Wheaton Scholar Promotes Human Rights Abroad

Wheaton College sophomore Khadim Niang was selected for the college’s highly competitive Davis International Fellows Program. He will receive a $5,000 stipend to support his summer internship with Conscience International, a nongovernmental organization in Gambia that strives to protect individual human and civil rights worldwide.

Khadim, who immigrated to the United States at age four from Senegal, has always been interested in human rights. He was a member of Model United Nations during high school, which inspired him to take several classes in comparative politics at Wheaton.

“I felt compelled to educate myself on international development and human rights issues as a way to promote policy and advocate for internationally held standards on the protection of human beings,” says Khadim, a political science major.

A member of Amnesty International on campus, Khadim knew that he wanted to work in Africa and researched several NGOs before deciding on Conscience International. He will be an educational instructor for high school students, conducting human rights surveys throughout the Bakau region of Gambia and writing policy papers based on the results. His position also involves writing grants for the organization.

“I'm hoping this experience serves as a springboard to a career in human rights advocacy and international development,” says Khadim.