Pride, together with Fletcher LEADS and the International Development Group, present OUT IN THE FIELD. Out in the Field will provide two opportunities for LGBTQ+ students and allies to learn from illustrious guest speakers and each other about the possibilities and limitations of being “out” in different international contexts.

First - From 2PM to 5PM, an intimate Round Table of students and visiting guests will work together on actionable ideas of how to manage and build LGBTQ+ inclusive spaces in international work. Guests from Boston University, Doctors Without Borders, and Mercy Corps (full bios below!) will share from their personal lived experiences as out professionals in the humanitarian, development, and academic fields. Our time together will seek to recognize the multiple variables that contribute to problems of inclusion. And by identifying them, find creative ways to contribute to solving those problems. This event is by sign up only, and with limited space! If you sign up, please come prepared to stay for the full afternoon, and be ready to actively contribute to discussion and activities. Drinks and snacks provided. The sign up is available here.

Followed by a Panel Discussion with our visiting guests, from 5:30PM to 7:00PM in Mugar 200. The panel discussion will be an opportunity to hear from our visiting guests how their identity has impacted their careers and career choices, what kind of choices are made at different points in a career (starting out, mid-career, late-career), as well educate allies on the ways they might be supportive of their LGBTQ+ colleagues. The panel is open to as many people as we can fit in Mugar 200!

Visiting Guests:

• Grigor Simonyan has 15 years field experience as humanitarian professional with MSF/Doctors Without Borders in Zimbabwe, South Sudan, India, Eswatini, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia and currently serves as Country Director in Ukraine.  He holds MS in Public Relations from Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh and is MAHA graduate 2014.

• Sandra M. McEvoy is Clinical Associate Professor of Political Science & Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Boston University. Her research focuses on gender and conflict, particularly in relation to the ways in which war creates vulnerabilities and opportunities that are both gendered and sexed. Her research draws on extensive fieldwork in post-conflict Northern Ireland, where she has worked for many years with female members of paramilitary organizations. This fieldwork led McEvoy to write about the experiences and ethics of conducting fieldwork in violent settings as a lesbian researcher.

• Ali Rashid is a humanitarian aid worker from Iraq. Currently based in Washington D.C. where he works at Mercy Corps as Syria Program Officer. Ali worked in Iraq from 2014-2017 with International Medical Corps (IMC) as a Sr. M&E Officer responding to the Syrian refugee crisis and Iraqi IDPs crisis. In addition, from 2010-2012 he volunteered with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and IMC in Damascus responding to the Iraqi refugee crisis and Syrian IDPs crisis. Ali graduated from The Fletcher School in May 2019.

With special thanks to Fletcher LEADS.  Fletcher LEADS seeks to enhance and refine Fletcher students of all genders’ competence, confidence and leadership to fulfill their potential in the world, make a positive impact, build careers of significance, feel empowered as individuals, and balance their work endeavors and passions with their families and other responsibilities.  Fletcher LEADS works to contribute to gender equality.