A tidal wave of applause welcomed Baroness Caroline Cox of Queensbury as she glided into the Caruso auditorium of Pepperdine School of Law.
Before the entrance of the guest of honor the audience watched a short documentary on the internship program on which her organization Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust (HART) collaborates with Pepperdine School of Law. HART sends students to countries such as Uganda Rwanda and Burma to work with branches of the government and research ways to solve problems within the countries.
Students were given a synopsis of the baroness’ many life accomplishments notably intense humanitarian efforts in Burma Armenia Sudan Nigeria and other countries.
“What an embarrassing introduction Cox said, laughing, her English accent gleaming in the drafty auditorium. The real heroes of this world are our brothers and sisters our partners in the darkest parts of the world.”
Throughout her lifetime Baroness Cox has served as a nurse in the Royal London Hospital a social scientist and a baroness. In her many travels to various war-torn areas she has witnessed such horrors as pregnant women disemboweled mine victims and displaced starving children. She has even been the target of a bomb attack while in Armenia.
“The shells were falling around the car and we swerved to avoid them. She recounted “We survived because of the brilliant Armenian driver and a miracle.”
Despite all of the darkness she has witnessed Baroness Cox remains a woman of faith. She goes as far to share that she finds inspiration and radiant faith among the people of the world’s most desperate areas.
“Light does shine brightest in the dark she says.
She became involved in the Pepperdine community when Ken Starr, the dean of the school of law, invited her to visit in 2005. The partnership has been strong ever since.
In Cox’s words, HART exists to provide a voice to the voiceless” by helping “forgotten people in forgotten lands.” HART seeks out oppressed persecuted peoples of the world whose plight is often overlooked or otherwise unable to be helped by larger world organizations such as the United Nations and the Red Cross. Sovereign nations often prevent these organizations from helping people as it is frequently these governments which oppress people. However the Baroness describes HART as “small and deviant and therefore able to cross borders illegally.”
Matt Joens a third year Law student who traveled to Uganda with the program said he found working with Ugandan Court Justice Geoffrey Kiryabwire “inspiring.”
The situation in Burma the most emphasized focus of HART’s efforts is an ethnic and cultural genocide instigated by the SPDC (State Peace and Development Council). The SPDC persecutes various groups of people namely the Karen Kerenni Shan and Chin State raping killing ransacking villages and displacing people from their homes. An estimated 450000 Karen Karenni and Shan people have been driven from their homes and forced to live in the jungle and overcrowded Thai refugee camps. The Chin State located in western Burma suffers as dreadfully as the displaced peoples as the SPDC has occupied their territory subjecting the 600000 residents of the region to rape torture and often slaughter of civilians.
Meanwhile the Chin State is in the midst of a horrific famine caused by the flowering of bamboo (a primary food source) which then led to a rat infestation.
Organizations such as the Free Burma Rangers (backpack medics who assist mine victims) and Pepperdine’s own Project Burma seek to help as well but the war is still raging.
When asked for her thoughts regarding Baroness Cox and her mission through HART Lauren Hartley a Pepperdine senior who is active in Project Burma said “She’s awesome; such a champion for people who don’t have a voice that can be heard by the rest of the world. She’s a testament to what faith and action looks like.”
Baroness Cox offered advice for organizations and individuals seeking to spread hope as she has:
“Get close to people. Participate actively rather than simply dealing with abstract concepts. Travel to the countries and meet the people. Come back and advocate; be their voice.”