I am a London-based policy researcher at Wilton Park, an Executive Agency of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, where I support the design and delivery of policy dialogues on topics such as global health, development, human rights and good governance, including an upcoming series on the future of democracy. I recently finished my master’s degree in International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies at LSE, with my dissertation looking at the interface between poverty and physical insecurity and the rise of radical right-wing populism in the La Araucania region of Chile. My main interests are Latin American history, right-wing populism, political economy and democracy.
What is Youth Political Participation for Ellie?
I was lucky enough to spend a year working in Chile as part of my undergraduate degree. I was there just before the social uprising of 2019 and I found it inspiring seeing people my age regularly protesting against social inequality and racial injustice. At the same time, voter turnout amongst young people was extremely low and there was a sense of deep mistrust towards democratic institutions, with many believing that thirty years of democracy hadn’t delivered. The power of youth collective action to bring about change became apparent to me when in 2019 secondary school students refused to pay the increased metro fare, catalyzing mass protests throughout the country. Coming from a development background, I believe that while not a perfect system, democracy is the best tool we have for tackling the most pressing issues of our time, such as combating the climate crisis, eliminating poverty and ending conflict. As long as everyone within a society feels that they have a voice and agency, which goes beyond just voting, we can be sure that democracies function at their best. A fundamental part of this is youth participation.
Personality Ellie admires most
Since reading her memoir a few years ago, I’ve really admired Samantha Power because of her idealism and determination, both as a war correspondent and a diplomat. She’s also incredibly accomplished as a woman in a male-dominated field.
Fun fact about Ellie
I love learning languages and am studying Spanish, French and Japanese.
Get to know Ellie
