Welcome the MHR Class of 2022: Bassel El Mrawed
Welcome Bassel, “Bas”, El Mrawed to the Master of Human Rights class of 2022! Bassel arrived in Minnesota from Lebanon, where he spent most of his life as a young adult, after having moved from Venezuela. Bas’s history working with NGOs on human rights issues, coupled with his personal experiences bearing witness to and experiencing injustices, discrimination, and poverty, have led him to pursue his studies in human rights at the University of Minnesota. Read below to get to know Bas!
Raised in Venezuela, Bas moved to Lebanon when he was just 11 years old. Currently attending the MHR program as a Fulbright scholar, Bas completed his undergraduate degree at the American University in Beirut where he studied Political Studies and Gender Studies. During his time as an undergrad, Bas had the opportunity to participate in a year-long Erasmus+ exchange program, during which time he lived and studied in both Denmark and Germany. While this program allowed Bas to experience new cultures and learn about different ways of living, they also continued to open his eyes to the continuing reality of racism and xenophobia. A victim of microaggressions, verbal harassment, and physical attacks while abroad, Bas-- an Arab, Latino man-- cites his time in Europe as opening his eyes to the unique and acute problems faced by different countries around the world. Bas’s complex identity, international travels and experiences with poverty, discrimination, and other injustices in Venezuela have fundamentally shaped his identity and the work that he has done and continues to pursue.
Bas has a lifelong passion in human rights and began working as early as high school towards social justice through volunteering for various events, which included helping people in poverty and refugees in his community. During his time in college, Bassel worked with a variety of NGOs related to a wide variety of issues, including but not limited to nature conservation and bringing art to underserved communities. He also interned with a human rights organization in Beirut called ALEF. Being aware of the privileges that come with being a Lebanese citizen in Lebanon, Bas pursued work to help refugees and migrant workers. Bas has also worked with Amnesty International where he took part in advocacy work and research, as well as organized campaigns and conducted interviews for the organization.
A Fulbright grantee, Bassel is extremely thankful that Fulbright chose University of Minnesota’s MHR program for him to continue his studies. One of his favorite parts of the MHR program is its interactive curriculum and the engagement of students in real-world human rights issues. Bassel has taken full advantage of the opportunities offered to MHR students and is currently working with fellow cohort member Verónica Cadavid Gonzalez along with HRP director Barbara Frey on a study requested by the UN OHCHR in collaboration with UMN on protection networks for human rights defenders.
To describe Bas’s journey to the United States as difficult would be an understatement. He described the process of getting a Visa as being exceptionally difficult due to his identity, being a dual Lebanese-Venezuelan citizen. On top of the difficulty he faced in obtaining a visa, Bas was living in Beirut before coming to Minnesota, and was just miles away from the explosion in the Beirut Port that occurred earlier this summer on August 4th. Cleaning up his city, participating in protests against this grave injustice and the governmental inaction by which it was proceeded, and dealing with the trauma of having experienced such a devastating event, Bas was notified of his flight to the US just three days before his departure. Bas describes this experience as “hellish”; the need to clean up his city, participate in protests and pack up his life in a matter of days made a terrible situation that much worse.
Thankfully, Bas was opened with open arms by faculty and students alike at the U. Bas emphasizes the care demonstrated by all of the individuals he has encountered during his time with the MHR program and is grateful for the social safety net he has found here. Despite being unable to spend long amounts of time in person with his fellow cohort members, Bas feels like he has found a family here.
Upon his completion of the program, Bas plans to return to Lebanon and pursue human rights work there. While originally wanting to establish a center for marginalized youth in Beirut, Bas is unsure of the path he will take, given the pandemic and explosion that has radically changed the lives of so many people in Lebanon. Committed to human rights, equality, and justice, Bas is looking forward to his time with MHR and brings a unique, internationally informed perspective to the program.
