The Courage to Advocate for Others

Since Emily Bare was a little girl, she has dreamed of doing her part to change the world for the better. Emily’s interest in public service, helping people and learning about different cultures led her to the Center for Civil & Human Rights to study International Human Rights at Gonzaga Law School.

At Gonzaga Law, Emily’s interest in public service grew into a passion that could not be contained by the walls of a classroom. To expand upon her degree and gain tactical experience for the real world, Emily sought internships centered on helping people.

Emily landed an internship with a non-governmental organization, the Geneva International Centre for Justice, a non-profit dedicated to the principles of human rights. At the time of Emily’s application, only two people from the United States were selected to be interns with the organization.

In Switzerland, Emily went right to work, focusing her research on enforced disappearances occurring in Iraq. Due to her dedication and knowledge of the topic, Emily was invited to share her findings in an oral statement at the 51st Session of the Human Rights Council hosted by the United Nations.

Though it was nerve-wracking, Emily knew the importance of presenting her research at such a prestigious international platform. During the course of her internship, Emily raised further awareness on racial discrimination in Africa and the United States through two additional oral statements at the UN.

International law is a notoriously difficult field to break into, but Emily’s determination, passion, and courage will guide her to success as an advocate for human rights.

This is the third installment of our "Stories of Courage" video series. For more about how courage takes shape at Gonzaga and what life's like as a Zag, visit Gonzaga.edu/Courage.