International Service-Learning |
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April 5, 2016, Volume 62, No. 29 |
Over Spring Break 2016, students from the University of Pennsylvania Law School participated in two international service-learning opportunities supported by the School’s Toll Public Interest Center. One was in Peru and the other was in Greece.
Along with professor Fernando Chang-Muy, 13 members of the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) traveled to Peru, visiting Lima, Ica, El Carmen, Paracas and Huacachina.
In Lima, the Law students examined the Afro-Peruvian experience in employment, healthcare, education and political representation. Students met with local non-profit organizations and government officials at the ministries of Justice and Human Rights, Education, Health, and Culture.
They also worked with children at a youth empowerment and education center, interviewed members of a women’s group dedicated to bringing to light the unique challenges black women encounter in Peru and visited the only church in Peru with depictions of angels and saints with dark skin.
The BLSA students are drafting a report for submission to the United Nations evaluating Peru’s compliance with international obligations outlined in its conventions on children’s rights and eliminating discrimination against women.
The second trip this spring took 11 Penn Law students to Greece, along with Joyce Jeffries, a trauma specialist from the Network of Victim Assistance (NOVA), a non-governmental organization (NGO) in suburban Bucks County.
Organized by the Penn Law International Human Rights Advocates, one of the Toll Public Interest Center’s pro bono projects, this year’s trip focused on the refugee crisis, allowing students to meet face-to-face with families fleeing Syria.
Penn Law students met with representatives from NGOs to learn about refugee-camp challenges involving food, water, housing, sanitation and healthcare. They also met with non-profit organizations and representatives from the European Union to learn about the legal processes for asylum-seekers and the integration of refugees into Greek society. Afterward, students interviewed Asylum Services Center caseworkers, who relocate refugees.
The International Human Rights Advocates at Penn Law is creating a detailed report of the findings from their service trip and plans to maintain relationships with its organizational and community partners to provide legal research and assistance.
See images from their trips at https://www.flickr.com/photos/universityofpennsylvania/sets/72157665821341500
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