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2021 Belgrade Centre for Human Rights Fellow

Glennie Webster
BA International Studies (International Security, Norms and Cooperation); BA French & Francophone Studies ‘21

Belgrade Centre for Human Rights

“This summer, I had a six week virtual fellowship with the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights, based in Belgrade, Serbia. Throughout my fellowship, I met virtually with Anja Stefanović, the Asylum and Migration Programme Coordinator, who was my mentor during my experience. Each week I would send her English proofreading edits of their website azil.rs/en, reviewing the articles, announcements, and documents published on their website. This helped me review what the BCHR has accomplished in the past, as well as understand how they raise awareness about the rights of refugees and asylum seekers in previous projects.

Another one of my responsibilities during my fellowship was to write an article that would be published on their website in Serbian and English. For this article, I wrote about the importance of data privacy and protection for refugees and asylum seekers. Finally, I wrote a research paper for the BCHR on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on international migration policy, and how it is affecting Serbia and the surrounding EU countries specifically. I analyzed quantitative and qualitative data that measured the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on international migration policy, and illustrated the implications of these results on the Republic of Serbia. This research paper was reviewed by Ms. Stefanović, as well as Sonja Tošković, the Centre’s executive director, and will be published soon on their website

I am incredibly thankful for this fantastic opportunity and experience with the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights. I was able to listen and learn from worldwide advocates in the field firsthand at roundtable talks, as well as conduct research on relevant and contemporary issues within the refugee and migration field. Furthermore, I sincerely thank the Donia Human Rights Center for its support and for providing me with this opportunity. While I could not be in-person in Serbia to participate in this fellowship, this has been a truly enriching experience that I will cherish as I go forward into my human rights career. And, I know that I will visit Serbia in the future to meet my Serbian mentors from the BCHR in-person.”