CENTRE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND LEGAL PLURALISM



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Centre for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism

Centre sur les droits de la personne et le pluralisme juridique

International Human Rights Internship Programme

2006 Annual Report

Introduction

McGill University’s Faculty of Law enjoys a rich tradition of human rights education and involvement. In 1992, the Faculty established a number of partnerships with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the developing world as well as in Canada. In 2000, the internship program became a fully credited course with formal requirements, thus allowing students to earn six credits toward the completion of the McGill Program. The International Human Rights Internships Program is administered by the Centre for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism.

The International Human Rights Internship Program carefully selects law students for placements as interns with NGOs and tribunals for a period of 12 weeks, with a view to providing students with an opportunity to experience and contribute to the work of human rights organizations in Canada and beyond. Partner organizations provide students with practical work experience in human rights investigation, monitoring, and reporting.

Upon their return to McGill, students are required to submit an internship report describing their work and experiences. Student also must also write an academic research essay supervised by a professor, on a theme linked to their summer internship.

Around the World With the Student Interns

The broad range of opportunities that this program offers is clearly represented through the experiences of the ten students who were selected to participate during the summer of 2006. Each student reported a rich and educational experience. Here’s what they had to say.

Intern: Jessica Adley

Placement: AMERA (Africa Middle East Refugee Assistance)

Location: Cairo, Egypt

Faculty Supervisor: Prof. Evan Fox-Decent

Research Paper: Mixed nationality in the context of refugee status determination: is the West failing Ethiopian asylum seekers of Eritrean origin?

Jess Adley was off to Cairo to work with AMERA on a number of projects helping refugee claimants. She found that her training experiences varied widely, from “theoretical sessions on international refugee law to more practical sessions on how, for example, to handle the sometimes unsettling experience of dealing with taxi drivers in Cairo.” The work proved to be varied and interesting as well. She found ample support in her work, noting “one of the greatest things about AMERA is that there is always someone available to speak to about a case.”

During the summer, Jess worked directly with approximately 12 clients, helping them, for example, in preparing their testimony. They came from a number of different African countries, including: Burundi, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sierra Leone and Somalia. Accounts of their lives in their home countries and their travels to Cairo revealed stories of imprisonment, torture, kidnapping, forced labour, rape, death of loved ones, smuggling, and escape. Most of the clients with whom she worked were first-instance clients, meaning it was their first time applying to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for refugee status. Jess also spent part of the summer working with the minors’ program. The personal contact with clients gave her a wide range of perspectives. In addition to hearing horrifying stories of their experiences, she also had touching encounters with many clients, including one man who was illiterate, and, thus, arrived over four hours early for an appointment because he could not read the appointment slip. In describing the happy reaction of a teenage client to having her appeals testimony prepared, Jess explained that “her happiness with the testimony gave me a real sense of self-worth within the organization and made me realize just how much of an impact we can have on others through seemingly routine work.”

Intern: Jacob Wilson

Placement: Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights

Location: Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Faculty Supervisor: Prof. RenÉ Provost

Research Paper: the Controversy over the Proposed Cambodian NGO Law

Jacob Wilson was off to Cambodia, where he had a rewarding experience working on wide-ranging research and writing projects relating to human rights. He worked to compile, update, and edit a set of previous reports covering the last 10 years, thus producing a comprehensive 70-page report on human rights conditions in Cambodian prisons. In compiling this report, he had interesting experiences, including working with prison monitors from his organization, and two visits to Phnom Penh-area prisons. He also drafted a 10-page policy brief for Cambodian government officials on the principal human-rights concerns that had been identified, as well as a one-page press release for Khmer and English media. Jacob was also involved in his organization’s opposition to a government-proposed law relating to NGOs, which, they feared, would undermine the independence of such organizations and would give the government an opportunity to stifle dissent. As part of this project, Jacob helped to research similar regulations in other countries, convened meetings, gave presentations, and maintained correspondence with a broad range of individuals.

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Legal intern Jacob Wilson witnessing a demonstration for the release of two innocent men in Cambodia

In addition to pursuing meaningful work, Jacob’s experience was enhanced by the opportunity to see many parts of Cambodia, as well as nearby Saigon, Bangkok, and parts of Laos. He described his trips to smaller towns and rural areas in Cambodia as a key part of his experience, giving him the opportunity to see a vastly different way of life than he encountered in Phnom Penh.

Intern: Sara kushner

Placement: Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal network

Location: Toronto, Canada

Faculty Supervisor: Professor Angela Campbell

Research Paper: HIV/AIDS Legislation: A comparative case study analysis of Vietnam, South Africa, and Canada

Sara Kushner pursued work in Canada with the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network. Sara notes that the Legal Network is “internationally recognized for its work and experienced staff members,” and that it “promotes the human rights of people living with and vulnerable to HIV/AIDS, in Canada and internationally.” Sara commented that the internship program there is well organized, and that interns are a critical part of the organization. Projects are assigned in part based on what area of interests the intern has expressed. Sara focused primarily on the rights of prisoners and people who use drugs and described the program as a “wonderful experience.”

Sara worked on a legal memo addressing whether the failure of Correctional Services Canada to provide prisoners with access to sterile syringe programs -- in spite of its acknowledgement that drug use continues in federal prisons and the sharing of drug consumption equipment continues to be associated with increased rates of HIV and Hepatitis C among prisoners -- could be considered cruel and unusual treatment under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Sara was also involved in drafting model legislation specifically designed to promote law reform and address policy issues in the area of drug use and HIV/AIDS. The legislation is intended to serve as a resource that allows HIV, human rights and drug reform advocates to incorporate human rights law and principles into their work. She praised the McGill internship program, noting that “the Human Rights Internship Program offers students an invaluable opportunity to gain legal experience, build networks and explore career options in the area of human rights.”

Intern: FrÉdÉric Wilson

Placement: Equitas-- Centre international d’Éducation aux droits humains

Location: Montreal, Canada

Faculty Supervisor: Professor RenÉ Provost

Research Paper: Le futur de la participation des ONG à l'ONU: vers une plus grande démocratisation de l'organisation ?

While working with Equitas in Montreal, Frédéric Wilson was involved in a range of activities relating to documenting, researching and reporting on human-rights issues. According to its website, Equitas has a “mandate to advance democracy, human development, peace and social justice through educational programs.” During a three-week intensive program that Equitas offers, Frédéric worked to assist the participants, including ensuring that documents they were given were current, relevant and useful. He also assisted participants in their research, as well as handling other tasks such as organizing a documentary film presentation and writing the reports of the conferences offered during the program. Participants in this conference come from across the world, and Frédéric especially appreciated the opportunity to interact with this wide range of professionals.

Frédéric found his experience, overall, to be positive, primarily based on the friendliness and helpfulness of his colleagues. He saw first hand how a lack of financial resources within an organization can limit its ability to accomplish all of its objectives. Overall, however, he noted that the experience was enriching, and he was especially impressed with the opportunity to participate so actively in the intensive program. He predicted that the role of the intern in this program would be expanded in future years, thus allowing for an even more substantial educational experience.

Intern: Emilie Paquin-Holmested

Placement: Human Rights Commission of Pakistan

Location: Lahore, pakistan

Faculty Supervisor: Professor Shauna van praagh

Research Paper: An exploration of implementation issues of youth criminal justice legislation in Pakistan and Canada

When she began work at the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (“HRCP”), in Lahore, Emilie Paquin-Holmested found that the advice of a former intern served her well. She followed the suggestion of taking a great deal of initiative in seeking out interesting assignments, and her efforts were rewarded. Her main task was to write a report on the current state of the juvenile justice system in Pakistan for HRCP. In writing this report, she was assisted by, among others, the first all-women law firm in Pakistan. She also worked with the assistant dean at the Pakistan College of Law. In addition to doing research, she networked extensively with other local NGOs, attended conferences and workshops on children’s rights and juvenile justice, visited juvenile detention facilities in and around Lahore, and spoke with a number of legal professionals to gather information for the report. In addition to this, she drafted a chapter on children’s rights in Pakistan for the 2006 HRCP annual report. She also joined a fact-finding mission on sectarian violence against an Ahmadi community in Daska, a district north of Lahore, and participated in a one-day conference on child protection in natural disasters and internal displacement, which took place in Mansehra in the North West Frontier Province. Emilie had the opportunity to travel within Pakistan, study Urdu, and to experience a wide range of cultural experiences during her time there. She explained “working in Pakistan has demystified an area of the world I had had very little exposure to in the past and has developed my interests in the issues and politics affecting the region.”

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A demonstration in Lahore, Pakistan – Emilie Paquin-Holmested

Intern: Hugh Sandler

Placement: Human Rights watch

Location: New york city, united states

Faculty Supervisor: Professor FrÉdÉric MÉgret

Research Paper: institutional design analysis of Human Rights Watch

At Human Rights Watch in New York, Hugh worked in the International Justice Division, which is generally responsible for “a combination of advocating, researching, and reporting upon war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and other matters of international justice.” Hugh worked specifically with one attorney who was completing a report on the Saddam Hussein trial. Hugh was given this assignment as a result of contacting the organization in advance, and asking for an opportunity to work on projects relating to Iraq. Through staff meetings and other interactions with people at the organization, he also found himself in a unique position to hear timely and interesting discussions of various human-rights issues around the world. In addition to finding interesting and educational work, Hugh also greatly enjoyed the varied experiences that can come from living in Manhattan.

Intern: Jennifer Poirier

Placement: International Centre for Ethnic Studies (ICES)

Location: Colombo, Sri Lanka

Faculty Supervisor: Professor Colleen Sheppard

Research Paper: Enacting Equal Opportunity Laws in Sri Lanka: Past Problems, Future Possibilities

Jennifer Poirier headed to Sri Lanka to work with the International Centre for Ethnic Studies (“ICES”). Her experience was affected by the tragic resumption of violence in the country, which, she noted, placed a “shadow” over her time there. She described her overall experience, however, as positive and rewarding. Jennifer said that she has been fortunate to have worked with a number of NGOs in different countries, and that the ICES was the best she had encountered, describing it as a “well oiled machine as compared to the barely organized chaos I am used to with NGOs.” Her experience gave her a unique perspective on the conflict, because of the multicultural nature of the organization, and she found that this was represented in a wide range of views among those working there. She commented, therefore, that students should approach their work there with an open mind and “a great deal of tolerance.”

Jennifer worked on a number of projects, including one relating to the politics of interim arrangements, a co-project with the Berghoff Foundation in Colombo. The project involved a critical evaluation of the different mechanisms that were developed post-ceasefire to aid with the transformation from conflict to peace. Jennifer noted, however, that the resumption of violence shortly before her arrival had a tremendous impact both on her work and on her personal experiences. For example, she had interviewed Kethesh Loganathan as part of her work at ICES. Mr. Loganathan was later assassinated. Jennifer commented that “the fact that I had met him really made the plight of Tamils who choose a peaceful solution over a violent one, and face the wrath of … retaliation, all the more real to me and made me fearful for many of my colleagues at ICES.” Despite difficulties Jennifer encountered there, however, she noted that she never felt personally in danger, and that “my time in Sri Lanka was really great and I only hope that I will be able to return on my own again in the future.”

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Legal Intern Jennifer Poirier at Sigiriya Rock

Intern: Scott Doucet

Placement: Inter-American Court of Human Rights

Location: San José, Costa rica

Faculty Supervisor: Professor FrÉdÉric MÉgret

Research Paper: The Inter-American court and grave violations of human rights

Scott Doucet was off to Costa Rica for an interesting experience with the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (“IACHR”). The IACHR has the task of ensuring that signatory nations to the American Convention on Human Rights comply with their obligations to respect and ensure the rights of all persons subject to their jurisdiction.

Scott reported a pleasant experience in Costa Rica, which he described as “an extremely easy country to live and work in. It has all of the amenities of life in North America.” Generally, interns get a wide range of valuable legal experience, including writing on specific legal issues, drafting particular sections of a judgment, summarizing opposing parties’ arguments on a particular issue, summarizing witness testimony, footnoting, source checking of references, translation, and analyzing documents submitted to the Court to ensure that all copies are complete and all pages are legible.

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Interns and the Deputy Secretary at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in Costa Rica – Scott Doucet.

Scott reported that his internship included interesting work and “an energetic professional atmosphere.” Scott particularly enjoyed being asked to give input into decisions as they were being drafted, as well as the opportunities to see the Court in session, which included a trip to El Salvador to see an extraordinary session of the Court. Scott gained an important perspective on the human issues facing the Court, describing one survivor of a massacre in Peru, who testified that she had had a dream the night before, in which she spoke to a friend who was killed in the massacre. The friend told her that those killed would be in court with her that day, “watching her testify and waiting for justice.”

Intern: Kirk Shannon

Placement: International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda

Location: Arusha, Tanzania

Faculty Supervisor: Professor FrÉdÉric MÉgret

Research Paper: Judicial Notice in International Criminal Law: The Impact of the ICTR Appeals Chamber Decision in Karemera

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Arusha, Tanzania – Kirk Shannon

Kirk Shannon headed to Arusha, Tanzania, to pursue work with the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). According to the ICTR site, the Tribunal was established “for the prosecution of persons responsible for genocide and other serious violations of international humanitarian law committed in the territory of Rwanda between 1 January 1994 and 31 December 1994. It may also deal with the prosecution of Rwandan citizens responsible for genocide and other such violations of international law committed in the territory of neighbouring States during the same period.” As an intern, Kirk had the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to the Court, specifically writing detailed memoranda on legal issues facing Trial Chamber I, drafting decisions on motions submitted by the parties in the case of The Prosecutor v. Bagosora et al., summarizing the testimony of witnesses given before the tribunal and researching general legal questions put to the Chamber in oral arguments. He reported an interesting and varied cultural experience, both in Arusha and in Rwanda, and had the opportunity to gain some unique, hands-on experience with this important Tribunal. Kirk noted that his opportunity to travel to Rwanda during his time there was invaluable, and he felt that all interns at the Tribunal should avail themselves of this opportunity.

Intern: Adrienne Gibson

Placement: Rights & Democracy

Location: montreal, canada

Faculty Supervisor: Professor Colleen Sheppard

Research Paper: Minimum labour standards and home works in the quebec garment industry

Adrienne Gibson had a rewarding experience with Rights & Democracy, a Montreal-based organization charged with encouraging and supporting the universal values of human rights and the promotion of democratic institutions and practices internationally. Rights & Democracy currently focuses on four themes: democratic development, women's human rights, globalization and human rights, and the rights of indigenous peoples. Adrienne noted that one benefit of the organization was that it has reliable funding, so it can involve itself in interesting long-term projects.

Adrienne focused on women’s rights issues during her internship, including spending a significant amount of time working on a study of forced and arranged marriage of Canadian women and women in Canada. The aim of the study was to determine how widespread the practices are, who are the players involved, and whether these issues are more commonly found among particular ethnic groups, as well as the overall impact of such practices on women’s rights. After categorizing the types of people who might be relevant to this study, Adrienne identified and interviewed professionals in Montreal, Vancouver, and Toronto, who might have contact with women in this situation. Adrienne found the experience educational and rewarding, both because she had a strong interest in the research topic, and because she enjoyed the opportunity to learn interviewing techniques for such a study. She found that there is often confusion between the notions of forced and arranged marriage, and that the distinction between the concepts is not always clear, since an arranged marriage may involve some element of force, but also may not. She felt she made a meaningful contribution to the organization, as well as to women’s rights in general, in part because her specific area of research had not been previously pursued, in relation to women in Canada.

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