Tuesday, May 02, 2006

My New Issues!!!! Immigrant Rights & Police Accountability in India (no torture!)


Greetings! From my suburban zen of HOME, where I decided take home exams (2 of them) meant take them ALL The way home, have my father cook me some Indian food, and sleep in a REAL Bed. So no more Vanderbilt hall for me for this school year!

As we celebrate the immigrants rights protests across the nation, I am happy to say that I will be participating in the Immigrant rights clinic all of next school year at law school!!!! I am so excited, because not only will I be representing people but also working on activism with community-based groups. This practical learning experience is like a full time job 45 hrs a week and with school credits means that I only have to take a few BORING lecture classes on top like property. (Although I am excited about Constitutional Law). This clinic should change the whole landscape of my law school and I am so grateful!!!

This summer I will be working with an amazing Human Right's NGO called Peoples' Watch on their project partner with the EU for police accountability.

http://www.pwtn.org/eu.html


I will specifically be working on the prohibition of TORTURE, and designing training manuals for different segments of society: doctors, psychologists, lawyers on Prohibtion of torture. As I understand it now, it looks a lot like the model that activists in this country used to fight domestic violence.

I will also be writing a scholarly 30 PAGE paper on the Limits on the Convention Against Torture: What measures must be taken to effectively eliminate the practice of torture beyond ratification of CAT.

That's a little preview!!! I could have gone for more hours deconstructing my experience at law school, but now that at I home, real home, with only 20 days til I meet up with my Mom in Delhi, with the prospects for school next year.... I have a better way to spend my energy. :) And i suppose its time to do the requisite academic investment to pass my finals. Did I mention I also am moving into a fabulous apartment in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn where I just signed a lease with my friend Adam. :) I am smilin.