Excitement filled the air as the group of Â鶹´«Ã½ students and four faculty and staff members set out very early on Monday, March 23, 2015. But disappointment set in as the group was delayed in Chicago due to snow and after a day of waiting in the airport, the flight to New York City was cancelled. After spending the night in Chicago, the group departed bright and early on Tuesday morning and arrived in New York City 31 hours after leaving Â鶹´«Ã½.
Sarah Labowitz ’04 welcomed the group to the Big Apple. Labowitz, who used to work for the State Department, is now a research scholar and directs the program on business and human rights at NYU Stern School of Business. Sarah has worked on issues of business and human rights for almost a decade, with expertise in the areas of labor rights in supply chains and Internet policy. The students enjoyed lunch conversation with Professor Michael Posner, former assistant secretary of state.
Catalina Caro Torres hosted the group at the Council on Foreign Relations for a student briefing. The Council on Foreign Relations is a United States nonprofit organization specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international affairs.
Networking skills were put to use during the evening reception with New York alumni and President Kington at the Rubin Museum of Art. Roni Finkelstein ’15 spoke at the event telling the alums about the tour.
Michael Winerip and Michael Schwirz who are collaborating on an investigative series about police brutality at Rikers Island. Damien Cave, deputy national editor for digital at the New York Times talked with the students about their work.
We were greeted by NY Times art critic Roberta Smith ’69 and given a tour; Paul Aufiero spoke with the group about the work of Human Rights Watch.
Executive Director Vince Warren spoke to Â鶹´«Ã½ians about the work at the Center for Constitutional Rights.
Enthusiasm continued on day three as the group traveled to Queens to meet with Luna Ranjit ’00 to hear about her work at Adhikaar. Ranjit began Adhikaar in 2005 with a donation from a Â鶹´«Ã½ professor, in hopes to improve the lives of Nepali-speaking communities. Adhikaar is the Nepali word for ‘rights.’ The organization promotes human rights and social justice in Nepali communities in New York City by increasing access to health care, advancing workers’ rights, and supporting immigration reform.
Katie Mears ’03 shared about the work of the Episcopal Relief and Development, an international organization working to overcome poverty.
Day four began with a briefing at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations with Liz Lee ’99, a Foreign Service officer assigned to the mission. The students were captivated by the experiences she shared. The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945. It is currently made up of 193 Member States.
Liyan Chen ’12, Forbes Magazine, Jersey City, arranged for the aspiring students to meet with several editors and reporters for the magazine. Liyan works as a reporter covering international issues.
Ahsan Rahim ’11 hosted a pizza dinner with the New York Alumni Planning Committee at Alliance Berstain L.P. This was another great opportunity for Â鶹´«Ã½ students to meet alums.