Aparna Dasaraju is studying Peace and Justice Studies, along with Community Health and is in the class of 2016. She is an Oslo Scholar.
Working with EG Justice this summer in DC has been such an illuminating experience so far! EG Justice is an organization that works on issues of corruption and the oil trade in Equatorial Guinea in order to improve social, economic and human rights conditions in the country. As I delve into the information about the conditions in the country, it becomes more and more apparent how important the work truly is to shedding light on the ongoing practices of the government and the President. With as stringent as the government and the President are about the freedom of expression and the punishments for dissenting the government's practices, the work Tutu Alicante and the organization do are crucial to bring voice to these issues and the people affected, a voice that would otherwise be silenced in the country. Working with EG Justice is helping to add another dimension to my understanding of how human rights organizations function and the means and resources by which they carry out their work.
EG Justice, like many others, values the voices of the community and believes in a holistic approach to the issue; I appreciate how our work focuses not just on tracking X or Y human rights abuses but rather on tying in other aspects of society to these issues. For example, I have recently been working on our information center and data base, a collection that aggregates articles published all over the world on issue related to Equatorial Guinea ranging from recent illegal detentions and a recent trial in the country, to public education and literacy, to recent studies in climate science in the country and health conditions in the country. I appreciate this multipronged approach of EG Justice to act as a resource for individuals to learn more about the country and connect seemingly disparate issues to the main agenda of improving human rights in the country. I look forward to what more I can do for EG Justice and learning more from the organization and all who work with me!
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