FPCD DC Intern Represents the Foundation

FPCD Intern Hits the Streets of DC to Increase Outreach

By Rachel McGuirk

FPCD Intern Rachel McGuirk attended the 4th World Children’s Festival at the National Mall, on June 17th-19th. WCF is an educational program that integrates arts and sports in order to foster children's creativity and co-creation. It brings together a diverse community focused on cooperative learning, giving the FPCD an opportunity to meet passionate members of the community, eminent educators, and field experts.

On June 8th-9th, FPCD Intern Rachel McGuirk had the opportunity to attend the Aid and International Development Forum in DC. Focused and involved in the delivery of humanitarian aid relief and development, the AIDF brings together over 1,500 members from USAID, US Government, NGOs, and the corporate sector. In this environment, FPCD was able to participate in dialogues with international NGO directors to continue to build partnerships to cohesively address development issues.


FPCD Intern Rachel McGuirk attended on June 22nd an InfoShop lecture at the World Bank titled “Managing Openness: Trade and Outward-Oriented Growth after the Crisis.” The World Bank lecture analyzed the question of how to manage trade strategies so as to maximize the benefits of open trade markets while minimizing the risks of volatility.


On the 22nd of June, 2011, FPCD Intern Rachel McGuirk attended World Refugee Day at the Rayburn House Office Building in DC. Human Rights First, a non-profit organization, hosted a photo exhibit of the refugee process, including images of individuals willing to host refugee families in their homes. The captivating display attracted members of congress and several members of the DC community to observe together the strength of those forced to leave their homeland.

FPCD Intern Hits the Streets of DC: Human Trafficking Awareness



FPCD Intern, Rachel McGuirk, attended several events focused on drawing attention to the ever present problem of human trafficking. The US State Department estimates that there are somewhere between 600,000 and 800,000 people trafficked in the United States. DC Stop Modern Slavery (DC SMS), a diverse and growing community working to end modern slavery, hosted an informative session on July 13th, 2011 on current anti-human trafficking laws that now exist in the DC area. The speakers at the event were Katherine Chon, President and co-founder of Polaris Project, Mary C. Ellison, Director of Polaris Project, and James Dold, Policy Counsel for the Polaris Project.

Rachel McGuirk had an opportunity to talk with Mary Ellison, and engaged in a discussion of the current state and federal laws combating modern slavery. These include Senate Bill 1037, signed into law on August 8th, 2011, which will clear prostitution convictions for human trafficking victims.

On July 29th-31st, 2011, SID World Congress hosted an event aimed to tackle issues such as gender equality and development, and human trafficking. This event featured key individuals who are leading the policy discussions at the very top of the development and humanitarian aid food chain. They included Robert Zoellick, President of the World Bank, and Gayle Smith, Special Assistant to President Obama.


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Rachel McGuirk studies geography and economics at the University of Mary Washington. She plans on receiving her Bachelor of Arts in May 2012. She received a national speaker award at the American Debate Association. Currently, she is the lead consultant at UMW Speaking Center, where she coaches students and carriers out presentations on communication techniques.




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