Nikki Hodgson (Alternative Information Center – AIC): Nikki received her M.A. in international environmental policy from the Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS), She then spent 6 months at Friends of the Earth Middle East, in the West Bank, working on environmental peace-building projects. Nikki also worked in Geneva with the International Institute for Sustainable Development as a research assistant. Prior to her fellowship, Nikki worked as a production assistant on a mountaineering documentary in France. After her fellowship she wrote: “Working with the AIC pushed me off the fence I was straddling, and forced me to take a more radical stance against human rights violations occurring in the region. I was given a lot of flexibility and encouragement to pursue article ideas and this encouragement naturally resulted in more confidence and initiative.”