<p><span class="p-body">Alison Avery attained an MS in Global Affairs from SPS in 2016, including a concentration in Human Rights and International Law. She is now a PhD candidate at Clark University, within the Strassler Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies. We connected with her recently to learn about her journey to becoming an expert in her field, and were pleased to learn that she credits her time at the Center for Global Affairs (CGI) as a critical stepping stone in her journey. </span></p>

<p><span class="p-body">Avery researches the roots and drivers of genocide, focusing on Rwanda and the Great Lakes Region (GLR) of Africa. Her dissertation explores how militia groups recruit, mobilize, and organize prior to the onset of armed conflict and political violence through a historical case study of the Interahamwe militia in Rwanda. Specifically, her work investigates the dynamics of mobilization, and radicalization, and transformation of the Interahamwe militia prior to the onset of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. <span class="p-body"></span></span></p> <p><span class="p-body">&quot;Incorporating original data from archival document review coupled with semi-structured, open-ended interviews, this research will expand our understanding of the preparation and execution of the 1994 genocide,&quot; she explained. &quot;Moreover, the specific findings of this study will aid in genocide prevention by helping identify patterns of recruitment and preparation as early warning indicators, that can be applied in other cases of emerging genocides.&quot;</span></p>

<p><span class="p-body">According to Avery, her coursework at CGA significantly influenced her interests in Africa and Rwanda. &quot;I participated in two Global Field Intensive (GFI) courses: the first to Tanzania to study humanitarian assistance in complex emergencies, and the second to Rwanda to research transitional justice and reconciliation mechanisms in a post-genocide society,&quot; she shared.</span></p> <p><span class="p-body">&quot;In Tanzania (TZ), I was fortunate to spend several days visiting the Nyarugusu refugee camp in Kigoma, TZ. During these visits, I met with Congolese and Burundian refugees who had been displaced by violent conflict in the Great Lakes Region (GLR) of Africa driven largely by militia groups,&quot; continued Avery, who explained that these militia organizations are remnants of the Interahamwe militia, one of the chief perpetrators of the Rwandan genocide in 1994, which reconstituted themselves into new organizations in the GLR and have since continued their campaigns of terror against civilians.</span></p> <p><span class="p-body">In bearing witness to the lived experiences of victims and survivors in this camp and their desires for return, Avery developed a deeper passion for understanding, resolving, and preventing violent conflict and the displacement of civilians—not only in the GLR, but all around the world.</span></p>

<p><span class="p-body">It was this initial fieldwork experience in Rwanda that fostered and strengthened Avery's passion for Rwanda, and ultimately solidified her decision to pursue a PhD. Furthermore, Professor Patty Chang, whose Civil Wars course was one of her initial inspirations, has continued to mentor her throughout her PhD studies, and is now serving on her doctoral dissertation committee at Clark University.</span></p> <p><span class="p-body">&quot;With the help of my incredible team of faculty advisors/mentors at CGA, including Professors Rudbeck, Trahan, and Chang, I designed my master's thesis as a pilot study for a PhD dissertation,&quot; continued Avery. &quot;My MS thesis concentrated on characterizing the role of economic deprivation in the perpetration of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, and the Holocaust. This research project included a comprehensive field research component, where I conducted simultaneous translation interviews with perpetrators and survivors in Rwanda concurrently with archival research in Germany.&quot;</span></p>

<p><span class="p-body">&quot;I'm proud to be an alum of SPS because of the exceptional CGA community, consisting of the most incredible faculty, who consistently went above and beyond for me—even after I graduated!&quot; Avery exclaimed. &quot;My professors were my mentors, and I miss the wonderfully bright and diverse group of fellow CGA students, many of whom I have remained close friends and colleagues with to this day.&quot;</span></p> <p><span class="p-body">The two GFI courses she participated in to Tanzania and Rwanda encompassed some of Avery's very best memories at CGA, but she also really enjoyed many of the opportunities CGA offered outside of the classroom, such as the student-run clubs. </span></p>

<p><span class="p-body">Earning an <a href="/content/sps-nyu/explore/degrees-and-programs/ms-in-global-affairs.html" title="Master of Science in Global Affairs">MS in Global Affairs</a> at NYU SPS can open doors that you may have never imagined were possible. See where you can start the next chapter of your career with a degree from the Center for Global Affairs.</span></p>