An interview with Anna Dokshina, Master of Arts in Human Rights and Social Justice student.
In this reflective interview, Anna explores the intersection of academic theory, personal history, and practical advocacy. Drawing on rigorous coursework in human rights, moral economies, and emerging legal frameworks, this conversation delves into how historical trauma, systemic inequality, and modern technological shifts such as artificial intelligence governance shape the future of human rights work.
Human Rights Coursework
How has your coursework impacted your understanding of human rights?
To be honest, when I first started, I thought of human rights mostly as a fixed set of international laws and noble ideals written down on paper to protect people. But going through this program completely shattered that tidy view. My coursework forced me to look at human rights as something much more complex, messy, and constantly contested. I learned to ask the uncomfortable questions: Whose interests do these legal frameworks actually serve? Who gets left out of the definition of a victim? It taught me that genuine human rights work isn’t just about quoting international conventions or pointing out violations after the fact. It requires looking at the deeper structural roots of why people end up marginalized in the first place, and realizing that the law itself is often part of the problem.
What was the most impactful project for you?
Hands down, it was the research project I did on the intergenerational trauma of Gulag survivors and their families. To me it was more than just an assignment, it was deeply personal. Growing up with a family history touched by state repression, surveillance, and totalitarian control, the themes we were reading about in class hit very close to home. Digging into how state-sponsored forced labor and psychological terror ripple across generations gave academic language and structure to the stories I had lived with my whole life. It allowed me to explore how political trauma fractures family dynamics and silences generations long after the physical camps are closed. That project reminded me why preserving historical memory matters so much, and it deeply reinforced my commitment to making sure the human reality behind state violence is never erased.
In what ways did your coursework shift your view of official legal definitions and institutional justice systems?
It definitely made me much more cynical (or perhaps just realistic) about how institutions operate. In class, we spent a lot of time dissecting international legal frameworks, and you start to notice how carefully definitions are worded. Often, they are crafted in ways that protect state interests and insulate powerful political actors from liability rather than actually protecting everyday people. That realization was a major turning point for me. It showed me the massive blind spots and limitations of top-down legal systems. It taught me that you can’t rely solely on official political narratives or institutional justice because those systems are often designed to maintain the status quo. Real advocacy means looking past the sanitized legal language and focusing entirely on the lived realities of people who have been harmed or silenced.
Social Justice Coursework
What drew you to engage with social justice coursework?
I was drawn to social justice because I wanted an intellectual space that didn’t just accept the world as it is. Traditional academic disciplines can sometimes feel a bit sterile, treating structural inequality like an unfortunate historical accident or a natural background condition of society. Social justice coursework, on the other hand, gave me the analytical tools to dissect how modern economic frameworks, labor exploitation, and political policies actively manufacture vulnerability. I wanted a framework that refuses to treat injustice as inevitable and actually demands active, structural resistance instead of just passive observation.
Why do you think a social justice framework is more effective at addressing systemic inequality than traditional academic approaches?
It comes down to accountability and action. Standard academic subjects often look at inequality from a distance, analyzing poverty or discrimination like it’s weather patterns—something that just happens to people. A social justice framework forces you to reject that completely. It trains you to look at how laws, corporate priorities, and power dynamics actively create poverty, discrimination, and marginalization. That shift in thinking is so vital because once you realize that systemic inequality is entirely man-made, you realize it can also be dismantled and corrected through deliberate human action, solidarity, and community-led resistance. It turns despair into a clear roadmap for change.
Experiential Learning
How did stepping outside the traditional classroom environment change your understanding of community resilience and mutual aid?
Stepping outside the traditional academic environment by serving on the board of the Kamloops Society for Community Inclusion (KSCI) completely transformed how I understood community resilience and systemic advocacy. Reading about inclusion, equity, and social support in textbooks is entirely different from participating in governance for a non-profit charity that has supported adults with developmental disabilities for over sixty-five years. Being part of KSCI allowed me to see how vital grassroots community organizations are in creating real opportunities for belonging, independence, and purpose through community inclusion services, employment support, and outreach. It bridged the gap between abstract justice theory and everyday operational reality, teaching me that true social change requires active, hands-on governance and a deep commitment to ensuring that marginalized individuals are genuinely valued and empowered in society.
In what ways did serving on a governance board shape your perspective on the intersection of organizational governance and human rights advocacy?
Serving in a leadership and governance role taught me that defending human rights at a local level requires balancing compassionate mission work with sustainable organizational strategy, funding partnerships, and community collaboration. It showed me how agencies work alongside key partners like Community Living British Columbia and BC Housing to advocate for affordable housing, accessibility, and systemic equality. This experience gave me a much clearer appreciation for the hard work that goes on behind the scenes to maintain inclusive spaces, reminding me that human rights advocacy is not just about critiquing macro-level policy from a distance, but actively building and sustaining the local structures that protect human dignity every single day.
Practicum
What was the most significant insight you took away from your practicum?
My practicum with the British Columbia Law Institute (BCLI) focused heavily on researching emerging artificial intelligence law across global jurisdictions, particularly analyzing the regulatory architecture of the European Union Artificial Intelligence Act. The most striking insight I took away was realizing just how frantically the legal world is trying to catch up with rapid technological advancement. Investigating how governments attempt to regulate high-risk automated systems, data surveillance, and algorithmic decision-making opened my eyes to the next major frontier for human rights. It made me realize how crucial it is to have proactive, rigorous legal safeguards in place to protect human dignity, privacy, and institutional accountability before automated technology completely outpaces our fundamental rights.
How did this practicum experience impact your professional trajectory and future academic goals?
Working on the BCLI project was genuinely a turning point for me. This is where I discovered my deep academic interest in ethical and responsible artificial intelligence, recognizing how deeply automated governance intersects with civil liberties and human rights. Tackling complex regulatory questions and analyzing how algorithms impact vulnerable populations completely crystallized my research interests. I definitely want to continue down this path by pursuing my PhD in this field, focusing my doctoral research on algorithmic accountability, digital rights, and the legal frameworks needed to ensure technology serves human well-being rather than eroding it.
