My Experiences of Community This Summer

One major contrast between my two Global Scholars experiences this summer is the way I have experienced community quite differently throughout both.

When researching the civil and human rights implications of intelligence-led, predictive policing practices in my hometown of Pasco County Florida, I felt connected to a community I have long been a part of. The reason I began researching predictive policing as a human rights issue was because my hometown serves as a prime example of the dangers that lie in law enforcement institutions using their increasing capacity to surveil citizens to justify undue intervention and cause harm in the lives of innocent people. Presenting my research to hundreds of students and faculty members this Fall will provide me with a platform to advocate for the people in my community whose lives were deeply impacted by the issue I spent my summer researching.

Since traveling to Prague to study genocide and the international human rights regime with a cohort of Social Work and International Affairs students, I have joined a brand new community. This community consists of a group of twenty-nine passionate and intelligent students motivated to be lifelong human rights advocates along with our two amazing professors, Dr. Nagar and Dr. Abell. This community also consists of many gracious locals from Prague (and the various other destinations we visit), who make our learning experience so meaningful and experiential. Whether it be our tour guides, class speakers, local restaurant workers, or the kind owners of our housing, so many people have shown our group great kindness as foreigners visiting their homes.

Attached to this blog post, I have attached some photos that represent community to me this summer. I am so grateful for all of the amazing people I have been surrounded by!