Meet the New MIA-MGA Team Members

Siobhán Golden is the new MGA Intern; Cecilie Kern has been appointed to the newly-created position of Global Policy and Research Advocate.

I am from Westport, Ireland. It brings me great joy to take on the Intern position with Mercy Global Action this year. I want to sincerely thank Sr Angela Reed and Colleen Swain for this opportunity. I am excited to further my commitment to justice and advocacy work, while offering a unique perspective to the Mercy Global Action team. I graduated from the University of Limerick in 2018, with an honours degree in Psychology and Spanish. During the course of my study, I had the opportunity to teach English in Patagonia, Argentina. This experience opened my eyes to the many diversities, injustices and inequalities in the world. Although, I have always had a passion for justice and social change, it was this opportunity which encouraged me to learn more about human rights and global justice issues.

I am currently participating in the Mercy Global Action Emerging Leaders Fellowship. This has been a valuable experience for me and has guided me to view the world through the lens of Mercy-- reminding me that poverty is not a fate and to always respond to issues of justice with kindness and compassion. I am excited to continue to build on the leadership skills I have gained and further empower other women and girls to be leaders. The Fellowship has highlighted the importance of fostering women’s leadership and drives me to continuously confront and expand my own learnings and way of life.  Additionally, I am conducting a research project on Women’s Homelessness in Ireland. I feel strongly about the need to call on UN Member States to provide housing and support to their people, as a basic Human Right. I look forward to being part of the MGA team, bringing experiences of those in grassroots ministries to an international level and challenging oppressive systems.

I am excited to further connect and interact with the Mercy World and expand my knowledge and experience of international human rights advocacy. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, I am initially beginning the internship based at the Mercy International Centre in Dublin,  Ireland.

Messages to: Siobhán Golden 

I am so excited to join Mercy Global Action as the Global Policy and Research Advocate.  Since 2014, I have represented other communities of women religious at the United Nations, and engaged in advocacy related to gender equality, human rights, human mobility, poverty eradication and water and sanitation. Through the collaborative work of civil society organizations at the UN, I have worked in partnership with the Mercy Global Action team, beginning with Sr. Áine O’Connor, and then with Sr. Angela Reed and Colleen Swain. Over the years, I have valued the hospitality of the Mercy team, and seen first-hand how Mercy Global Action translates a deep commitment to social justice and human rights into advocacy, particularly on behalf of marginalized populations. I believe in the vital role of religious congregations to bring the perspectives of local advocates to the UN, to voice issues of moral urgency, and to ensure that policies are based on human rights and the dignity of each person. I also believe that it is important to share the work of the UN with local constituencies, raise public awareness of global justice issues, and enhance the accountability of Member States to their people.

I have dedicated my work and studies to exploring issues regarding human mobility, especially policies related to protection and assistance for refugees and migrants in vulnerable situations across the migration cycle, and the gendered aspects of migration. At the UN, I advocated for strong rights-based and gender-responsive human mobility policies in the processes to elaborate the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants, and the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. Prior to working at the UN, I worked as an immigration paralegal at a Washington DC non-profit, advocating for compassionate and comprehensive immigration reform, and accompanying migrants, refugees and their families through the US immigration system. I am originally from Palo Alto, California, and I have a BA in Diplomacy & World Affairs and Spanish Literary Studies from Occidental College and a Masters of International Affairs concentrating in Human Rights and Humanitarian Policy, Gender and Public Policy, and UN Studies from Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs.

Messages to: Cecilie Kern