Humphrey Fellows from American University, Penn State University and Virginia Commonwealth University visited Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia for a cross-campus collaboration. The 32 participating Fellows engaged in team building through a scavenger hunt around Harper’s Ferry National Park. The Fellows also attended a workshop entitled “Leadership under Fire: Lessons from the White House,” taught by Dr. Mike McGough. In this workshop, Fellows learned about successful leadership through the history of American presidents. They later participated in a tour of historic Harper’s Ferry, during which they learned about the town’s significance during the Civil War.

Humphrey Fellows from Cornell University and Syracuse University participated in a cross-campus collaboration in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. Martha Ketcham, Associate Coordinator of the Humphrey Program at Syracuse University said the trip highlights a unique example of environmental policy in action, combining the fields of study of both campuses. In addition to team building activities, coordinators facilitated a discussion where Fellows explored collaborative projects they can pursue during their Fellowship year. Fellows also hiked to the top of Whiteface Mountain, one of the highest peaks in New York state.

Humphrey Fellows Vindyani Jayasinghe, Thu Thi Vo, Ojja Martin Albert Kapaya, and Lisbeth Karina Vergara presented at the Gender Equity and Leadership panel discussion at UC Davis. The panel was moderated by Joanna Regulska, UC Davis Global Affairs Vice Provost and Associate Chancellor and a Professor of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies. Fellows engaged with the university community about gender equality in their respective countries and shared their perspectives with the audience. Thu Thi Vo discussed the role of women in Vietnam and their role in disaster risk reduction. In Vietnam, Ms. Vo works to train and mobilize women to create disaster preparedness plans at World Vision Vietnam. Ojja Martin Albert Kapaya talked about gender inequality and his work in South Sudan. Mr. Kapaya explained that, “At Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) South Sudan Program, where I work, we encourage [female] participation in the education and outreach programs, in meetings, workshops, trainings and participation in the livelihoods activities. We educate the rural communities about the danger of early child marriages and stress importance of educating girls.”

Humphrey Alumnus Adeniyi Aderoba worked on a medical study published by the World Health Organization on the mistreatment of women during childbirth. Dr. Aderoba led a 14-person research team in a regional facility in Nigeria and observed the care women received. The study, which focused on Ghana, Guinea, Myanmar, and Nigeria, found that more than one out of three women are mistreated during labor. Women who are less-educated and younger are more likely to be at risk. Additionally, the study found women who are mistreated during childbirth are more likely to not seek future medical treatment at healthcare facilities. In many instances, these women may opt for a home birth, which often results in other medical dangers for the woman and child. Dr. Aderoba said "I hope this study motivates relevant stakeholders to collaborate in developing and implementing policies and programs to mitigate the problem”. Dr. Aderoba was a 2017-2018 Humphrey Fellow at Emory University.

Humphrey Alumnus Angelo Louw won the 2^nd place award in the Best Documentary Category of the International 1-Minute Film Festival in Cape Town, South Africa. His documentary, entitled “GUTTED,” focuses on Greenpeace’s current Ocean Sanctuaries Campaign, and is part of a Greenpeace documentary series about protecting the world’s oceans. As described by Mr. Louw "GUTTED looks at the detrimental impact harmful industrial fishing has had on small-scale fishers in [South Africa]." This documentary will also be presented at Amnesty International’s Human Rights Movie Festival in Cape Town later this year. Mr. Louw is on the shortlist for TY 100, a list of the 100 most influential youth in Africa. Mr. Louw was 2016-2017 Humphrey Fellow at the University of Maryland.