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Meet the 2016 Humanity in Action Congressional Fellows

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Humanity in Action is pleased to introduce the recipients of the 2016 Lantos-Humanity in Action Congressional Fellowship.

Each year, Humanity in Action and the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice bring together a small group of outstanding students and young professionals from around the world for a five-month long internship at the office of a United States Representative or a Congressional Committee. Named in memory of the late Congressman Tom Lantos and sponsored by the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice, the program aims to strengthen ties between emerging European and American human rights leaders and to provide European university students with an inside perspective on the workings of Congress, American government, political parties, minority issues, economic and social developments and human rights issues. Fellows also participate in a weekly seminar series to learn about American political, social, legal, economic, educational, religious, cultural, and human rights issues.


The 2016 Humanity in Action Congressional Fellows:

Andras Molnar

Hungary
Representative Grace Napolitano (Democrat – California)

Andras was born in Budapest, Hungary. He is a recent graduate of Durham University, United Kingdom, where he studied history, politics and international relations. Andras started his career at the Tom Lantos Institute of Budapest as a Research Fellow, and later worked for the President of the Constitutional Court of Hungary before being selected as a Legislative Trainee at the European Parliament. Andras has also worked with the United Nations in Geneva, at the Permanent Representation of Hungary and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Andras is interested in the ways the judicial, legislative, and executive bodies can be used for the promotion of human rights and the representation of minorities.

 

David Reis

Israel
Representative Jim McDermott (Democrat – Washington)

David holds an MA in International Relations from the University of Haifa, where he also obtained a BA in political science and completed the “Ofakim” Honors program in the Humanities. His MA thesis explored nationalism and violent conflicts in the Horn of Africa. David worked as a Teaching Assistant at the University of Haifa, and taught Introduction to International Relations. He spent a semester at the University of Warsaw as an exchange student, and participated in the Paths to Peace Fellowship at New York University. David dedicates his time to political activism and various dialogue and reconciliation programs dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In his free time, he prefers loud music, classic art and spicy food.

 

Edita Rigová

Roma
Representative Alcee Hastings (Democrat – Florida)

Edita obtained a BA in social work focused on Roma communities and an MA in social work and counseling from Constantine Philosopher University in Slovakia. During her masters program, Edita worked full-time as a social worker with Roma communities and part- time as an after-school teacher and leader of recreational activities for disadvantaged children. Later, she enrolled in the Roma Access Program at Central European University and last year graduated from the University in Lausanne with an MAS in Public Administration. Edita has participated in various workshops and conferences on issues of human rights, equality and Roma youth and political participation. She has concluded internships at the Slovak Governance Institute, Roma Education Fund, Salish and Kootenai College, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights.

 

Hannah Kunzlik

Scottland
Representative Mike Honda (Democrat – California)

Hannah was born and raised in Scotland. In 2014, she graduated from the University of St. Andrews with a degree in international relations, focusing specifically on the impact of politics on ordinary people. Her interest in supporting vulnerable communities crystallized during her internship experiences working with survivors of trafficking. After graduating, Hannah worked with EuroNGOs, a network of European NGOs advocating for universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights. In this capacity, she frequently liaised with ambassadors, civil society advocates and senior UN officials. Hannah spends her free time writing. She has published three short stories and has won a Young Writers Award for her work. She enjoys traveling, musical theatre, and lively conversations about everything under the sun.

 

Kim Lindgaard Jørgensen

Denmark (Copenhagen Fellowship 2015)
Representative Jim McDermott (Democrat – Washington)

Kim recently completed his master’s degree at Aalborg University in culture, communication and globalization, with a specialization in international migration and ethnic relations. Kim also holds a BSc in public administration and spent a semester of his undergraduate studies abroad at Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico City. As part of his master’s degree, he spent a semester as an intern at the Culture House in Vollsmose, a marginalized area in Denmark. Based on his time there, Kim wrote his MA thesis on the migrant experiences of Turkish female marriage migrants living in Vollsmose. Kim is currently working as Project Manager at CanopyLAB, an interactive learning platform. Kim’s professional interests center around migration and human and minority rights.

 

Luke Allen

United States (Amsterdam Fellowship 2015)
Representative Gregory Meeks (Democrat – New York)

Born in Iowa, Luke graduated from Macalester College in 2014 with a degree in international studies and political science. Luke is passionate about international development, civil conflict, income inequality, and immigration reform. His interest in development led him to spend a semester abroad in Senegal, where he interned with a local development NGO. Since graduating, Luke has worked closely with immigrant and refugee communities in Minnesota and Iowa, and currently works for an immigration law firm to meet the legal needs of the immigrant community in Minnesota. He recently completed the Humanity in Action Fellowship program in Amsterdam. In his spare time, Luke enjoys running, brewing coffee, and reading at whim.

 

Lumir Lapray

France (Paris Fellowship 2014)
Representative Juan Vargas (Democrat – California)

Lumir grew up in a rural community and went on to graduate from Sciences Po Lyon in 2015 with a Master’s degree in public policy. She is currently interning at WeTechCare, a non-profit that provides solutions to bridge the digital divide in low-income neighborhoods. She is particularly interested in the intersections of migration, gender, race and the labor market, and studied international migration processes at UCLA as a visiting PhD student last year. She wrote an article about the “L.A. Raise the Wage” movement after spending seven months within the coalition and gaining first-hand experience in local politics. These experiences have deepened her commitment to social justice, and strengthened her will to launch a career in grassroots campaigning and consulting.

 

Sara Sudetic

France (Paris Fellowship 2014)
Representative Keith Ellison (Democrat – Minnesota)

Sara was born in Belgrade to a war correspondent for The New York Times and a front-line translator. Growing up in a tense geopolitical context fueled her ambition to understand global conflict and to contribute to the promotion of human and minority rights through robust policy solutions. Sara has interned in war crimes tribunals, conducted fieldwork in post-conflict areas, and served as project leader for the Voices of Kashmir, a grassroots program conducting digital storytelling workshops for young Kashmiris. She holds an MA in nationalism studies from the Central European University, and a BA in war studies and history from King’s College, London. Her work as a freelance writer has appeared in Le Monde, The Heptagon Post, and Tehelka.