YLIP participants provide first-hand and real-time accounts of their progress

  • December 09, 2019

The 32 participants in the Young Lawyers International Program are spread far and wide, but they are keeping well connected with the world through their Public Engagement page.

The Public Engagement page, hosted at Omprakash.org, brings together young lawyers that are currently located in 10 countries, and allows those of us back in Canada to follow their activities.

More than 2 dozen postings (through the end of November 2019) cover a range of intern experiences, such as:

First-hand perspectives on the host countries

  • Why South Africa? Working with asylum seekers and refugees, by Joanne D’Souza (South Africa)
  • Nkosi sikelel' iAfrika (God Bless Africa), by Andile Mthupha (South Africa)

Accounts of daily life as an intern

  • En route in South Africa, by Tashi Alford-Duguid (South Africa)
  • From tomato blessings and radish teachings, by Nazia Shaikh, (Vietnam)
  • Thinking about the land, from Iqaluit to Pretoria: Land and Housing at LHR Pretoria, Beth Kotierk, (South Africa)

Salient issues within their countries

  • Vous et moi, luttons ensemble contre la corruption, by Stephanie Lalonde, (Madagascar)
  • Don't feed the greed, by M’mah Touré (Namibia)
  • Guyana on the Verge of Change, by Devon Black, (Guyana)

Events in their countries

  • Strategic Litigation 101: Lessons from the Katiba Institute, by Jessica Dawkins, (Kenya)
  • Celebration of UN Day 2019 in Belgrade: A reflection on the 74 years of the UN, by Katie Brady (Serbia)

This is the second year of the four-year program funded by Global Affairs Canada and managed by the CBA International Initiatives group, which facilitates opportunities for interns to gain effective skills and perspectives in the field of justice and development. It also enables support for the work of overseas organizations in law reform, access to justice, and human rights.

Between October 2019 and April 2020, interns are working in 10 countries across Africa, South America, Europe and Asia: South Africa (14 interns in total), Namibia (2), Kenya (3), Madagascar (1), Serbia (2), Ukraine (2), Kyrgyzstan (1), Vietnam (2), Myanmar (2) and Guyana (3).