Summer 2023

Anusha Pandey 

Anusha Pandey (she/her) is a researcher from Nepal working on social inclusion, climate action, and sustainable urban planning. With a Master’s degree in environmental science, coupled with expertise in geospatial approaches and remote sensing data, Anusha is determined to create greener, more inclusive, sustainable, and equitable cities. Over the years, she has investigated how citizen science, young researchers, mobile technology and remote sensing can be utilized in Nepal to reveal a more detailed spatial and temporal understanding of these systems. Anusha will conduct research on belonging as it intersects with climate change and social inclusion with Data-Driven EnviroLab. 

Research Project: Urban Environmental and Social Inclusion Index 

The Urban Environment and Social Inclusion Index (UESI) is a research effort that aims to provide the data that urban residents, city managers, and policymakers need to understand their city’s performance on critical issues at the intersection of social inclusion and the environment. Incorporating novel geospatial approaches, including remotely-sensed data and open-source datasets (such as OpenStreetMap), the Index spatially maps environmental performance in nearly 300 cities, and reveals how these cities perform on sustainable, inclusive urban growth. This year Fellows will have the option to pick between two potential projects focused on decarbonization efforts or understanding heat & air pollution. Both projects will look at how cities efforts can impact people’s sense of belonging, isolation and social connectedness.  

Download the full project outline

Data-Driven EnviroLab: The Data-Driven EnviroLab uses cutting edge data analytics to create solutions to the world’s environmental problems. The research group is an interdisciplinary collaboration of policy experts, data scientists, visual designers, and interactive programmers. The group was founded and is led by Dr. Angel Hsu and is based at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. 

Chaqueta Stuckey 

Chaqueta Stuckey (she/her) is a young woman with intellectual disabilities who believes in self-determination and self-advocacy. She is the local President of Our Voices Count, Too Self Advocacy Council (OVCT), served as Past President of the state self-advocacy association — IMPACT SC and a member of SABE-Self Advocates Becoming Empowered (national self-advocacy organization) where she has served on the executive board. Chaqueta Stuckey is a talented public speaker and has been called upon often to speak at conferences and deliver workshops nationwide. Chaquetta has held numerous leadership positions and is currently working with Georgetown University Leadership. She was recently named the state’s coordinator for support operations of Home & Community Based-Services (HCBS)(Medicaid) awareness project. This summer Chaquetta will work with the Harvard Law School Project on Disability (HPOD). 

Research Project:  Creating Better Services with Self Advocates  

Two experienced self-advocate leaders fellows will work with Harvard Law School Project on Disability’s (HPOD) to conduct research on the experiences of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities participating in Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Waiver programs with Self Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE).  

About HPOD: HPOD is committed to enabling civil society, and especially persons with disabilities and their representative organizations, to undertake informed human rights advocacy. We provide human rights training and education, facilitate the development of international law and policy, encourage inclusive development practices, share technical assistance on strategic litigation, and stimulate new thinking about the abilities of persons with disabilities and their human rights.

Chaqueta’s Blog: Changing Negative Attitudes of Professionals about People with Intellectual Disabilities. 

Chris Kihereko 

Chris Kihereko (he/him) is a fellow at the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness, where he collaborates with Human Rights Watch on the Right to Work in Older Age project. Previously, he served as a Research Team Member at The Centre for AI and Digital Policy, focusing on various aspects of AI and Digital Policy, such as ethics, legal frameworks, and societal impact. 

Chris is a recipient of the Mckinsey Forward Program Fellowship and the Aspire Leaders Program Fellowship. As a lawyer, Chris holds an LL.B (Hons) degree from the University of Nairobi and is currently pursuing a Post Graduate Diploma in Law at the Kenya School of Law. He has obtained certifications in Financial Analysis (FMVA) from the Corporate Finance Institute, Software Engineering from ALX, and Google Cloud Engineering from the Google Africa Developer Scholarship program. Additionally, he has a certificate in Science and Human Rights from the Global Campus on Human Rights. Chris is deeply committed to advancing equitable and sustainable policies that embrace intersectionality and representation. His goal is to establish fairness and equal opportunities for everyone through inclusive programs and intersectional research. 

Research Project: Forced Out – The Right To Work in Older Age 

The Fellowship will advance research and advocacy on the rights of older people by reviewing and mapping out legislation around the world that forces older people to retire at a certain age and researching the impact of forced retirement on people’s sense of belonging. By mapping mandatory retirement legislation around the world, the Fellow will directly inform new HRW research and advocacy on the right to work in older age.  

Download the full project outline

About Human Rights Watch: Established in 1978, Human Rights Watch is known for its accurate fact-finding, impartial reporting, effective use of media, and targeted advocacy, often in partnership with local human rights groups and others. Each year, we publish more than 100 reports and briefings on human rights conditions in over 90 countries, generating extensive coverage in local and international media. With the leverage this brings, we meet with governments, the United Nations, regional groups, financial institutions, and corporations to press for changes in policy and practice that promote human rights and justice around the world. 

David Taylor 

David Taylor (he/him) is committed to advancing the rights of people with disabilities, with a focus on self-advocacy and self-determination. David has held various leadership positions on boards, with advocacy groups and currently serves on the Board of Directors of TASH. He is a former member of the Michigan Developmental Disability Council and the former Vice-Chair on the Board of Directors of Community Living Services. David is a certified Peer Support Mentor and a trainer/consultant providing training, curriculum development, presentations, facilitation and consultation. David was instrumental in organizing the Michigan Developmental Disabilities Council 2013 project “Beyond Tokenism: People with Complex Needs in Leadership Roles.” He is a published author and has presented the results from The National Beyond Tokenism Study on Board and Committee Inclusion at national conferences.  He will work with the Harvard Law School Project on Disability (HPOD) this summer. 

Research Project:  Creating Better Services with Self Advocates  

Two experienced self-advocate leaders fellows will work with Harvard Law School Project on Disability’s (HPOD) to conduct research on the experiences of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities participating in Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Waiver programs with Self Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE). 

About HPOD: HPOD is committed to enabling civil society, and especially persons with disabilities and their representative organizations, to undertake informed human rights advocacy. We provide human rights training and education, facilitate the development of international law and policy, encourage inclusive development practices, share technical assistance on strategic litigation, and stimulate new thinking about the abilities of persons with disabilities and their human rights. 

David’s Blog: The Road to “Beyond Tokenism.”

Hanine El Mir 

Hanine El Mir (she/her) is an activist first and aspiring anthropologist more recently. She holds an MA in Socio-Cultural Anthropology from Concordia University, a BA in English Literature and a BA in Media/Communications, with two minors in Film/Visual Studies and Arabic Language, from the American University of Beirut. She works as a researcher, journalist, writer, and translator, and dreams of becoming a thesaurus one day. In her free time, Hanine tends to a community garden, cooks at a vegan solidarity kitchen, and makes games. Hanine’s research with SCSC will focus on understanding 2SLGBTQ+ newcomers experiences of belonging across Quebec. 

 Research Project: Supporting and Connecting 2SLGBTQ+ Newcomers, Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Québec 

Through mapping services across Québec, this project will focus on creating a clear picture of Québec’s immigration landscape as it relates to support for 2SLBGTQ+ newcomers, refugees and asylum seekers. It will endeavour to identify where and how 2SLGBTQ+ newcomers feel a sense of belonging and community, and where they feel its inverse – social isolation. Further, the project will generate recommendations focused on coalition building between non-profits, community groups, and government actors in this space. 

Download the full project outline

About the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness: The Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness (SCSC) is a ‘think-and-do tank’ that supports individuals and communities around the world in overcoming social isolation and realizing the right to belong. Through high-quality research, programming, advocacy, and storytelling, SCSC works to expand and empower a global movement for belonging. Based in Montréal, Canada, the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness was founded in 2017 by author, educator and activist Kim Samuel and named in honour of her late father. 

Kisha German

Kisha German (she/her) is a graduate in Mathematical Sciences, (Major in Statistics and Computing) from the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS). Demonstrating a profound dedication to making a positive impact, Kisha’s professional endeavours are fuelled by her passion for science and civic leadership. She actively engages in various initiatives to advance STEM education and uplift young women in Malawi, leveraging her advocacy skills, mentorship capabilities, and involvement in community health programs through local youth-led NGOs such as UKANI Malawi.  

Kisha aspires to pursue a Master’s degree in epidemiology, specializing in infectious or chronic disease epidemiology. Her interests encompass public health research, content creation, women’s leadership and data science. Kisha is determined to make significant contributions in the field of epidemiology and international health. Kisha will work with Partners in Health Malawi this summer to advance health equity and social connectedness. 

Research Project: Social Connectedness and Health Care in Malawi 

In 2018, PIH community health workers transitioned from a paper-based data collection system to an electronic system. This system enables community health workers (CHWs) and clinicians to collect and evaluate data electronically, via smartphones. So far, at least 500 CHWs have been trained on the mobile platform. For this project the Fellow will work with the information collected by CHWs to clean the data, manage data sets and understand current health outcomes in Malawi. Using this data, they will analyze and contextualize health outcomes with a belonging lens. This project will also involve working with local experts to generate insights from the datasets and create a clear visual representation of the findings. 

Download the full project outline

About Partners In Health International: PIH’s mission is to provide a preferential option for the poor in health care. By establishing long-term relationships with sister organizations based in settings of poverty, Partners In Health strives to achieve two overarching goals: to bring the benefits of modern medical science to those most in need of them and to serve as an antidote to despair. 

Kisha’s Blog: Unmasking Imposter Syndrome: A Journey to Self-Belief

Nicole Traynor 

Nicole Traynor (she/her) holds a bachelor’s degree from University of Guelph in Political Science and Criminal Justice and is currently pursuing a JD/JID degree from the University of Victoria, Faculty of Law, which specializes in both common law and Indigenous legal orders. She is passionate about law, Indigenous rights, and food security within Canada. After graduation she hopes to work with Indigenous Nations on title claims. She will work with Qajuqturvik Community Food Centre this summer.  

Research Project: The Correlation Between Income, Food Insecurity & Social Connectedness in Iqaluit, Nunavut 

The Community Meal is QCFC’s original and most accessed program. This emergency food access program is currently serving more Iqalummiut than ever before in the organization’s history. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, QCFC’s team witnessed the impact of income-based resources on our community members and QCFC’s Community Meal program. 2022 saw the end of income-based resources (ex/ CERB) and a higher cost of living, resulting in higher demand for this emergency food access program beyond levels that are sustainable. QCFC strongly believes that income-based solutions are the most effective means to address food insecurity in Nunavut, where the cost of living is 2 to 3 times the national average. This project will assist QCFC’s efforts to advocate for income-based solutions meant to meaningfully address food insecurity in Nunavut, and build belonging for all Iqalummiut. 

Download the full project outline

About Qajuturvik Community Food Centre: QCFC aims to strengthen health, belonging and food sovereignty in Iqaluit, Nunavut by utilizing the power of food, tradition and community. Beginning as a traditional, volunteer-run soup kitchen in 2008, Qajuqturvik (“a place to get soup” in Inuktitut) is now Iqaluit’s hub for nutritious, affordable food and provides a variety of food access, food skills, and advocacy programs in Nunavut’s capital. 

Nicole’s Blog: “Nutrition North Canada Program: A Feeble Effort to End Hunger“

Paula Camino 

Paula Camino (she/her) is a human rights consultant based in Lima, Peru, with over four years of experience in the public and non-profit sectors. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Law from Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Perú, where she has received awards for her work in research and social responsibility. As a consultant, Paula has worked with organizations such as the International Organization for Migration, Humanity & Inclusion, and Partners in Health. Her skills include research, workshop facilitation, and storytelling, which she leverages to promote inclusion and access to human rights education, with a particular focus on disability, gender, human mobility, and youth. In doing so, she has facilitated workshops, implemented capacity-building projects and created materials to spread access to human rights education.  

She supports Peace First as a Regional Lead for Latin America, is a member of United Network of Young Peacebuilder’s Pool of Trainers and a researcher at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú’s Interdisciplinary Research Group on Disability. Across her work, Paula’s guiding mission is her passion for leveraging education as a tool for social change, in both formal and non-formal spaces. Currently, Paula is an SCSC Fellow working with Special Olympics to research successful strategies in family advocacy.

Research Project: Family Advocacy for Disability Inclusion 

Over the next four years, Special Olympics plans to develop and implement a global family strategy that engages, educates, and empowers family members of Special Olympics athletes to be teachers of inclusion. Families will learn to advocate for more opportunities for their family member with an intellectual disability to play, through Unified Sports, and be represented in inclusive education, through Unified Schools programming. This project will help us towards this goal by providing Special Olympics with 1) an understanding of the current landscape of family advocacy and what is known about the impact of families on governments or other policy makers, 2) outcomes of these family advocacy efforts, and 3) best practices and examples of successful advocacy activities by families. 

Download the full project outline

About Special Olympics International: The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.  

Paula’s Blog: “Embracing Research by Everyone, for Everyone“

Prachir Pasricha 

Prachir Pasricha (he/him) is committed to building a more relational way of life that centres care, cooperation, and interdependence in communities by utilizing his experiences in participatory budgeting, social infrastructure, and the social solidarity economy. Through his work and writing, he hopes to raise awareness for and address the systemic and structural barriers that people face in living more socially connected lives. Prachir holds a Bachelor’s degree in Honours Business Administration from Western University in London, Ontario. Prachir’s research will support the Foundation for Social Connection in mapping and understanding indices that target social connectedness. 

 Research Project: Landscape Assessment & Mapping Indices for Social Connection 

Although the Social Connection field of research is relatively new, various stakeholders have developed key measurement tools, indices, and frameworks to help stakeholders effectively address social isolation, loneliness, and connection (SILC) in a coordinated approach. Without these standardized measurement tools, we face major barriers to designing and evaluating interventions for high impact. In response, this Fellow will a) review the global ecosystem of measurement tools related to social connection, b) map tools and frameworks via a toolkit for broad dissemination and application, and c) potentially convene key measurement actors in a conversation to align on current and future state. 

Download the full project outline

Prachir’s Blog: Building for Connection through the 15-Minute City

About Foundation for Social Connection: Founded in 2020, the Foundation for Social Connection (F4SC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization focused on addressing the crisis of connection in the United States. F4SC raises public awareness through education, promotes innovative research, and spurs the development and implementation of evidence-based models that address social isolation, loneliness, and social connection (SILC). 

Ruth Masuka 

Ruth Masuka (she/her) is a student, educator, and community organizer fascinated by the ways in which art functions as a mechanism for peace-building processes, trauma-informed care, and community capacity-building. A firm believer of ‘nothing about us, without us’, Ruth sees creative practices as both a form of expression and action within marginalized communities. She is currently completing her Master’s of Social Work at the University of Toronto, specializing in Community Development with a focus on working for children and families. Ruth will work with BAM Collective in support of their community safety portfolio. 

Research Project: Community Safety and Gun Violence in Toronto 

BAM is a Toronto based collective committed to bringing people together, bridging gaps, and creating safe communities. This project will work closely with our Community Safety and Inclusivity portfolio to understand the impacts of gun violence on equity-deserving communities in Toronto. This project will examine 1) historical trends and themes related to gun violence in Toronto, disaggregated where possible by neighbourhood and by factors such as race, ethnicity, class, gender and immigration status; 2) municipal, provincial and federal programs and policies aimed at reducing gun violence; and 3) how gun violence impacts community safety and people’s sense of belonging, including whether belonging is an important theme to consider in addressing gun violence. 

Download the full project outline

About Books Arts Music (BAM) Collective: Founded in 2018, BAM Collective is Ontario’s first youth-led collective that empowers equity-seeking young people through policy, art, innovation, and community engagement. We are a group of young, racialized community organizers and artists based in Toronto, improving the lives of youth through workshops, local activism, and BAM (Books, Art, Music). 

Ruth’s Blog: “The Art of Community“

Siena Rose Cook 

Siena Rose Cook (she/her) is a student at the University of Manitoba. She is currently working with the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness and Misipawistik Cree Nation as a summer research Fellow. In her work with Misipawistik Cree Nation she will focus on reviving Ininiw Kiskinomakēwin (Cree Education) protocols with the MCN Health Authority Doula Program. She is a mother to two young kids, an Indigenous birth doula and working towards a bachelor of midwifery. Siena is extremely passionate about helping expectant parents along their pregnancy, birth, and early parenthood journeys. 

Research Project: Reviving ininiw kiskinomakēwin protocols in the Misipawistik Cree Nation Health Authority Doula Program 

Ininiw kiskinomakēwin (Cree education) differs from Western education in that it is life-long and holistic, including mental, physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of learning and growth. Ininiw kiskinomakēwin identifies important teachings shared/learned in each stage of life from oskawāsis (~0-1 years) to oskāpēw/oskayiskwēw (early adulthood). With the support of the First Nations Health and Social Secretariat of Manitoba (FNHSSM), Misipawistik Cree Nation (MCN) has worked closely with the Doula program to train Indigenous birth helpers, and reclaim birth traditions for new and expectant mothers. This project will build on ongoing and previous community projects to further define and implement oskawāsis teachings to be shared with new and expectant mothers through the Doula Program. 

Download the full project outline

About Misipawistik Cree Nation: Misipawistik Cree Nation (MCN) is located 420 km north of Winnipeg on the shores of Lake Winnipeg in the Manitoba Lowlands. Misipawistik (ᒥᓯ ᐹᐏᐢᑎᐠ) means “Rushing Rapids” in our language. As the foundation of our nationhood, Cree identity and language preservation is very important as it represents the relationships between our people, territory, and world.  MCN has been working on reasserting jurisdiction in its territory in the areas of land management, education, financial administration, and child and family services. 

Siena’s Blog: “Breaking through Barriers with Belonging and Reconnection to the Land: Misipawistik Cree Nation (MCN)“

Tore Price 

Tore Price (he/him) is a proud father of a 12-year-old son. Tore is a formerly incarcerated person and alumni of the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program. He was first acquainted with Inside-Out as an ‘inside student’ in 2014, and has since supported the organization as a teaching assistant, training coach and now as a researcher. As a Training Coach for the Inside-Out Center, he co-facilitates training university professors on Inside-Outs unique dialogical learning format.  He is proud to have served in the United States Marine Corps and is passionate about helping children of incarcerated parents as well as furthering the Inside-Out model to different spaces. 

Research Project: Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program: Discerning the Power and Sense of Belonging Inherent in The Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program 

Founded in 1997, The Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program® was based on the idea that incarcerated individuals and college students might mutually benefit from studying crime, justice, and related social issues together as peers, through a dialogue of equals.  Over the years, participants have said that Inside-Out actually transformed the way they viewed themselves and the world. Inside-Out deepens the conversation about and our approaches to understanding crime, freedom, inequality, and other issues of social justice.   

This project will explore the impact of the program, the mechanisms through which it creates a sense of belonging for participants and facilitators, and to what extent the program model may be replicable to other settings. Inside-Out has a profound impact on participants (in a class, training, workshop, think tank, etc.). We want to understand why and how that happens. 

Download the full project outline

About Inside-Out Prison Exchange: The Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program® facilitates dialogue and education across profound social differences — through courses held inside prison, involving students from a higher education setting and incarcerated students.

Tore’s Blog: “Inside-Out Instructor Training: It’s not Magic, it’s Intentional.”