Our students on the field

{slider= Olivier Lessard and his internship with L’AMIE – Aide internationale à l’enfance (Summer 2021)|closed}

From May to August 2021, I had the opportunity to engage in an internship with the non-governmental organization L’AMIE. Located in Quebec City, the organization has been working since 1969 to meet the basic needs of children around the world and to defend and promote children’s rights.

As part of my internship, I worked closely with Centro Forjando Huellas, an organization based in Tarija, Bolivia, whose mission is to promote the integral development of socially disadvantaged children. Among other things, the center offers pedagogical and psycho-educational support and fights hard against child abuse and school dropout.

My first job at the Centro was to manage communications. I redesigned the organization’s website and created new content for the social networks. The main objective was to highlight the achievements of the center, but also to raise awareness on crucial issues such as children’s rights and gender equality. In parallel, I also had the role of helping the center to develop new partnerships. I worked with the center in developing and writing projects to submit to funders. The projects that we submitted had as their main objective to address the educational backlogs caused by the pandemic among peri-urban youth in Tarija. The projects also included components on awareness of children’s rights, prevention of violence and promotion of gender equality.

With this in mind, the director of the Centro and I came up with the idea of proposing a collaboration with the CIDDHU. A partnership was thus created, and a team from the CIDDHU is currently working on a mandate that was given by the Centro. I am very proud to say that I continue to be involved with the Centre by returning to the CIDDHU as case manager on this file! 

I was fresh out of the CIDDHU classroom when I began my internship with AMIE. Although the internship did not explicitly focus on human rights advocacy, my experience at the clinic had infused me with the idea that human rights transcend the boundaries of many fields. Neither AMIE nor Centro had legal staff, but both organizations proudly displayed their adherence to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and proudly promoted the goals of the text. After my time at the CIDDHU, I know that a human rights perspective will accompany me in all my projects!

{slider= Lara Paiement Nadeau and her internship with Doctors of the World Canada (winter 2019)|closed}

In the winter of 2019, I had the opportunity to do a six-month internship at the headquarters of Doctors of the World Canada here in Montreal. Doctors of the World is an independent international organization present in Canada but also in 78 countries around the world. Founded in 1980, the organization aims to ensure better access to health care for all, but also defends the right to health in a broader sense. It does this by developing medical programs, providing comprehensive and appropriate care, and helping to strengthen health systems to help the most vulnerable.

As an advocacy intern, my role was primarily to support the advocacy officer in developing strategies and strengthening the positioning of Médecins du Monde Canada at both the national and international levels. Advocacy is an important facet of an organization’s activities as it remains an essential tool to bring about social change over time.

The issues I was able to work on were very diverse. As far as the priority axes in Canada and Quebec are concerned, I mainly participated in the writing of a brief in favour of access to health care for all Canadian citizen children born here and for pregnant women who still do not benefit from provincial health insurance because of their precarious migratory status. This brief was subsequently submitted to the Commission de l’administration publique du Québec.

At the international level, I had to conduct research on the humanitarian context in northwestern Syria in Idlib and on the critical health situation of asylum seekers at the border between Greece and Turkey. Another file I collaborated on was to document the barriers to access to health care for migrants in Mesoamerica due to the adverse effects of restrictive migration policies in Mexico, the United States and Canada.

It goes without saying that my time at the International Human Rights Clinic at UQÀM was highly beneficial, as it allowed me to develop my writing skills and my knowledge of human rights advocacy, especially in relation to sexual and reproductive rights. Despite the arrival of COVID-19 in the middle of my internship, this experience allowed me to realize the multiple facets and complexity of the factors that affect the health of each and every person.{slider= Madeleine Gourier and her intership at Innocence Project Argentina (Winter 2018)|closed}

In the winter of 2018, I did an internship at the Innocence Project Argentina (IPA), one of whose legal advisers, Natalia Lippmann Mazzaglia, was a senior lawyer in the CIDDHU’s management team in 2013. Based on the same principles as the US-based NGOs of the same name, IPA works for the release of unjustly sentenced persons and for the reform of the justice system. A unique organization of its kind in Argentina, IPA’s mandate is to litigate, carry out research and investigations and raise awareness of the realities of innocent prisoners, with the aim of assisting them judicially.

I was assigned to a case I worked on throughout my internship. In addition to a thorough study of the file and its results, the tasks assigned to me were divided into two parts; one on legal reform, and another on the international scope of the case I was working on. With this in mind, I had to write a bill on the creation of a commission for the review of criminal cases. Inspired by existing commissions, I had to try to adapt them to the criminal, judicial and societal reality of the Argentine context. This project aims to be presented later to the Chamber of Deputies of the Argentine nation. I have also drafted a petition whose final goal is to present it to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. It alleged the Argentine State’s responsibility for breach of its obligations under the American Convention on Human Rights (ACHR) and the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence against Women (Convention Belém do Pará). This experience has been extremely rewarding in itself, both personally and professionally. I had the chance to meet exciting people and was able to develop and improve skills I had previously acquired with the CIDDHU. Having the opportunity to combine two practical experiences, including one abroad, is a great opportunity to learn a lot of things in a short period of time. This internship closed my bachelor degree in a very positive way and even made me want to do a law degree.

 {slider= Alexandre Veilleux and his internship with the Fondation Internationale TIerno et MAriam (FITIMA) in Guinea Conakry (Fall 2017)}

In the fall of 2017, I interned with the Fondation Internationale TIerno et MAriam (FITIMA) in Guinea Conakry. FITIMA is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that provides care for children with disabilities through health care and adapted education. It also promotes the rights of women and their empowerment while promoting community development through awareness-raising activities and the establishment of a community library. Fighting for the promotion of human rights in Guinea and Burkina Faso since 2003, FITIMA was awarded the title of Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite in Burkina Faso in 2008 as well as the prize for the best NGO in Guinea in 2012 and was awarded the Franco-German Human Rights Prize in 2014.

During my internship, I had the opportunity to work on two mandates. First, the organization of an advocacy with religious leaders, government members, and activist groups on the reality of people with disabilities in Guinea. This included reviewing national legislation and international conventions binding Guinea, as well as conducting surveys in primary and secondary schools to analyze the perceptions of students and teachers regarding people with disabilities. My second mandate was to write a report on the situation of women in Guinea, addressing four main themes: access to education, integration into the labor market, access to justice, and the impact of religion on women’s empowerment, all with the goal of strengthening the voice of Guinean civil society. Needless to say, this opportunity to put to good use the theoretical and practical knowledge I have acquired through my participation in the International Human Rights Clinic at UQAM has been most rewarding. I am particularly happy to have been able to participate in these remarkable projects based on solidarity and mutual aid.

{slider= Geneviève Tremblay-Plourde and her internship at Le Mouvement contre le viol et l’inceste (Summer 2016)}

During summer 2016, Geneviève Tremblay-Plourde did an internship with the Mouvement contre le viol et l’inceste (MCVI), one of the CIDDHU’s partner organizations. As a member of the Centres d’aide et de lutte contre les agressions à caractère sexuel (CALACS), the MCVI is a Montreal-based organization with the mission of welcoming and accompanying women who have experienced sexual assaults, of awareness-raising, prevention and popular education with individuals, groups and population on sexual assaults and promote women’s rights by political actions, advocacy and networking. Also, the MCVI helps migrant womens who are demanding their refugee status before the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB).

During her internship, Geneviève had the opportunity to accompany women working for MCVI in their work with women seeking asylum. Her tasks consisted, among others, in doing research on the political context of the countries of origin of these women, including matters such as sexual assaults, domestic violence, forced marriage and state and judicial authorities’ impunity. She had also the mandate to prepare socio-political reports explaining why women claimed refugee protection under sections 96 and 97 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. According to these sections, the refugee protection can be granted to anyone proving he/she is scared of being persecuted because of his/her race, nationality, membership in a social group, political beliefs or by demonstrating real threats to his/her life if he/she had to return to his/her country. These socio-political reports were integrated to the psychosocial reports previously prepared by the organization women workers and then presented by the women’s lawyers in support of their refugee claim in front of the IRB. In addition, Geneviève had the chance to get involved with the organization’s social activities and to accomplish various tasks and projects related to services offered by the MCVI.

{slider=Jeanne Ollivier-Gobeil in Dominican Republic  (Winter2016)}

During winter 2016, Jeanne Ollivier-Gobeil, completed an internship with the non governmental organisation “Centro Cultural Dominico-Haitiano” (CCDH), a long time partner of the CIDDHU. This organisation specializes in the defense of human rights and is located in Santo Domingo in Dominican Republic. The CCDH has fought for decades for the recognition of the fundamental rights of Dominicans of Haitian decent living in Dominican Republic. This population has historically been a victim of systemic discrimination which was reinforced in 2013 with the TC 168-13 decision by the country’s constitutional Court. This decision revoked the Dominican nationality for around 200 000 Dominicans or Haitian decent, making them stateless.

During her internship, Jeanne participated in the creation of a new research-action project, which consisted in documenting the consequences of the TC 168-13 decision for Dominicans of Haitian decent, three years after its implementation. For instance, this decision prevented this group from pursuing studies, from finding work legally and with decent conditions, from giving their children names and therefor from sending these children to school. The main goal of this project was to accumulate data in order to dispute the government’s argument that the regulations implemented following the decision could have fixed the problems faced by stateless person in Dominican Republic.

Moreover, Jeanne worked towards building, with the help of other CCDH workers, the results this research aimed to obtain and also created a survey more than 100 Dominicans of Haitian decent affected by the TC 168-13 decision filled and completed. Following the end of Jeanne’s internship, two more students from the CIDDHU, Déborah Andrades-Gingras and Sophie Masson, have taken over the research project, which should be published in 2017.

{slider=Justine Monette Tremblay and her internship with Le Mouvement contre le viol et l’inceste (Winter 2015)}

During winter 2015, Justine Monette Tremblay was an intern with the CIDDHU partner “mouvement contre le viol et l’inceste” (MCVI). This organisation is situated in Montreal and has been working to end sexual violence against women for the past 40 years. In the past ten years, the MCVI has developed an expertise in work regarding women fleeing sexual violence in their home countries and applying for asylum in Canada. During her internship, Justine drafted many reports concerning the political and legal circumstances of women in different countries. These reports aim to shine light on the dangers women live and the incapacity of their home countries to protect women in these situations. When deposited at the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, these reports consist of additional proof and serve to validate the applicant’s testimony. Throughout her internship, Justine also accompanied many women in their legal actions and procedures, whether it be during convocations by boarder agents or during Board hearings.

Once the internship was completed, Justine was hired for a three-month mandate. While still drafting reports, Justine also participated in the organisation of local and international political events concerning women’s rights and contributed to the creation of the official website for the MCVI. Most importantly, she elaborated a set of tools addressed to women refugees and MCVI workers regarding the defense of the rights for women seeking asylum. Even after the end of her mandate, Justine continued her work with the MCVI by drafting reports and by training new interns in proper research, drafting and human rights defense regarding women seeking asylum in the Canadian system.

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{slider=Andrey Leshyner and her internship at Connexion Justice Sociale (Winter 2015)}

During winter 2015, Andrey Leshyner completed an internship with the non governmental organisation “Connexion justice sociale” (CJS), a partner of the CIDDHU. CJS is a non profit organisation situated in Montreal, which specialized in the defense of human rights. Its primary work is done through education activities and advocacy work on subjects such as poverty and global inequalities.

The main goal of this internship was to help CJS in the creation of the “Éduconnecteur” program, which consists of a compilation of reliable data regarding how human rights are taught in secondary level education systems. This program was created by and for students and teachers that collaborated with CJS. Moreover, this program was created in coordination with “Éduconnexion”, a group composed of teachers and other community members which aims to promote civic and global responsibility in human rights, social justice and environmental studies.

{slider=Emilie Guimond-Bélanger in Saint Vincent et The Grenadines (Summer 2014)}

{slider=Stéphane Perron-Tremblay in Dominican Republic (Summer 2014)}

During the summer of 2014, Stéphane Perron-Tremblay interned at the Centro Cultural Dominico-Haitiano (CCDH), a NGO located in the Dominican Republic and a long-time partner of the CIDDHU. The organisation has been fighting for decades for the fundamental rights of Dominican people of Haitian origins living in Dominican Republic. The internship comprised two main components.

The first component of the internship was to monitor the outcomes of the case on which he worked as a student in the CIDDHU, mostly the Nadège Dorzema et al. v. Dominican Republic case. In this case, the victims’ representatives, who included the CCDH, were asked by the Inter-American Court to monitor the implementation of the reparations by the Dominican State. Stéphane collaborated on the drafting of a report that was sent to the Inter-American Court on July 10th 2014. 

The second component of the internship was to study the psychological, political, economic and social impacts of the implementation of the TC/0168/13 decision of the Constitutional Court of the Dominican Republic which stripped 200,000 Dominican of Haitian origins of their citizenship. The study was divided in two parts: the first part presents the state of the issue, while the second details the results of a survey of 100 participants who lost their citizenship. This study is presently at the revision stage.  The study will help raise awareness of the real consequences of the population’s denationalisation.

{slider=Elise Morissette in Haiti (Summer 2013)}

After a semester with the CIDDHU, Elise Morissette, then a law student, decided to intern with the Groupe d’appui aux réfugiés et aux rapatriés (GARR). The GARR is a partner of the CIDDHU in Haiti. It acts as a platform for associations and NGOs that work together on the issue of migration.

Elise was able to collaborate with lawyers of the GARR to continue the development of the legal assistance programme in the Plateau Central area. She went through hundreds of legal documents in order to implement a new induction programme and legal monitoring of the cases. She also drafted a report on the situation of the returnees of Haitian origin as well as another one on the violence towards women in the area. Finally, Elise participated in the interviews with victims of human rights violations whose cases were about to be heard at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. 

{slider=Cynthia Bergevin in Dominican Republic  (Summer 2013)}

Cynthia Bergevin is a law student who participated to the CIDDHU during the winter of 2013 and who worked on an enforced disappearance case. Cynthia wanted to continue her involvement with the case and she suggested to the NGO partner to intern with them. She therefore stayed in Dominican Republic during the summer of 2013 to help the NGO in the development of an action brought before an international authority. Amongst other tasks, she took part in the preparation of the evidence and of the investigation as well as in the conduction of interviews and the gathering of written documents. This helped gather a set of documents necessary to the progression of the case.    

{slider=Alia Chakridi et Richard-Alexandre Laniel en Haiti (Summer 2011)}

Richard and Alia were both involved with the CIDDHU for two semesters, first as students and then as case managers. They interned for 4 months in Port-au-Prince, working with Kay Fanm, an NGO that has been collaborating with the CIDDHU for many years. Their mandate was to look over all the material produced by the CIDDHU students during the semester of winter 2011. The material comprised a training session and educational tools relative to interview techniques, data collection and legal monitoring pertaining to the cases of the victims of sexual violence. With the comments of Kay Fanm, they modified and added the necessary information for the material to fit the reality of the area and the needs of the NGO. 

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