downloading the PDF - Robson Hall Faculty of Law

BRIEFS
REBELS WITH
A CAUSE continued...
“I think it’s a fabulous idea to
have young people do the
presentations, as students
are far more inclined to listen
to someone who is younger.
The speaker had a great
sense of humour, so it got
them tuned in and was more
fun than it might have been
had she been very serious or
professorial,” Behrandt said.
United Nations Development Program
Internship in Montenegro
RECIPIENT - CHARLOTTE SIGURDSON
By Margaret Anne Fehr
Charlotte Sigurdson emerged
as the successful recipient of the
United Nations Development
Program (UNDP) internship
in Montenegro. Robson Hall
offered the opportunity to
interested students along with
financial assistance of up to
$6000 based on need.
CHRR academic director
and U of M Law professor
Karen Busby works with the
volunteer law students to
refine their presentations
and answer any questions
they may have on a given
topic. “The Speakers Bureau
not only provides a service
to the community, but also
gives law students a chance
to share the knowledge they
have gained and to practice
presentation skills,” she said.
The Speakers Bureau
currently has 28 volunteer
law students, primarily from
first year. Since September
2011, students have spoken
to more than 20 classes.
The free presentations
have been offered in
both French and English
from September to April,
however, arrangements
can sometimes be made
for presentations outside of
those months.
Sigurdson served the UNDP as
part of its mandate on human
development that includes its
Legal Empowerment of the Poor
(LEP) perspective. LEP supports
a range of national, regional and
global efforts to expand poor
people’s access to the legal and
institutional mechanisms that can
help them break the vicious cycle
of exclusion and poverty.
For her part, Sigurdson was
immersed in a wide range of
activities that included assisting
the UN Coordination Office in
research, analyses and identifying
best practices; preparation of
standard documentation required
for the overall management and
coordination of the Integrated
UN Programme and other tasks
reflective of the broad-base the
organization covers.
“I wanted to do this program
because of my interest in
international affairs. I like
politics and history and I am
fascinated with former Soviet
states, so there was a lot to
like about this internship.”
I consider myself to be a ‘big
picture’ person and like the
idea of being involved with an
organization like the UN that does
so many important things all over
the world. I also love traveling
and meeting people from other
countries. Working permanently
for the UN is actually a little
fantasy of mine so maybe this will
open some doors.”
For more information
Contact karen_busby@umanitoba.ca
or visit http://chrr.info/
Montenegro: The City Kotor, the most southern town in the Boka Kotorska