Two of GCC’s international students from Timor-Leste, an island nation in southeast Asia, attended the annual Human Rights Summit.  These students, Jorguino Savio and Arsenio Ferreira, are both in their first semester of GCC’s newest degree program, Food Processing Technology.  Both students are attending the college on full scholarships through the Timor-Leste Hillary Clinton Scholarship Program administered by the Institute of International Education and funded through the United States Agency for International Development.

Savio and Ferreira attended the 13^th annual Human Rights Summit, which was host at the United Nations on August 25^th and 26^th.  This summit featured young volunteers who were using their education to end human trafficking, bullying, poverty, war, police brutality, gang violence, and other such human rights violations.  The youth delegates, 72 young men and women, presented their work to not only to their peers, but also the 400 guests in attendance.

The Timor-Leste Hillary Clinton Scholarship program is funded through the United States Agency for International Development. Scholarships were awarded to academically talented and qualified Timorese students with the goal of strengthening the base of skilled, high performing professionals in Timor-Leste to contribute to the country’s economic and social development.

Hosted at the United Nations on August 25-26^th, the 13^th annual International Human Rights Summit 2016 featured young volunteers who are using education to end such human rights violations as human trafficking, police brutality, bullying, poverty, war, and gang violence.72 young men and women were selected by Youth for Human Rights International as delegates to represent their 41 countries.

Youth delegates presented their work to their peers and the 400 guests attending and heard from human rights luminaries including six ambassadors and representatives of permanent missions to the United Nations.

Ambassador Irenee Omositson Namboka, former United Nations Human Rights Protection Advisor and Associate Fellow told the youth delegates that the right to education, including human rights education, is second only to the right to life. “Education is the primary vehicle by which economically and socially marginalized adults and children can lift themselves out of poverty and obtain the means to participate fully in their communities.”