Joy Cudjoe

Background

About Joy Cudjoe

A few years ago, I discovered the Japanese philosophical term,'ikigai'. It refers to the things that give one's life value, meaning or purpose. Before this, I was under the impression that a person could only have a single passion, that it would be discovered early on and in some sort of spectacular fashion. This troubled me as there were and still are many causes I feel called to. However, ikigai reveals that having multiple vocations is not only normal, but it is critical to feeling fulfilled and allows us to contribute to society and others in a meaningful way. Here are a few of my passions that I have been nurturing: Public Policy: I have seen the impact of both informed and ill-informed legislation. It is very important to me that the needs of communities that would be affected by certain ways of governance are thoroughly considered. Women, Peace and Security: It has been shown that in the past, conflict studies, while instrumental in the facilitation of peace, has failed to fully consider the impact of armed conflict on the lives of women and girls. I hope to continue to increase awareness in this area and support the fight against gender based violence. Law: Having studied the criminal justice system in depth, I cannot stress the importance of sincere and fastidious advocacy in democracy. It goes hand in hand with public policy as it ensures that people are aware of their rights and that their concerns are heard. As a future lawyer, I will work tirelessly to give a voice to those who need to be heard. What is your ikigai?