Jessica Dewhurst – A STAR of HOPE shining from the South

<div class&equals;"itemIntroText">&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">Jessica Dewhurst is a 24 year old human rights defender and ERI UN Youth Ambassador from South Africa&period; She volunteered in multiple NGOs while in high school&comma; working with children infected&sol;affected by HIV&sol;Aids&comma; refugee children&comma; and children who have been victims of physical&comma; sexual and emotional abuse&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"itemFullText" style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">&NewLine;<p>In 2012 she completed the ERI Human Rights training at the United Nations in Geneva&comma; and traveled the world as an ERI UN Youth Ambassador&comma; promoting human rights and working alongside countless youth and organizations to bring about positive change&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Jessica holds an undergraduate&comma; honours and master’s degree in Social Development&comma; specializing in Children’s Rights and human trafficking&semi; as well as an international leadership qualification from Cambridge University&period; Her organization has trained and equipped thousands of men&comma; women and children to be advocates for change and hope in their communities&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>On return to South Africa she Co-founded and Directs &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;The Edmund Rice Justice Desk”&comma; an award-winning human rights organization which operates in South Central Africa &lpar;South Africa&comma; Zambia and Zimbabwe&rpar;&period; The organization offers its support&comma; expertise and educational materials to various groups across the globe&comma; as well as serves as an ECOSOC advisor to the UN&period; The ERJD &lpar;The Edmund Rice Justice Desk&rpar; focuses on educating&comma; advocating and equipping youth&comma; vulnerable groups&comma; civil society&comma; and governments across South Central Africa in human rights&comma; justice and advocacy&period; It works primarily in township areas and vulnerable communities&comma; empowering and equipping communities to lead their own change&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Being the Director and fire behind an award winning human rights organization&comma; The Edmund Rice Justice Desk&comma; focuses on educating&comma; advocating and equipping youth&comma; government&comma; civil society and vulnerable groups across South Central Africa in human rights&period; She has worked across the globe&comma; and holds various qualifications from UCT&comma; the UN&comma; and Cambridge University&period; Jessica She has been named a top 10 South African Inspirer&comma; a 30 under 30 top achieving South African&comma; a top 30 young African&comma; and an under 25 &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;who’s who” of SA for her work&period; Jessica has also received awards from South African President Jacob Zuma&comma; Prince Edward&comma; Countess Sophie&comma; Lead SA&comma; and most recently the Queens Young Leaders award from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth in Buckingham Palace&period; ERJD is a partner of the Nobel Peace Prize Summit&comma; and although Jessica is often out of the country for work&comma; she strongly insists South Africa will always remain her home&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>There is a strong wave of hope moving and spreading wide across Africa and Jessica Dewhurst and &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;The Edmund Rice Justice Desk” is leading that movement&period; A voice for the voiceless and hope for the hopeless&period; Africa is proud of you&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;