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A Voice For the Voiceless

The Advocacy Project helps marginalized communities to tell their story, claim their rights and produce social change. We recruit graduate students to volunteer as Peace Fellows with partners.

The Impact of Service "Speaking with locals and living in a country is the best way to learn about the real lives of citizens, not just the stories in the mainstream media. I will be more critical of what I read as a result of this experience. I also feel even more grateful for my education, and I feel a stronger responsibility to assist others who do not have resources or access to opportunities in their communities." Maria Skouras (New York University) volunteered in 2011 as a Peace Fellow for eHomemakers in Malaysia. For more 2011 feedback click here.

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Partner Campaigns > Advocacy Quilting > The Czech Roma Quilt > The Czech Roma Quilt > Emilie Horačková

Emilie Horačková

This panel by Emilie Horačková shows a horse and a traditional Roma caravan. She is the leader of the group and the quilting sessions take in her home, which she shares with her daughter Emilie Žigová, Emilies's new husband, Žaneta and Žaneta's boyfriend. Emilie is one of the few quilters to have finished secondary (high) school. She wanted to go to University but had to focus instead on her two children. She has been involved with social work in Mimoň for many years, and watched many of her fellow quilters grow into the women they are today. She helps at cultural events, such as dances, and attends the local evangelical church.  Emilie is a wonderful blend of the traditonal and modern. She did not want to have a lot of children, as she herself was one of ten brothers and sisters. She also made sure that her children finished high school, and her daughter even went to University for three years. But in spite of her modern views of the world, her panel shows that she is devoted to traditional Roma culture.  Although she is sedentary, her ancestors were nomadic and she wants to celebrate this. She dances and loves music, and wants her children and community to be proud of their culture, not ashamed. Non-Roma find it hard to appreciate the beauty of caravans and traditional music, and young Roma are also often forced to reject Roma traditions in order to fit in. But Emilie hopes that one day Roman culture can be appreciated by everyone, and not used to stereotype those of Roma descent - as sometmes happens in the Czech Republic.

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