attitude I try to carry with me through life and on my travels

I am not the only person to seek his fortune far from home, and certainly I am not the first. Still there are times I am bewildered by each mile I have traveled, each meal I have eaten, each person I have known, each room in which I have slept. As ordinary as it all appears, there are times when it is beyond my imagination.

I love this. It calls on us to consider the tiny details of our experiences, both one-by-one, and in the aggregate, and to maintain a sense of wonder even about the seemingly mundane things that are the building blocks of our lives, and often, the glue that binds us to our traveling companions.

This blog began as a chronicle of my study abroad experience in Cairo in Spring 2008, and continued last year while volunteering in Geneva, and South Sudan with a wonderful organization, VIDES.

Now in graduate school, I'm returning to the Continent this summer while interning in New Delhi, India.

Please enjoy, inquire, and learn.

Sunday, February 3, 2013

Taken from the IIMA Blog: Israel's No-Show


While a more substantial reflection on my work here (among other things) is, per usual, forthcoming, I thought I would start by sharing a sample of what I've done so far, a blog entry on Israel's non-participation in the Universal Periodic Review, a first-ever occurrence that poses a significant challenge to the Human Rights Council.  I had the opportunity to attend the session and see the diplomatic drama go down.  It was definitely something that attracted a lot of attention locally. Seats that often remain empty were filled with a number of people from every acronym imaginable (usually the reverse of the ones I'm famliar with from DC. . . FMI, BW, etc. )


And here's the entry from the IIMA (Salesian Human Rights Office) blog, (English edition).  The original draft was written with the help of my wonderful colleague, Sofi from Mexico. 

Enjoy!


On January 29, 2013, the State of Israel was scheduled to undergo its second Universal Periodic Review (UPR), but the Israeli Mission to the UN did not present its report to the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC), or attend the designated session.

Other States made statements regarding this unprecedented occurrence. Many shared the concern that by breaking the pattern of cooperation, Israel has opened the door to non-cooperation by others. All States present expressed enormous respect for the UPR, but disagreed about how to respond to the situation in order to preserve the universality and integrity of the mechanism, and thus, its unique role in promoting human rights.

HRC President, Mr. Remigiusz Henczel, distributed a draft decision proposing a way forward in the case of Israel, and as a precedent for any future instances of non-cooperation.   The proposal called for the President to engage with Israel and urge it to resume its cooperation.  If he succeeds, its UPR will be rescheduled for 2013.

As the meeting concluded, the resolution passed by consensus. Many States and observers hope that the on-going formation of a new Israeli government will lead to re-engagement with the HRC.

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On a less professional note, Sofi and I
giving our WTH Israel faces. . . 

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