Nina (second from right) marching by the White House during IC’s MOVE:DC event
Nina Fernandes: electronic analyst and repair guru… political advocate…We think we’ve discovered what ticks in this inspiring 21-year old, and that’s her unique motivation to fix a broken system.
Nina is an Electrical and Computer Engineering student and president of the Invisible Children club at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts. When she isn’t taking apart and putting together TVs and radios, she is confronting systems that fail to promote or protect human rights.
Political Advocacy is the action of influencing decisions and policies of governments and other institutions and both Nina and our IC|Citizen team here at Invisible Children do exactly that in order to create lasting change. It is so important because these institutions have the power to reach groups that most do not. Nina’s team knows that in order to stop groups with the capability to murder, mutilate, and psychologically scar thousands of people, a global response is required.
She elaborates, “It’s disturbing to me that the LRA continues to commit these atrocities but perhaps even more disturbing that citizens, leaders, and nations with the power to stop them are ignoring the issue.”
But her team’s efforts were not going unnoticed. Nina was given the opportunity to meet with Gladys Rodriguez, a member of Jim McGovern’s staff. McGovern is the U.S. Representative for Massachusetts second congressional district, and has been recognized for his committed focus on international human rights, as well as his encouragement for social action.
Nathan, Maria, and Nina pose in Rep. McGovern’s office after meeting with Gladys Rodriguez
The difficulty she experienced in scheduling a meeting with the representatives office was well worth all of the time invested, and Nina received an email a few weeks later asking her to meet with McGovern personally. Nina was so impressed by McGovern’s knowledge and compassion for the atrocities committed by the LRA.
Rep. McGovern stated, “There is increased attention on the terror inflicted upon innocent people by the LRA – and that’s a good thing. I am hopeful that we can use this momentum as a force for change. We must do all that we can to protect innocent civilians — especially children — and end LRA violence once and for all. We made important strides with our legislation in the last Congress, but our work must continue.”
Jim McGovern has empowered student activists to become future leaders and permanently end extreme injustice on a large scale.
Nina concludes, “Despite the stigma associated with being a politician, some people in government, like McGovern, are passionate about what they do and willing to listen to the people they represent in order to solve serious issues.”
Nina participating in our “Break the Silence” campaign in April, 2011
It is the duty of our government to listen to us. But that means we must speak up. Join Nina and the rest of us at Invisible Children and find out the answers to your lobbying questions HERE.
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