Shannon N. Green, a UGA graduate who serves as the Assistant to the Administrator of the Bureau for Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance (DRG) at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), spoke to students at the University of Georgia School of Law last week. The discussion, entitled “Building a Career in Human Rights Diplomacy,” was moderated by Dr. Amanda Murdie, Head of the Department of International Affairs and Georgia Athletic Association Professor of International Affairs.
In Green’s current role, she leads USAID’s efforts to invigorate democracy, enhance human rights and justice, and bolster governance that advances the public interest and delivers inclusive development. Previously, Green was the Senior Advisor to the Administrator and Executive Director of the Anti-Corruption Task Force where she led USAID’s historic elevation of anti-corruption and aligned the Agency’s policies, programming, and resources to counter corruption at a global scale.
Before returning to public service in 2021, Green was the Senior Director of Programs at the Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC) and Director and Senior Fellow of the Human Rights Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), where her research focused on addressing threats to democratic institutions and norms, enhancing justice and accountability, and improving security forces’ respect for human rights.
From 2004 – 2015, Green held a number of positions in the U.S. Government, including as the Senior Director for Global Engagement on the National Security Council. In that role, she spearheaded efforts to deepen and broaden U.S. engagement with critical populations overseas, including the President’s Stand with Civil Society Agenda and young leader initiatives around the world. Prior to that, Green served in the DRG Center, where she developed policies, strategies, and programs to advance political reform and human rights in the Middle East and North Africa.
Wilson-Wade and Vaughn attended the event with undergraduate and graduate students from across campus, including from the School of Public and International Affairs and from the Washington Semester program. Students were able to hear about Driehaus’ career and ask him questions about the relationship between domestic politics and international development.
Driehaus represented Ohio’s 1st Congressional District from 2008 to 2010. While in the House of Representatives, he focused on issues related to regional development, financial reform, and government accountability. Before serving in the U.S. House, Driehaus spent eight years in the Ohio Statehouse, including time as House Minority whip. He served for three years as Resident Senior Director in Iraq for the National Democratic Institute (NDI), a non-profit NGO that works around the world to safeguard democratic institutions. Driehaus is a founding member of the Good Government Group, a full-service public policy and public relations consulting firm. Additional work experience includes time as the Executive Director of Cincinnati Compass and Country Director for the United States Peace Corps in Morocco and Swaziland.
This month marks63 years since President John F. Kennedy established the United States Peace Corps.Three members of the University of Georgia School of Law community share about their service as Peace Corps volunteers and how their international experiences through the agency impact the work they do for the law school today.
Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps on March 1, 1961 to promote world peace and friendship, more than 240,000 Americans have served the United States and countries around the globe as volunteers– including three who currently work at the University of Georgia School of Law. Below, Sarah Ehlers, Georgia McPeak, and Sarah Quinn reflect on their work in the Peace Corps and the connections between their time abroad and the work that they do for Georgia Law.
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Sarah Elhers, a clinic paralegal and Spanish interpreter for the Wilson Family Justice Clinic, the Community Health Law Partnership (HeLP) Clinic and the Business Law Clinic, served in Honduras from 1993-1995 as a health education volunteer. She worked with midwives and village health workers in an effort to reduce infant mortality. As a volunteer, Sarah received intensive language and cultural training that enabled her to work effectively in her host community. The Spanish language abilities that she honed in the Peace Corps continue to serve her in her work with Georgia Law.
My Peace Corps service led me to my current job as a bilingual paralegal/Spanish interpreter for the law school clinics not only because of my language skills but also due to my continued interest in serving as a bridge between communities. I feel very lucky that over 30 years later, my experience is still relevant!
Georgia McPeak, grants coordinator, served in Mali, West Africa (specifically, village of Sogolonbougou in the Koulikoro Region) from 1987-1990 as an Appropriate Technology Extension Agent. Generally, she helped local communities protect, conserve, and manage their natural resources. More specifically, she taught people how to build, operate, maintain, and repair fuel efficient cook stoves and bread ovens, water treadle pumps, and solar food dryers.
Everything I have done since I completed my Peace Corps service has been a direct result of having been a volunteer. Being in the Peace Corps helped me get accepted to graduate school, and getting my master’s degree helped launch my career in humanitarian relief. Working in humanitarian relief settings took me back to Africa and other places including Eastern Europe, Central America, and the Caribbean. A large part of my work overseas involved developing, writing, securing, and managing grants to assist refugees and internally displaced people. The experience I had managing grants is what eventually led to my position here at the law school as the Grants Coordinator. For me, Peace Corps was an incredibly formative and positive life-changing experience.
Sarah Quinn, director of the Dean Rusk International Law Center, served in Tameslouht, Morocco from 2011-2014 as a Youth Development volunteer. She was assigned a local dar chabab, or youth center, through the agency’s partnership with the Moroccan Ministry of Youth and Sports. There, she taught English to high school students and local association members, including a group of artisans. Sarah worked on several secondary projects throughout her service, including with Tameslouht’s first group of women artisans, and volunteering through a local non-profit focused on gender equity and girls’ empowerment.
My experience living and working abroad completely changed my worldview. Through the Peace Corps, I was able to learn the language, culture, and history of Morocco through the process of integrating into a rural community of about 6,000 people. While working with artisans and with a non-profit focused on girls empowerment, I saw firsthand how American foreign policy has the potential to positively impact communities and individuals on the ground in other countries– or completely miss the mark. The experience removed my ability to see things in a black and white binary, and I am now much more attuned to the shades of grey imparted by factors like cultural context and history. I also learned a new language, applied for (and received) my first grants, and made lifelong friends who continue to challenge and shape my understanding of current events around the world. My biggest takeaway from my Peace Corps experience is that more Americans need the opportunity to have transformative international experiences. It is because of this belief that I began working in the field of international education, and it is why I am so passionate about my current work encouraging law students to globalize their legal education.
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