NATCHEZ — Is world peace attainable? Madeline England is giving it her best shot.

Natchez native Madeline England is pursuing a master’s of Internal Affairs from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka is an island off the southeast tip of India. It has had civil violence between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam, or Tamil Tigers, and the Sri Lankan government for almost 30 years. The violence spurred from the Tamil Tigers’ demand for an independent state. England, the daughter of Lee England and Mary Lou England, is stationed in Colombo, the country’s capital.

She has joined The Advocacy Project, a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization that partners with advocates and other nongovernmental organizations in various countries around the world to promote social justice, in the hopes of ending poverty, discrimination and conflict.

England’s fellowship is with Home for Human Rights and it will last three months.

“I decided to pursue my master’s here because I can gain practical experience protecting and advocating human rights in a conflict zone,” England said.

Home for Human Rights is an organization that has existed in Sri Lanka since 1977. Its main office is located in Colombo. They provide medical and psychosocial rehabilitation for torture victims, investigate and file human rights violations, file fundamental rights applications, help victims receive compensation among other things. All of these services are free. Many of the people working for The Advocacy Project are graduate students.

“It is practicing something that they have read in a book,” deputy director and fellowship coordinator Stacy Kosko said.

England hopes to improve their international network by acting as a liaison with the United Nations as well as other organizations by writing letters and reports to the U.N. Human Rights Council in hopes of getting international recognitions for the crimes committed.

“I think the worst human rights violations tend to occur during times of conflict,” England said.

The Advocacy Project is very specific about all projects being on the community level.

“Community based advocates are a source of change which allows people to build from the base up,” Kosko said.

England has worked in London as a legal assistant and a Peace Corps volunteer in Mauritania, West Africa. This is her first experience in conflict zone.

“This is a logical progression in my career,” England said. “It has opened my eyes to the challenges and threats faced by local human rights advocates.”

One job of the Home for Human Rights is to keep a list of those who have lost their lives or gone missing. From January to April, 337 people have lost their lives due to conflict.

“I have realized that there are no innocent parties in a conflict,” England said. “I have also realized how conflict affects innocent people in all aspects of their lives.”

The north and eastern provinces of Sri Lanka have been cut off from the rest of the country making food expensive and luxuries, such as electricity, extremely expensive, England said.

She has been in Colombo for a month and posts frequently on her blog at www.advocacynet.org.