I came into this summer skeptical about how serious the business community was about protecting workers rights, mainly when doing so affected their profit-making margins. The work I have done at the Fair Labor Association has altered my preconceived notions. I have come to understand the enforcement of international labor laws and the incentives companies have to follow them. I have also gained a greater understanding of labor violations and the remediation processes that are put into place to end labor abuses. In a capitalist world, human rights are beginning to be valued more. This is promising for the future of consumerism and the lives of individuals in developing countries.
This summer I organized training and capacity building materials. I assisted the accountability team on restructuring projects. I completed research for the research and innovation team for grant proposals. I also compiled research for the FLA’s annual fair compensation report. Additionally, I assisted in the planning and execution of the yearly FLA board meeting which brings together business, civil society, and universities.
I am looking forward to entering my senior year of college and applying all of the information I have learned through this internship to my studies. I am continuing to take courses in social policy and practice and international development to further understand the issues of forced labor on a global scale. Additionally, I plan on furthering my studies on human trafficking and the exploitation of workers after university. I am currently applying for a fellowship that would allow me to do so.
For students interested in interning with the Fair Labor Association I would recommend being vocal about what you are interested in working and flexible. I moved around to different departments throughout my time at the FLA; some of which I was very interested in and others that before this summer I knew little on.
My time at the FLA has taught me about the hidden social justice worriers that fight for the rights of workers across the globe. Our office is led by strong females who I look up to as role models. From the office manager to the CEO, their leadership keeps the office running every day. Our staff is also very diverse, and I have seen how that diversity creates a better working environment. The best advice I could give to individuals about being a leader is to speak up and put in the extra work. The more effort you give, and the more you care, the better leader you will be.
I have learned about the importance of looking at problems on the macro and micro levels. In academics, we often learn to critique every imperfection in development, but in the real world, it is not that simple. My work at the FLA has shown me that in the real world perfection is not possible, so you must strive for an achievable goal. It is not possible to have every supply chain free from human rights abuses, but our job is to try to eradicate these issues one factory at a time.