Muhlenberg Students Intern At United Nations
Seven Muhlenberg College students will intern in New York City at a conference of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues from May 15 through May 26.Thursday, May 11, 2006 01:59 PM
The Permanent Forum is a new body within the UN system that oversees human rights and sovereignty issues for indigenous peoples around the globe.
In addition, the College is hosting a “Native Writers on Writing” panel at the Permanent Forum, with poets Allison Hedge Coke (Huron and Cherokee) and James Thomas Stevens (Akwesasne Mohawk) speaking on the politics of literary production and of publication for Native writers. ‘Berg professors Chris Herrick, political science, Mary Lawlor, English, and David Tafler, media and communication, will also participate.
This year’s participating students, all American Studies and International Studies majors, are: Skylar Charry ‘08, Meghan Courtney ‘07, Brian Galgano ‘08, Katherine Hesselink-Hicks ‘07, Libby Hill ‘07, Kristina Necovska ‘07,and Tamara Symonds ‘08.
Representatives of world indigenous groups and non-governmental organizations will participate in the conference, largely by reporting on violations of indigenous rights and on-going efforts by indigenous peoples to get their rights reinstated in the nation-states where they are located. The students will do volunteer work for the Indigenous Peoples Centre for Documentation, Research and Information (DoCip), an organization within the UN that handles documentation and other logistical matters for indigenous people participating in UN programs on a temporary basis.
