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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The Fellowship Pr... > Past Fellows > Peace Fellows 2007 > Mark Koenig and t...

Mark Koenig and the Collective Campaign for Peace (COCAP)

Mark Koenig was born in St. Louis, Missouri and has been on the move ever since. Having attended schools in St. Louis, Washington, DC and Berlin, Mark graduated from the International School of Bern in Switzerland in 2000.

Upon graduation Mark spent one year at Davidson College in North Carolina before moving on to Johns Hopkins University. While studying at Johns Hopkins, Mark completed internships with genomics researcher Craig Venter, US House Representative Chris Van Hollen, and in London with Member of Parliament Lady Sylvia Hermon from Northern Ireland.

In 2004 Mark received a bachelor's degree with honors in Political Science. Mark’s thesis was on reforms to Northern Ireland’s police force and their effect on the peace process.

Following graduation Mark moved to Shenzhen, China where he lived for two years teaching English at Shenzhen Senior High School. Currently Mark is a student at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in Boston concentrating on post-conflict reconstruction as well as law and development.

Mark spent the summer in Nepal working with COCAP, a Nepali network of democracy and human rights advocacy groups. Mark was situated in Nepalganj in the Terai region.

After his productive summer, Mark stated. “I think that perhaps it is my interest in and understanding of community level dynamics and activities that has developed the most while here. The significance of community level interactions and relationships as it pertains to the events that take place on a national level is an intriguing topic that this summer has given me new insight into.”

During his summer, Mark made great videos and incorporated them into his blogs.  Below, find the four videos he created.

A video about COCAP, his partner organization:



A film of the Nepali countryside:

A movie of the first rains of the monsoon:

Clips of a morning worship in Kathmandu:

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