by Analía Calero, 2015-2016 President Néstor Kirchner Fellow
Being PNK Fellow was a truly extraordinary experience. As earlier fellows expose it is a unique opportunity in many ways. It is recognition, responsibility and challenges.
Being fellow KNP involves the unique opportunity to:
-Present an academic paper, intended as a contribution to the common good, in a multicultural, unorthodox and rather widespread, as is the Latin American Observatory (OLA) of the New School.
-Be read by prominent scholars, whom I have in high regard, and who generously gave their time and comments.
-Be listned to at the public conference by diplomats, UN officials and mainly public policy makers.
-To meet experts from civil society and academics, who are working similar issues, and who are happy to put together networks to continue to exchange ideas, beyond the duration of the scholarship.
-Meeting collegues working similar topics from other disciplines and with various tools, such as the use of media and ICTs for youth empowerment and inclusion. I was able to attend their classes and nurture from new experiences.
-To have access to libraries with unique material, which enabled me to continue to enrich my professional training.
-To share experiences with Argentine and Latin American in USA, who closely follow what happens in Argentina, in the context of Latin America.
Being PNK fellow also involves obtaining recognition not only for academic merit, but mainly by public vocation and social commitment, for contribute from different areas and with the tools we have at different stages of our lives to improving the welfare of our peoples.
Being fellow PNK also implies responsibility, to discuss public policy from the academia, and put on the table the winners and losers in every possible measure to further advance social achievements that improve the living conditions of historically neglected and have no voice.
PNK Fellow is being challenged to think beyond borders with regard to the design of inclusive public policies and human rights approach. The challenge is not to give up despite the vicissitudes to which we have used in history, particularly the Latin American peoples. And keep dreaming in the political, economic, social and cultural transformation of Latin America from democracy, in we all are included, as we saw in recent years that it is possible, if there is political will.
The days I spent at the New School, preparations to present the working document on Youth and Inequality, discussions, round, were all this and more. I met extraordinary people with whom I felt at home.Being fellow PNK is a beautiful distinction; it does not compare with any other academic experience that I had, and I will take it with honor during all my life.
Buenos Aires, Argentina, November 2015
+ More on Analia’s fellowship experience
