Chiara Torelli, Explosive Weapons Monitor for Action on Armed Violence, Nations 2013

Chiara Torelli

Nations, 2013

Explosive Weapons Monitor for Action on Armed Violence

United Kingdom

Find out more about me:

• AOAV’s website features all of our research, as well as our yearly Explosive Violence Monitors and details of our advocacy work

I live in London now (technically in Essex, but we don’t need to talk about that), and I’m the explosive weapons monitor for Action on Armed Violence. It’s a small NGO that monitors the causes and consequences of armed violence globally, and my project focuses on casualties from the use of explosive weapons, including manufactured weapons and improvised explosive devices. It can be difficult work, but I’ve had the opportunity to present at the UN and other platforms where, hopefully, we can actually make a difference.

My favourite Ecolint memory: I loved being able to celebrate festivals and holidays from so many different countries and cultures. I felt like I was part of something bigger than myself, and it was a great way to learn more about the world. Part of being in the Ecolint family is having lots of space for difference and variety.

Being a student at Nations meant being encouraged to be curious and self-motivated. I remember all the independent projects we had the opportunity to take on and the skills I learnt from those definitely shaped how I approach life. We were also always encouraged to ask questions and think creatively and critically, which has served me very well!

If I had to do it all over again I think I would try and get more involved in some of the international politics or social justice-related opportunities Ecolint fosters. It took me quite a few years to find my way, but maybe I would have found it earlier if I’d dared more as a teenager.

My words of wisdom for Ecolint students: nurture the friendships you make in high school. These are people who are going to grow with you, and the depth of those relationships will see you through the tough times that inevitably come up in life.

What legacy do I want to leave? That’s a tough one. I guess I want something to be different because I lived. I’d love to leave a mark on the way governments, the international community, and civil society approach peace and conflict. Hopefully, we can create a more responsive, context-specific approach that revolves around peace through development.