Inspiring Change

Pompi Banerjee (second from right) and Jennifer Alphonse (third from right) with other IVLP participants during their exchange program on human rights advocacy in the United States. (Photograph courtesy Jennifer Alphonse)

Jennifer Alphonse, a Hyderabad-based filmmaker, and Pompi Banerjee, a Kolkata-based social activist, visited the United States on the U.S. Department of State-sponsored International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) for a firsthand look at human rights advocacy in the country. The IVLP is the U.S. State Department’s premier professional exchange program, facilitating networking and building connections between professionals from across the world and their American counterparts.

Alphonse’s and Banerjee’s unique backgrounds shaped their experiences and interactions with fellow participants during the three-week program, “Inter-Regional Project on Human and Civil Rights Advocacy for Marginalized Communities for the Indo-Pacific.”

The IVLP experience

On their three-week professional exchange program, Alphonse and Banerjee visited Washington, D.C.; New Orleans, Louisiana; Cincinnati, Ohio; and Los Angeles, California. Alphonse says the IVLP cohort met grassroots organizations advocating for marginalized communities and immigrant communities in all four cities. “When we met these people, we saw how they are fighting for their rights,” she says. “It was an eye-opener, an enriching experience.”

Banerjee says such interactions helped the group understand and learn about the innovative ways nongovernmental organizations are working to improve the quality of life among marginalized communities. “Along with an overview of the development of U.S. laws on human rights issues, we learned about the narrative-building approach,” she says, “which emphasizes not just victimization, but also the human potential of those experiencing this violence, and considers how the violence can be stopped.”

Alphonse says another highlight of the trip was the visit to American museums, created and developed in recent decades with new exhibits showcasing all aspects of American history. She notes that while the legacy of injustices remains, meeting with groups dedicated to studying and improving the lives of those affected by that legacy was an inspiration for the visitors.

Early advocates

Alphonse and Banerjee have both built careers that have led them to become advocates for the rights of marginalized communities. Alphonse specializes in documenting endangered tribal cultures and has worked extensively with the people of the Gond tribe in Telangana. Banerjee focuses on supporting survivors of sex- and labor-trafficking, as well as members of the LGBTQIA+ communities and other marginalized groups.

Alphonse earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in 2005 and began working in the Telugu film industry, often as an assistant writer or assistant director. Now a filmmaker, she has directed films, award-winning documentaries, commercial ads and public service announcements. Through her work, she chronicles the traditions and customs of endangered cultures in India.

Banerjee, who holds a graduate degree in psychology and a diploma in counseling, started her career as a school psychologist and counselor. She later worked with companies and government agencies to support employee well-being and stress management, as well as to promote better communication and emotional intelligence.

In 2015, Banerjee started working with the Assam-based nongovernmental organization, Sanjog, focusing on the advocacy and rehabilitation of survivors of sex- and labor-trafficking. She helped mentor community leaders who later established the “Indian Leadership Forum Against Trafficking” in 2019.

Banerjee established Bodhicitta Consulting (bodhicitta means awakening mind) in 2023 to work with different organizations to promote the interests of marginalized communities and individuals with neurodiversity. She also developed policies for shelter homes in Orissa for survivors of gender-based violence. “My conviction, she says, “is that everyone can thrive in their lives provided they receive the right support and the right environment.”

Burton Bollag is a freelance journalist living in Washington, D.C.

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