Each semester Nonviolence International is blessed with wonderful volunteer interns who inspire us and produce impressive work that is the foundation of all we do. For the first time ever, we have welcomed a team whose commitment will extend for two full semesters. We take seriously our obligation to provide orientation, training, and ongoing professional development opportunities. Having interns with us for many more months will provide them the chance to develop even greater skills and will serve NVI even more effectively. We are grateful to these exceptional young leaders who are teaching us everyday.
As you get to know them below, please consider what you can do to ensure their future. The world we are leaving future generations will be full of avoidable suffering unless we come together and act boldly now. Might you want to meet these interns, donate to support NVI's work, or help us with vital communications or development projects? Whatever you decide to do, I hope you will take inspiration from our new NVI interns.
Paige Wright, She/Her, 21
Hey all! My name is Paige and I am a senior at Wittenberg University. I am majoring in both political science and economics and later plan to attend law school. In the future, I would like to be a human rights attorney and hope that as an attorney I can support the fight to bring equity to all. I joined NVI to support the dignity of everyone and peace campaigns around the world. At NVI, I have the pleasure to work on our training archive, spotlight series, fiscal management, and more. One of the highlights of interning has been interviewing legendary activist Joanne Sheehan for a Spotlight interview. You can check out our Spotlight at our YouTube channel YouTube.com/Nonviolence. I look forward to connecting more with you and growing with my fellow interns!
Jackson Yoder, She/Her They/Them, 23
Nice to meet you! I have been with NVI since August, and I am responsible for our social media, website building, and donor communications. I joined NVI because of our mutual commitment to the Palestinian liberation cause, but soon realized that this organization was the perfect space to also work on intersecting issues such as environmental justice, refugees’ rights, and queer rights.
Nimesh Wijewardane, He/Him or They/Them, 21
Hey y’all! My name is Nimesh and I am a recent graduate of George Washington University, with a bachelor’s degree in political science and a minor in creative writing. I was born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas though I consider Washington DC to be my second home. I hope to pursue a career as an immigration rights lawyer. At NVI, I’ve been working on promoting the books of Michael Beer and Jonathan Kuttab as well as our Spotlight series on our YouTube channel. For my first Spotlight video, I had the incredible opportunity to speak with George Lakey and our insightful and inspiring conversation is definitely one of the highlights of my time at NVI so far.
Lea Hilliker, She/Her (22)
Hey everyone! My name is Lea, I am a senior at Oakland University in metro Detroit, Michigan. I am studying International Relations with a specialization in Global Justice and Sustainability with minors in Sociology and History, and a concentration in Urban Studies. I recently returned from a study abroad trip to Ghana where I studied Global Health, Development, and Service Learning. I hope to learn more about peace activism and non-profit management. I am currently applying to the Peace Corps, and I am excited to utilize my experience with NVI. So far I have had the opportunity to contribute to our Tactics Database, and work with NationBuilder.
We at Nonviolence International would like to thank all our interns for their hard work, and will continue to lift up their powerful voices in our organization and in the greater community of those who support a global nonviolent movement.
We hope that throughout the course of their time with NVI, you have the chance to meet these amazing young people and get a sense of their passion and power.
