Week 1 - Building a More Peaceful and Inclusive World
My first week at the United States Institute of Peace involved meeting the members of my team and getting more familiar with the Institute’s work. I feel very fortunate to be in an environment where I am surrounded by such fascinating individuals. Every team member carries a unique personal story as to their journey to USIP and I look forward to learning from their breadth of knowledge in this field. It has also been very exciting to hear that there are William & Mary law alumni as well as other Canadians at USIP!
This year the United States Institute of Peace is celebrating its 40th anniversary as it was founded in 1984 by Congress as an independent institution created to prevent, mitigate and resolve violent conflict. The Institute partners with local organizations across the globe to help build a more peaceful and inclusive world through linking research, policy, training, analysis and direct action.
My work as a research assistant for the Police Reform team under the Center for Thematic Excellence (CTE) will be majorly focused on a future project centered around El Salvador. El Salvador is currently facing issues with gang violence and as a response has declared a state of emergency that has resulted in mass incarceration issues. The final product of this project will be a report of findings and recommendations for El Salvador on how to resolve the problems created by the mass incarceration.
My time at USIP has just begun and I am fueled with excitement on what is to come! I look forward to working on this project and am beyond grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow at the Institute this summer.