2010 Summer Internships
Reflections from Participants in the 2010 Student Summer Internship Program
“First, my internship allowed me to deepen my understanding of the concept of economic, social and cultural rights, both in theory and in context. Second, I learned a great deal about good governance deficits in countries rich in oil and gas. Third, I had the priceless opportunity to venture outside the North American/European stratosphere and see firsthand how most of humanity is living. An internship is worth a thousand academic papers: it gives so much weight and depth to abstract concepts often heard before and never truly internalized.”
Sandrina Antohi
CEPIL • Accra, Ghana
“It is hard to encapsulate everything I learned from this internship. I learned an incredible amount about Alaskan politics, history and environmental movements. I learned even more about the Yukon First Nations, their land claim agreements and environmental legislation in the Yukon. The highlight of my internship was having the opportunity to join the 2010 YRITWC Healing Journey down the Koyukuk River in the interior of Alaska…I was able to visit two small villages (Allakaket and Hughes), hear about the environmental changes taking place around the River from elders, and learn about village life in the interior of Alaska…It was an incredible experience that I would fully recommend to any future interns who have this opportunity.”
Lauren Whyte
YRITWC • Whitehorse, Yukon
“Having worked closely with the Ghanaian court system, I am now acutely aware of the way that the rule of law is influenced by cultural and societal norms. This awareness has shifted the way that I view both Canada’s domestic legal system and that of foreign jurisdictions. It has also given me new insight into development work and international partnerships…The highlight of my internship was that the Ghanaian jurists in large part treated me as a contemporary. I was included in legal debates, invited into judges’ chambers, and privy to case information. This allowed me to gain an intimate understanding of the Ghanaian legal system and pushed the boundaries of my perspectives.”
Jessica Fletcher
WiLDAF • Takoradi, Ghana
“Through my work this summer I gained a great deal of knowledge in the area of international law, child rights and the sexual exploitation of children. I furthered my research and writing skills by conducting research and analysis of international and domestic legislation in different areas of the world and providing a comparative analysis of legislative reforms for a variety of projects…A highlight was receiving a position as a research assistant in the area of international child protection for the school year and following summer.”
Chelsea Hishon
ECPAT • Bangkok, Thailand
“The highlight of my internship was the week-long trip I went on with WiLDAF. We traveled to remote parts of the country to implement the next phase of the Legal Literacy Volunteer Program. Specifically, we hosted training seminars for community leaders regarding legal skills such as alternative dispute resolution. It was an incredible experience to work with chiefs, queen mothers and other amazing leadership personalities and teach them how to navigate the law. In many areas, there are no lawyers and access to justice is limited by so many factors including extremely poor and difficult transportation…This project brings the law to the communities and you can literally see the positive effects it has.”
Alayna Kolodziechuk
WiLDAF • Ho, Ghana
“My internship at FIDA-Kenya showed me how lawyers have the capacity to influence great change; legal, political and social. Even though I only had two years of law school under my belt, I was given the opportunity to work directly with clients, meet with some of Kenya’s top lawyers and work on cases that helped advance women and children’s human rights… The highlight of my internship was writing defence arguments on why Kenya’s abortion laws should not be made more restrictive and hearing my arguments presented by one of Kenya’s top lawyers in court.”
Jane Marsden
FIDA • Nairobi, Kenya
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