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“My career in human rights was defined by my time at the University of Minnesota,
but it was really an interest that I always knew was there,� recalled Sonia
Rosen while discussing what inspired her work in the human rights arena.
Born in Virginia outside of Washington D.C. during the 1960’s, Rosen has
vivid childhood memories of her parents’ involvement in the Civil Rights
Movement.
“My parents were very involved in political and social justice issues.
We were always going to civil rights and anti-war demonstrations. I
was also raised
with a strong religious background and my religious education played a strong
role in my interest in international issues,� Rosen explained.
This fascination with human rights and international issues took time
to develop into a plausible career path. After graduating from Union
College
in 1982,
Rosen worked a variety of jobs before being hired by the International
Human Rights Law Group in Washington D.C. as assistant to the program
director:
“I lied and told them I knew how to type because I wanted the job, and
I would
sit at home and practice typing. Within six months I had hired my own secretary.�
The International Human Rights Law Group was a small organization that
worked with the full spectrum of human rights issues. Its activities
included trial
observation, policy discussion, the drafting of Americus briefs, and
some work in partnership with the United Nations. The Law Group also
had a long
roster
of young lawyers eager to do pro bono work as their needs dictated.
Rosen described the role the job played in her development: “It was a
small office, so I really soaked up everything they had to offer. I especially
remember a report we did on human rights abuses by the Contra in Central
America. That
work really made us persona non grata with the Reagan administration,
which
was in office at the time. My position with the Law Group directed my
interests in the human rights sphere, and I knew I needed either regional
studies
training or a law degree to advance in that field.�
Prof. David Weissbrodt, whom Rosen had met while taking a class at the
International Institute of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, urged
her to study human
rights at the University of Minnesota Law School. Rosen agreed and
moved to Minnesota.
She was attracted to the University by Prof. Weissbrodt’s expertise
in the field of human rights. She felt that his guidance could give
her
the balance
between academics and activism that she was looking for in a law program:
“I really worked as David’s research assistant while I was in Minnesota.
I worked
on grant proposals, worked on his “International Human Rights� textbook,
and helped him found the Human Rights Center. I even baby-sat for him.
Being from
the East Coast and coming to Minnesota was difficult for me, and David
made me feel comfortable in a personal and professional way. I really
appreciated that.�
After graduating from law school in 1989, Rosen was hired by Minnesota
Advocates for Human Rights, where she had been volunteering for several
years. While
working for Minnesota Advocates in 1990, Rosen took advantage of
the Human Rights Center’s Fellowship Program and traveled to Geneva,
Switzerland
as the Minnesota Advocates’ representative to the United Nations
Working Group
on
Contemporary Forms of Slavery.
In Geneva, Rosen worked as an intern, conducting research and writing
speeches for Working Group delegates. She also had the opportunity
to meet people
integral to the international human rights community and gain some
valuable insight
into the structure of the United Nations and human rights diplomacy:
“The sub-commission allows people from around the world to come
to Geneva and
participate in a
discussion of their own rights. I felt privileged to see that.
My time in Geneva made Human Rights work less academic and more real,
gave
it a shape
and a form.
It showed me that I liked advocacy work, and that I was good at
it.�
After returning from Geneva and leaving Minnesota Advocates, Rosen
became the Midwest director of Amnesty International’s Chicago
office. Several
years with
Amnesty International was enough to convince Rosen that where
she really wanted to be was on the East Coast near her family and near
Washington
D.C.
In 1993 she was hired by the U.S. Department of Labor to work
in a new international division as an assistant to the Secretary
of
Labor:
“I
was working with child
labor issues. At the time, it was an area very few people were
working in and I knew nothing about. Taking that position was
the best thing
I ever
did, and
I really believe I made a difference at the highest levels,�
said Rosen of her work in Washington. Her work with child labor
issues
took her
around the world on diplomatic missions, and her office filed
six major reports
on international
child labor laws during the course of the Clinton presidency.
Her office organized a presidential initiative on child labor
concerns,
and was
central to the foundations
of the anti-sweatshop movement.
Rosen credited her experience in Minnesota with giving her
the background she needed to effect real change: “My work in
Washington
was really
influenced by my time with Prof. Weissbrodt and in Minnesota.
He taught me to always
get
your facts straight, to listen, and to analyze effectively.
Good facts drive good policy.�
In recent years, Rosen’s career has shifted from child labor
policy to full-time motherhood, but she hopes to return to
advocacy work
again soon, possibly
with overseas. As she looks for a new arena in which to pursue
the improvement
of
human rights conditions around the globe, she has valuable
advice for those searching for a career related to human
rights issues:
“You need
to find
work in the field, to get an internship. The profession has
really blossomed since
I started. There are more opportunities to find your niche
in this field than when I started. More than anything, I
think it’s
just
crucial to
understand that success will come in baby steps. To avoid
being frustrated, you have
to
be able to identify those steps.�