Catherine DeNunzio, Gender Justice Organizer Intern
My name is Catherine DeNunzio, I am a Junior at Temple University in Philadelphia. I grew up in Denver, Colorado and Lancaster County, briefly worked in Italy after high school, then began Undergrad at Bloomsburg University. Through all of those experiences as a child and adolescent I landed on my passion for connecting to people and exploring our diversity. I am now a Psychology major with a minor in Business Communications. My focus is community engagement, specifically in the non-profit sector. I am so excited to begin internship work as the newest Gender Justice Organizer for OEP. Policy issues specific to human rights have always been important to me, and I cannot wait to start conversations around gender justice in our community.
Priscilla Weddle, Children's Peace Formation Coordinator Intern
Hello! My name is Priscilla Weddle and I am the new Children’s Peace Formation Coordinator at On Earth Peace. I am 22 years old and live in Chesapeake, Virginia. I went to Bridgewater College for my undergraduate program and majored in Global Studies with a concentration in Politics and Public Policy. Currently, I am in graduate school at Old Dominion University, pursuing a master’s degree in Public Administration with a concentration in Nonprofit Management & Governance. I am excited to begin this internship because I believe that peace education is important, especially for children. Children are our future and we must supply them with the tools to promote peace and improve society. I look forward to engaging with you all!
Witness at the Border: #7 - The Response
the work of witnessing
This is the final post in the “Witness at the Border” series on my recent visit to the migrant camp in Matamoros, Mexico and related border enforcement facilities in Brownsville, Texas.
I went on behalf of On Earth Peace to learn from those who came to witness on the U.S. side, and from those who came to seek asylum on the Mexico side of the border. And learn, I did!
Read moreWitness at the Border: #6 - The People
home school, camp style
They come from places like Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicauragua, and other parts of Mexico. Waiting in camp for a long series of court dates to adjudicate their claims for asylum in the U.S. (or the possibility of a quick deportation under one of the new fast-track processes).
Read moreWitness at the Border: #5 - The Camps
2,000+ asylum seekers in a tent/tarp city
The city of Matamoros in the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico is a city of more than a half million people, and the center of a metro area with over one and a quarter million. It is closely connected with the city of Brownsville, Texas directly across the border. So closely that one organizer wryly referred to Brownsville as a “gated community” suburb of Matamoros. This is where the Mexican and U.S. governments decided to park more than 2,000 asylum seekers in a makeshift migrant camp in a popular public greenway between the levee and the river.
Read more