{"id":6624,"date":"2025-04-21T14:45:22","date_gmt":"2025-04-21T18:45:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.law.georgetown.edu\/human-rights-institute\/?page_id=6624"},"modified":"2025-05-20T12:33:43","modified_gmt":"2025-05-20T16:33:43","slug":"ivanley-noisette-connecting-local-voices-to-global-policy","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.law.georgetown.edu\/human-rights-institute\/careers\/hoyas-in-human-rights\/ivanley-noisette-connecting-local-voices-to-global-policy\/","title":{"rendered":"Ivanley Noisette: Connecting Local Voices to Global Policy"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Path Shaped by Education and Community<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Ivanley\u2019s journey to Capitol Hill began in his hometown of Philadelphia, where he witnessed firsthand how educational inequality replicated broader systemic failures. \u201cYour zip code can sort of dictate your career path, your education level, income level, and your health outcomes,\u201d he explains. \u201cBut it should not be that way, and I refuse to accept that it will always remain so.\u201d After college, Ivanley worked in youth workforce development, creating summer programs that gave high school students opportunities for growth, income, and exposure to professional life\u2014an experience that strengthened his commitment to community empowerment. Later on in his career and academic journey, Ivanley volunteered for civil society organizations around the world, including in Haiti and Rwanda, and studied International Human Rights Law through the Mitchell Scholarship program. His time abroad offered a crash course in diplomacy, international institutions, and transnational movement-building, and helped him connect across borders with communities of hope and promise. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ivanley\u2019s human rights work has always been grounded in community, the importance of access to a good education, and a fierce devotion to empowering \"\"working and middle-income families. He sees investment and civic engagement as essential to breaking the link between zip code and destiny. Ivanley returned to Philadelphia as a Dean of Culture at a local charter school, focusing on the country\u2019s education systems, which facilitate staggering inequality. \u201cI\u2019ve always seen education as a human right\u2014and one of the most powerful tools we have to transform society,\u201d he explains. That belief led him to co-found Anseye Pou Ayiti (Teach for Haiti), a nonprofit working to transform Haiti\u2019s education system and equip communities with the knowledge, skills, and mindsets to achieve their full potential. \u201cIt\u2019s not just about improving classroom instruction,\u201d he explains. \u201cIt\u2019s about civic leadership, community empowerment, and strengthening local institutions.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ivanley came to Georgetown Law with a growing sense that legal tools could help him amplify the work he was already doing. \u201cGeorgetown helped me understand the big picture,\u201d he says, crediting the school\u2019s location in D.C. and the accessibility of professors with real-world experience. While earning his J.D., he interned with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and the Lawyers\u2019 Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, where he later served as a George N. Lindsay Legal Fellow. Courses like <\/span>Advanced Legal Research<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>Federal Budget<\/span><\/i> provided direct preparation for legislative work, while the broader law school community gave him a network of peers working across government and advocacy spaces.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ivanley sees a clear throughline between his work in education and his current role in government. \u201cWhether I\u2019m working with high school students, grassroots organizers, or global NGOs, my goal is the same\u2014amplifying voices that need to be heard and making sure they have a seat at the table,\u201d he says.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Empowering Voices in Congress<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

For Ivanley, one of the most rewarding parts of his work is serving as a conduit\u2014connecting grassroots movements and community voices with the halls of power. \u201cWell-financed interests know how to make themselves heard,\u201d he notes. \u201cBut my role is to ensure those without deep pockets can also access the policymaking process.\u201d He sees his position not just as a legislative director, but as a translator and connector\u2014helping constituents, advocates, and movements understand how to navigate Congress, while helping members of Congress understand the urgency of human rights on the ground.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ivanley\u2019s work is especially concentrated on African and Caribbean countries, where he seeks to advance legislative strategies that address global conflicts, promote equitable trade, and elevate the voices of communities often left out of policymaking. Whether seeking to renew a trade preference program that provides jobs for thousands, advocating for labor rights and measures to improve the lives of working people, or briefing colleagues on legislative measures aimed at conflict resolution, Ivanley understands the power\u2014and the responsibility\u2014of U.S. legislative leadership. \u201cSometimes your job is to do your best to push something up the priority list. One sentence in a bill can impact millions of people,\u201d he says. He sees his role as a bridge between constituents, civil society, and policymakers: \u201cIt\u2019s about listening, building bridges, and making sure those with proximity to injustice are heard by those with the institutional power to affect millions.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ivanley is candid about the challenges of human rights work in a political system where progress can take decades. \u201cThere are bills that have been introduced every Congress for many years but never go anywhere despite the merits of the proposals\u201d he says. \u201cYou need clear strategy, persistence, and alignment between advocates, legislators, and the executive branch.\u201d Still, he finds encouragement in the small wins\u2014like seeing a former student thrive, seeing an amendment move forward, or helping a lesser-known issue gain congressional attention. \u201cSometimes it\u2019s about moving something up the priority list,\u201d he says. \u201cThat\u2019s the work\u2014day in, day out.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Advice for Aspiring Advocates<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

The thread running through Ivanley\u2019s career is clear: empowering people to advocate for themselves. Whether working with students in Philadelphia or grassroots leaders at home and abroad, his aim is to open doors and offer actionable tools. Ivanley credits Georgetown with sharpening the strategic thinking he has needed to fill this role. \u201cYou need to be rigorously analytical without missing the forest for the trees. You need to know how to \u2018steel-man\u2019 the arguments of people who disagree with you. And you have to listen\u2014not to agree, but to understand and sharpen your own thinking.\u201d As he puts it, \u201cThere\u2019s too much at stake to be satisfied with platitudes, outdated ideas, or unchallenged conventional wisdom.\u201d He points to Georgetown\u2019s courses, as well as the broader D.C. experience, for preparing him to hit the ground running on the Hill.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ivanley urges current students to get outside their bubble and embrace the full range of opportunities Georgetown and D.C. have to offer. “Be strategic about your summers\u2014split them if you can,\u201d he says. \u201cGo to the lectures, meet people from different walks of life, talk to your professors. And when you get advice, don\u2019t just take it from one person\u2014gather perspectives to help inform your career goals.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Staying Inspired<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Outside of work, Ivanley stays grounded through faith, family, mentorship, and building community. \u201cMentoring lets you see the impact you\u2019re making in a straightforward and more tangible way\u2014and you learn just as much as you teach,\u201d he says. He finds inspiration in traveling, deepening his faith, and experiencing how art can bring issues to life in new, accessible ways. \u201cConstant inspiration is essential in this work. Whether through films, podcasts, and books, conversations with neighbors, or family time with loved ones, he finds ways to stay grounded and inspired.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis work is hard,\u201d Ivanley says. \u201cBut there\u2019s hope\u2014in the people you meet, the movements you support, and the change you get to be part of, even if it takes time. You just have to keep trying, day by day, drawing strength from life\u2019s lessons. That\u2019s the work.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Written by Cameron Mulrooney\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Edited by Michelle Liu\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Path Shaped by Education and Community\u00a0 Ivanley\u2019s journey to Capitol Hill began in his hometown of Philadelphia, where he witnessed firsthand how educational inequality replicated broader systemic failures. \u201cYour […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14986,"featured_media":0,"parent":1615,"menu_order":5,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"0","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":"[]","_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false,"footnotes":"","_tec_slr_enabled":"","_tec_slr_layout":""},"class_list":["post-6624","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"ticketed":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.law.georgetown.edu\/human-rights-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6624","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.law.georgetown.edu\/human-rights-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.law.georgetown.edu\/human-rights-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.law.georgetown.edu\/human-rights-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14986"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.law.georgetown.edu\/human-rights-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6624"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.law.georgetown.edu\/human-rights-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6624\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6858,"href":"https:\/\/www.law.georgetown.edu\/human-rights-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6624\/revisions\/6858"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.law.georgetown.edu\/human-rights-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1615"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.law.georgetown.edu\/human-rights-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6624"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}