Global Health and Human Rights 2014
When I think of a perfect summer, without a doubt it would be the one spent learning about global health and human rights in Geneva....
If there is any truth to the phenomenon of serendipity, it would have to be the experience that I have had this summer in the beautiful city of Geneva. When we think about eternal lights; we think of the stars, when we think about conversations; we reach out for a cup of tea and when I think of a perfect summer, without a doubt it would be the one spent learning about global health and human rights in Geneva.
It would take me a very long time if I were to iterate all the reasons that have made me enjoy and learn so much within such a short duration of time; but one of the main reasons that come to the forefront would be the exquisite and eclectic mélange of cultures, thoughts, knowledge interwoven with the diversity that the class brings.
To really understand what makes this city so beautiful, we need to delve deeper into the intricacies of its inception; the foundations of which are deeply embedded in morals of peace and mutual understanding. The feeling of being in such a city is reflected in the multifaceted functions it serves and more so in the people that reside within its aquiline confines. Every nook and corner is an instantiation of the ideas, morals and the ethos this
venerated city stands for. All of these aspects were seamlessly blended into our wellstructured discussions at the UN (United Nations), ILO (International Labor Organisation), IRC (International Red Cross).
Personally, for me my experiences at the roundtable discussion in ILO was a moment of personal catharsis, not only because of the issues of human trafficking, women empowerment being discussed at length, but also that I may have found some clarity in understanding my own passion in life. But the description of the summer in Geneva would be incomplete without mentioning the amazing people I have met and the friends I have made. One would feel the onus of forming new relations and bonds in such a setting would be on the people visiting the city, but the warmth and comfort level that we experienced with the was nothing short of wonderful. To a person on the outside, the whole fact that so many different people from so many different places that span the entire globe can connect on and intellectual and altruistic level can be confusing; yet straddling between the tunneled views of society, sexist views of feminism, a society diseased by its own self-created flaws and the many faces of abuse was much easier with this eclectic mix of passionate people fields of study that were widely different from mine. The contrasting juxtaposition of diversity and mutual understanding during our discussion and class times were extremely fruitful and intellectually stimulating.
In conclusion, I would like to say that we as people and more-so as products of the millennial generation stand at a critical social, economic and moral juncture, where we need more and more experiences such as the one in Geneva provided to the youth so as to allow a proper forum and platforms for debates and arbitrations. It is only when the gap between the functioning system and the youth is abridged is when we can take the right steps in the proper direction that will lead to sustainable growth in all sectors of global health and human rights. As the famous Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi said ”I believe deeply in the ability of human beings to make and remake themselves for the better”, it is only with inclusion of the productive youth can we reach unprecedented levels of equality and equity in all aspects of human growth and social development. I would like to thank all the professors, my fellow classmates and most of all Professor Astrid Stuckelberger for providing me this wonderfully enriching opportunity and hope that other students and prospective attendees make a note of how interesting and creatively satisfying an experience with the Geneva summer schools can be.
Shantanu Mishra, Milwaukee
