Developing a Global Perspective on Human Rights

Rachael Gamlin
MA ’19
International Law and Organizations (ILAW)
First Year: SAIS Europe
Recipient of the C. Grove Haines Award for Best Paper in International Policy

The opportunity to study at Johns Hopkins SAIS piqued Rachael’s interest for several reasons, primarily the vast range of classes and the opportunity to study at the one of the best international relations schools. She also believed the language and economics requirements, while daunting, would serve as the right amount of challenge. Also, the idea of experiencing Italian coffee culture for a year at SAIS Europe in Bologna, Italy while studying for classes was certainly an appealing factor.

Prior to graduate school, Rachael spent a year teaching English in France at a local high school in Fontainebleau, just outside of Paris. The opportunity allowed her to brush up on her French while also making a smooth transition to the European lifestyle she was about to begin at SAIS Europe.

Now in her second year at the school, Rachael has participated in two study trips. The first was to Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina with the ILAW program and the Center for Constitutional Studies and Democratic Development. She met with representatives from international organizations and media outlets to learn about the war and post-conflict reconstruction. The second trip was to Mexico City with the ILAW program’s International Human Rights Clinic. She researched how international trade has impacted working women in Mexico and met with several groups, including NGOs, government agencies, and international organizations for background details.

One of her biggest accomplishments as a student was her receipt of the C. Grove Haines Award for Best Paper in International Policy for a paper she had written about how international humanitarian organizations should treat embedded journalists.

Rachael also had the valuable opportunity to work as a Communications intern for the Millennium Challenge Corporation in Morocco for ten weeks last summer. The most rewarding aspects of the internship were learning a great deal about the international aid organization and documenting the stories of men and women who had benefited from her organization’s support.

This semester, Rachael has been interning with Human Rights Watch in the Environment section, writing op-eds, assisting in research for reports, and drafting a paper about climate change and conflict for a conference.

After graduation, Rachael hopes to combine her skills in journalism with her passion for social impact projects. She sees herself working in the field of corporate responsibility and/or business and human rights, ensuring that business products are free of labor and human rights violations.