Over the years, Tufts' often-cited commitment to active citizenship on an international scale has catalyzed group trips across the globe, with students pursuing projects ranging from conducting academic research to leading local sustainable development initiatives. Senior Rachel Bergenfield, however, has taken this commitment one step further by doing both. An interest in transitional justice and economic development has led her to do extensive field research in Africa, which culminated in her working with two recent alumni to found a non-governmental organization (NGO) in Northern Uganda.
An International Relations major, Bergenfield is a part of the Institute for Global Leadership's (IGL) Synaptic Scholar and a former Citizenship and Public Service Scholar at Tufts' Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service. While her interest in international development and conflict repair has transported her to exotic locales like Cameroon and India in the past, this time, she chose to focus her studies on Uganda.
Bergenfield's interest in Northern Uganda, which was involved in a 22-year-long civil war between its guerilla Lord's Resistance Army in the north and the Southern Ugandan government, was sparked in the fall of her junior year, when she began researching the topic in a transitional justice course.
She was able to secure a position assisting Fletcher graduate student Natalie Park in her research in Uganda during the summer of 2008. There, she conducted research for her senior thesis on the role played by NGO's in the post-conflict recovery of the Gulu district of Northern Uganda.
Bergenfield's work required frequent interaction and discussion with local Ugandans. She characterized her role in the process as mainly a facilitator: "I let people guide the interviews," she said.
In doing so, Bergenfield hoped to avoid pitfalls associated with the sensitivity of her subject. "The training I've had about interviews in conflict communities warns us that there is stuff about undergraduate researchers opening old wounds," she said. "A lot of times, I would learn a lot more from observing people and their daily routines."
Her research thus took on a decidedly human quality, which helped her to make personal connections in Gulu Town. "I still remain close with friends in the region, especially my 'Ugandan father.' I am hoping to get back as soon as I can, and a few opportunities for next year may allow me to do so."
Alongside her research work, Bergenfield has worked to co-found and operate an NGO in Northern Uganda, combining academic pursuit with an on-the-ground attempt to affect needed change there.
Along with then-Tufts seniors Jessica Anderson and Adam Levy, who had also conducted research on transitional justice, Bergenfield applied for and received a $10,000 grant from the Katherine Davis Foundation's 100 Projects for Peace program, which the group used to establish Collaborative Transitions Africa (CTA). The organization aims to help Ugandan communities address and move forward from their horrific past through village participation and the support of local initiatives.
The idea for the group was born when Bergenfield, Anderson and Levy realized that field research could do more than produce research papers at faraway universities.
"For my co-researchers and I, what was exciting was we were able to apply our liberal arts experiences in a tangible sense. We were all able ... to draw on the resources of higher education and employ them in a way in a gap in a community that we cared about -- that was really exciting for us."
Communal recovery in Uganda, explains Bergenfield, is largely the work of community members, with CTA acting as a source of information and support, rather than a primary agent.
Thus, Bergenfield does not expect CTA to catalyze dramatic change in the short term. "Nothing we do is going to 'solve problems,'" she said. When it comes to communal recovery, nothing can be 'solved' and the role of our NGO is just to support in a few specific, small ways."
In her work, Bergenfield tries to depart from common perceptions regarding international aid to Africa. "The thing that has been underscored to me is that Africa doesn't need saving and it's not for us to save."
Bergenfield points out that the organization seeks to work in conjunction with communities, rather than treating the Ugandan people as victims. "I feel like there is so much negative media portrayal of conflict in Africa, and I feel that it's important for undergrads who want to get involved in this work to care about the places they are working in," she said.
Upon her return to the Hill, Bergenfield sought to share her research with the larger Tufts community, an objective she has achieved in a variety of ways. She is currently the Chair of Tufts Collaborative Africa, a group that organizes a variety of events related to conflict and recovery issues in Africa, and she plans on presenting her research at the Undergraduate Research Symposium. She also spearheads CTA's U.S. operations, which include fundraising, legal issues and student-outreach work.
Bergenfield feels that her experience is a result of a confluence of opportunities available at Tufts. "The IGL has been amazingly supportive and even helped us in identifying some potential funders. The [International Relations program] also helped with resources, while the peace and justice studies department helped us find Projects for Peace," she said.
In addition to her individual projects, Bergenfield and fellow Synaptic Scholar Maya Karwande taught an Experimental College class called "Post-Conflict Justice and Repair." "I taught the [class] as a way to engage with the Tufts community around my passion and interests," she said. "I was interested in teaching an Explorations class because I remember wishing I had a discussion based course my freshman year."
While Bergenfield's portion of the class was largely based on her work in Uganda, her co-teacher also incorporated her own research about the Balkans, enabling the students to discuss and explore two different regions affected by similar crises. Bergenfield also wanted to ensure that the class dynamics would allow the students to realize their own potential and capabilities. "I hope that the class allowed the students to envision the ways they could pursue their interests both in and out of the classroom during their time at Tufts."
