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Rahel Petros, Duke '23

What year are you and what are you studying?
I am a senior (Class of 2023) and I am majoring in International Comparative Studies (region focus on Africa) and minoring in Education and Cinematic Arts. 


Why did you decide to work at the Duke Human Rights Center?
I wanted to work at the Duke Human Rights Center because despite the chaos of my last three years at Duke due to COVID-19, I saw that the Duke Human Rights Center had consistently been providing resources and community for those at Duke who are passionate about human rights issues around the world. Whether it was social media campaigns or in-person events, the Duke Human Rights Center has always been peaking my interest and I didn't want to leave Duke without getting involved in some way. 

 

What human rights issues are you interested in?
There's an endless list, but the three that I have been actively involved in organizing around would be the refugee crisis, getting police out of schools, and ending homelessness. 

 

How have you interacted with human rights in the past?
My parents and a lot of my family members are refugees, so I've been passionate about supporting refugees who arrive in the US as well as advocating for refugee issues worldwide since a young age. More recently, I organized protests during the summer of 2020 to draw attention to police brutality, but specifically the over-concentration of police officers in middle/high schools in my county that had higher percentages of Black students. Lastly, working with the Community Empowerment Fund in Durham during the summer of 2021 has turned my attention towards the homelessness crisis in Durham -- specifically as it relates to the lack of affordable and safe housing options in Durham County

 

How do you plan on using human rights beyond your time at Duke?
I see myself advocating for human rights in whatever form possible after leaving Duke. Ideally, I hope to work on digital media/documentaries to illuminate the narratives of our most vulnerable populations. I believe that in our fast-paced, digitized, and short-attention-spanned society, visual media and film is our best tool to raise awareness and share stories from around the world that people may not have access to otherwise. I hope to combine my creative talents and my passion for human rights to create content that start uncomfortable but necessary conversations. 

I hope to combine my creative talents and my passion for human rights to create content that start uncomfortable but necessary conversations. 

Rahel Petros