Global Intern Madelaine King

UN Human Rights Council, Geneva

Profile

Madelaine is humbled to be the successful applicant of the 2017 Bennelong Indigenous Internship to the United Nations. She will be interning with the Australian Mission to the United Nations in Geneva for the 34th Human Rights Council.

Madelaine is in her final year of a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery and has an honours degree in Medical Sciences. Her interest and commitment to human rights stems from her experiences as a medical student, a young woman, an Indigenous Australian and as a member of a rural community. She is excited to experience first-hand the work of the Human Rights Council, as she hopes to learn how positive change can be generated through political and governmental means.

Approaching human rights from a health perspective, Madelaine is committed to improving the quality of life of the marginalised and vulnerable members of our community through access to health care. She has a particular interest in the health and rights of Indigenous Australians and hopes to work in the area of public health as a policy advisor in the future.

Her passion for promoting the human rights of others is reflected in her extensive volunteering roles and educational achievements. She has volunteered for AMES as an English tutor for asylum seekers and refugees, and has assisted the Royal Children’s Hospital as a family support officer. Madelaine has worked with with Doctors for the Environment and the Australian Youth Climate Coalition, advocating for stronger political action on climate change, and she is a recipient of the John Flynn Placement Program scholarship which promotes rural and Indigenous health. In 2015 she completed an honours thesis at the Burnet Institute exploring the intersection between homelessness and injecting drug use.

Madelaine is excited at the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the Human Rights Council’s functions and areas of operation, and how these may be used to promote change and equality for all.