Students from the International Human Rights Fellowship (IHRF) and other Colin Powell School programs recently met Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Interim President of Bangladesh, at an event sponsored by Friends of Bangladesh. This offered students a unique opportunity to engage with one of the world’s leading voices in social entrepreneurship and human rights.
Gouri Sadhwani, director of the fellowship, extended the invitation to students, creating a memorable experience that connected academic study with global leadership in action. “Two things made the evening especially memorable for me,” said Sadhwani. “One was being able to bring my Bangladeshi fellows from CCNY Human Rights’s program and the second was to see members of the wait staff (Local 6 members) who were Bangladeshi take videos of his speech which talked about the courage and sacrifices — including their lives — by students calling for democracy.”
Fuhan Khan, one of the students in attendant and a proud Bengali, shared how significant this opportunity was for him “I was reminded of the pride I have for Bangladesh and the solidarity with my people.” It was poignant for our students to hear a story of young leadership directly form one of the most visible faces of the movement, as Fuhad points out “It was meaningful to hear him talk about the student martyrs in the 2024 revolution that toppled a 16-year dictatorship, and I left proud to be part of a generation proving to the world how powerful students can be.“
The International Human Rights Fellowships will soon begin recruiting for its second cohort. Keep an eye on the Office of Student Success for up-to-date info on the application process and other similar opportunities!
