Oxford International Human Rights Law - Week 3

Wow, what a week! A lot has certainly been happening since I last updated you all. This week’s classes were mostly spent learning about the different areas of international human rights law, focusing on international humanitarian law; international criminal law; and gender and sexuality. We also learnt about the role of non-governmental organisations and human rights defenders. One very important message, which was emphasised in our classes, was how, besides the relevant legal mechanisms, people power really is the key to making a difference in the realm of human rights.

My afternoon classes were about the practice of targeting killings; the means and methods of warfare; and the rules pertaining to belligerent occupation. For many us, these topics were quite confronting and challenging and led to much discussion. I also spent one afternoon attending a careers panel that the faculty had set up for us. It was really interesting gaining an insight into how some of the most eminent scholars in the field ended up getting to where they are now.

Since the weather has remained beautiful this week, we spent one afternoon punting. A few of us opted to get a chauffeured boat, something we were really happy about once we saw some of our friends who’d chosen to do it themselves stuck in some trees and struggling to get out! A big group of us headed to Jamie Oliver’s restaurant another night, to celebrate a birthday on our program. The food there really was amazing!

We spent Friday night in the Junior Common Room watching the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics. The eight Aussies on the program all cheered when we saw our athletes march but we were definitely outnumbered by all the Americans here! The weekend was then spent in London and I was lucky enough to have gotten tickets to the hockey a few months back. As chance would have it, I ended up seeing Australia and New Zealand play, which was very exciting! However, the large number of Australian spectators wasn’t enough for the Hockeyroos, who lost 1-0 to the Kiwis. I also stayed to watch the Netherlands play Belgium – the Dutch sure love their hockey!

With exams coming up next week, the last week of the program is set to be a fair bit quieter than this one.

~ Lindsey

 

Lindsey Chu is participating on our Oxford International Human Rights Law Program in the UK. Lindsey is in her 5th year of Bachelor of Communications/Law at University of Newcastle.

Oxford International Human Rights Law – Week 2

Week 2 of the program has certainly been busy! This was the only week where we were scheduled to have classes every day so Friday was a welcome relief for most of us. This week saw us learn about the different human rights systems in the world – we learnt about the African, Inter-American and European systems, something which made the Australians amongst us frustrated at the lack of human rights protection and enforcement mechanisms at home. We also spent time discussing the role of the United Nations in protecting human rights. My afternoon classes focused on 9/11, the NATO bombing of Kosovo and the treatment of prisoners of war and combatants – all extremely thought provoking issues.

Aside from study, we have quickly learnt that the Kings Arms is the best pub on our street and that shopping in Oxford is quite good! Lots of time has been spent trawling the main shopping areas in Oxford on weekends – the big question now is how I’m going to get my luggage down to 20kg for the next leg of my trip! We also had our second formal dinner on Friday night and it was fun to see everyone dressed up and being able to relax for the evening. This was followed by drinks at the college bar and a night out on the town.

The weather has finally gotten better this week although it is still far from ‘summer’. It was nice to be able to get out and explore Oxford and finally not have to wear a jumper everywhere! Fingers crossed the weather stays this way for the rest of our time here!

Another part of the program that I’m really enjoying is meeting new friends from all around the world. Everyone seems to be fascinated by Australian accents! As one of only two non-Americans in one of my classes, I’m being made constantly aware of how differently we pronounce some words, something that has made for some funny discussions. The word ‘combatant’ was subject to a lengthy debate! Having people here from all over the world has also added many different perspectives to our class discussions and I feel like I’m learning just as much from this as from the course content itself.

It’s hard to believe we’re at the half way point of the program now – there’s still so many things I want to do and see in Oxford. With the arrival of the Olympics next week, Oxford, as well as the rest of the UK is buzzing. I know I’m certainly looking forward to donning my green and gold next weekend watching Australia play at the hockey.

Until next time… 

 Lindsey 

Lindsey Chu is participating on our Oxford International Human Rights Law Program in the UK. Lindsey is in her 5th year of Bachelor of Communications/Law at University of Newcastle.

Oxford International Human Rights Law Program – Week 1

 It’s been five days since I arrived at Oxford and I can’t believe how much I have learnt and experienced in that time. We are staying in New College, one of Oxford’s oldest colleges, which is absolutely incredible. The buildings and gardens are beautiful and our rooms are bigger than I thought they would be.

Grounds of New College

There are about 80 participants in the program from all over the world. The majority of students are from the United States, with others hailing from countries such as Canada, Uzbekistan, South Africa, Italy and India. Many of my classmates are Masters students or people already working in the field – there’s even a Supreme Court judge participating in the program! It’s definitely safe to say that I feel very much out of my depth at the moment but everyone is extremely approachable and friendly.

View from my dorm window

The classes themselves are really challenging but very interesting. In the mornings, we have classes on the Fundamentals of International Human Rights Law and in the afternoons, we study a specialty course. I have chosen to study War, Peace and Human Rights, which is about the rules relating to armed conflict. The classes are taught by leading human rights scholars. They expect a lot from us but at the same time, have already taught us so much about this complex field. Even though I’ve so far managed to keep up with the extensive reading, I’m finding it hard to grasp all the concepts we’ve been covering in the lectures and seminars.

Some 'light' reading for the next few weeks

We eat all our meals in New College’s dining hall. The food so far has been amazing – I feel like we are constantly being fed! What’s even more amazing is the hall itself. It was used as the substitute dining hall in the Harry Potter films and it feels like we are actually in the movies.  

The Oxford University Press booktsore

Most of this week has been spent reading so I haven’t had the chance to really explore the city of Oxford too much yet. From what I have seen, though, the shopping is pretty good! A group of us are planning on going to London tomorrow, which we are all looking forward to. Tonight is also our first formal dinner and, from what I’ve heard, is one of the highlights of the program.

New College Dining Hall

One thing none of us counted on was the English weather. Most of the Australians were excited to be leaving behind winter but we’ve since discovered that summer in England means rain and temperatures of about 16 degrees.

With planned theatre nights, attending Olympics events and punting on the Thames, the next four weeks will be amazing. It’s still hard to believe, looking out of my window every morning, that I’m actually a real-life student at Oxford University.  

Lindsey Chu is participating on our Oxford International Human Rights Law Program in the UK. Lindsey is in her 5th year of Bachelor of Communications/Law at University of Newcastle.

Czeching out of Czech!

It's the morning after the International Law and Human Rights program finished and I can't quite believe it is all over! Putting into words the experiences, friendships and memories made here is very hard, but I will try!

We have had an absolutely amazing final week here in Brno, Czech Republic. Monday was karaoke night! With the help of our coordinators we managed to find a karaoke bar in Brno. After a few pivo's for courage, most of us got up and had a sing. We even heard from our coordinator Martin, who sang a Czech song about Mexicu! The entire Australian group tried very hard to provide back up support for him, but we only ended up ever getting the word Mexicu out!

At the ice hokey - Go KOMETAs!

Tuesday involved a trip to the ombudsman's office, but most importantly an opportunity to go to the ice hockey!!! Brno's team the 'Kometas' were playing at their home stadium. This was such a fantastic atmosphere! We even learnt some chants in Czech (Still not quite sure what I was saying!)! Whilst the Kometas narrowly lost, it was still a fantastic night.

The team on the ice at the ice hockey game

On Wednesday the weather suddenly turning very cold! We were cold when the temperatures were minus three, but when then dropped to minus fifteen most of us were struggling pretty hard! The cold weather and some illness amongst the group provided some great excuses to spend all of Wednesday studying for our exam. It doesn't matter where you are in the world, law students still cram the night before, have group pizza/study sessions and hate exams!

With the exam and official academic program completed, Thursday brought the day where all could let their hair down! We went out for a final dinner with the whole group, our lecturers and coordinators. We brought the program to a close and received our graduation certificates. Little did we know that the best was yet to come Our amazing coordinator Martin had organised a surprise for us after dinner - a private tram party! During our time in Brno we had spent much time on the trams. It was an efficient means of getting places and after three weeks we had really mastered the system! Martin had hired us a private tram, complete with Czech band and bar, which drove us around the city for two hours. It was probably one of the highlights of my entire trip!

Me with Ban Ki-Moon at the UN in Vienna!!

Friday morning arrived (far too quickly for my liking!) and we were saying goodbye to Brno, bound for Vienna, Austria. After settling into our hostel, we made our way to the United Nations Headquarters. This was a really special experience and we were privileged to receive lectures on the UNODC's work in human trafficking and anti-terrorism. After a guided tour and with souvenirs in hand, the official program came to an end.

The representatives from the University of Wollongong outside the Faculty of Law at Masaryk University

These are some of the highlights and greatest memories of this trip:

• Seeing Swan Lake performed by the National Ballet Company

• Piña coladas in Prague

• Crossing the Charles Bridge in Prague whilst it was snowing

• Australia Day in Brno

• Seeing the Philharmonic

• Going to the Rudas baths in Budapest

• Seeing the ice hockey in Brno

• Having a private tram party!

• Going to the UN in Vienna

• Meeting some of the most amazing people and creating life time friendships!

This has just been the most life-changing experience - one I wouldn't take back for anything. If you are thinking about doing an AIM overseas program - do it! You want regret it!

Lauren Howes is participating in our January 2012 International Law and Human Rights program at Masaryk University, Czech Republic. Lauren is about to start her 5th year of a Bachelor of Laws/Medical Science degree at the University of Wollongong.

Aussie Aussie Aussie and Beautiful Budapest

Beautiful Budapest

Spending Australia day in the Czech Republic was definitely a unique experience and something I will never forget! With scheduled classes on the morning of Aussie Day, we all got up pretty early and 'prepared ourselves'! With Aussie tattoos on our face, draped in flags and wearing umbrella hats, we walked to class showing our national pride. Keeping a close eye on the triple J to
p 100, we patiently counted down the top ten whilst keenly listening to our lecture on Freedom Of Speech! Our lecturer was a great sport who finished the class a little early, dressed up in Aussie garb and got a little Aussie crazy.

For lunch, we went to an Indian restaurant, then headed to a huge mall on the outskirts of town where we were able to do some ice-skating outside. We were also the recipients of some very interesting looks, frequently forgetting we were still wearing Aussie tattoos on our face. Usually these encounters resulted in uncontrollable giggling after our desperate tries to explain what Australia Day was in the Czech language failed miserably!

The whole International Law and Human Rights class on Australia Day

After a big night for some, 6:55am was very early to be getting on a bus! After four hours we arrived in Budapest, Hungary and checked in to our fabulous hotel! We don't ask for much, but shower screens, clean bathrooms, comfy beds and televisions were all very welcome comforts.

Overlooking the whole of Budapest

We soon headed out for lunch, and after paying $5 AUD for a three course meal, we headed over to the European Roma Rights Centre. We had a great lecture and learnt a lot about the discrimination of minorities in Europe. Next we were off to the Open Society Institute where we learnt all about the process of providing legal representation to minorities all over Europe.

Following dinner at a lovely restaurant, a few of us headed to the traditional Rudas baths. The hot baths are the oldest in Europe and are said to have healing properties. The experience was one I will be never forget and my body definitely thanked me for it! I even froze my backside off in a traditional ice bath!

Waking up relaxed and rested on Saturday morning, we had a buffet breakfast in the hotel restaurant and then headed out on our walking tour of Budapest.

The whole group on the walking tour of Budapest... That is

our Czech coordinator Martin mooning the camera!

This was a great chance to see all the sites of the city and have the history explained to us by a local. After a quick lunch we headed off the to the Hungarian Jewish Holocaust Museum. The memorial, entitled "From deprivation of rights to genocide", detailed the awful plight of more than 600,000 Hungarian Jews and Roma people who died during World War Two. It was a
truly awful but worthwhile experience.

Sunday morning brought with it a visit to the Hungarian Parliament House. The fourth largest parliament in the world and decked out in more than 60 kilograms of gold, the building was a spectacular piece of architecture. We even got to see the original crown jewels, guarded by Royal Soldiers. A ride up the funicular, a spot of souvenir shopping and some delightful cakes and before we knew it, it was time to get back on the bus and go home. Budapest had been very good to us!

The very beautiful Hungarian Parliament House

Things I love about Europe that we don't have in Australia! :

¥ Fresh pastries every morning! There is nothing better than some lovely baked goods before class every day!
¥ An efficient, clean public transport system! I don't think any further explanation is required for that one...
¥ The cultural activities that are so readily available and so cheap! Every night of the week, even in the smaller cities, there is high quality ballets, operas and theatre being performed. I have loved being able to experience these!
¥ The concept of central heating and layering! It's cold outside and really lovely and heated everywhere inside. Everyone dresses really cleverly and wears lots of layers. And they wear fashionable clothes whilst doing it!

I can't believe we have less than a week to go of the course... And there is an exam at the end of this week! I am enjoying myself far too much for this to end!

Food, shelter and love in Brno

Well, what an amazing first week in the Czech Republic or, as the locals say and the Australians mispronounce, good old Ceska.

We’ve managed to cover a lot in our first days in this quirky country - too much to include in one go!

Seeing as we’ve spent most of the first week on the various human rights enshrined within international conventions, I’ll stick with describing how some of the basic needs for human life work here.

FOOD

Food here is a number of things. Filling. Warming. Potato-tastic. It is also DIRT CHEAP and I doubt I will ever get over being able to dine out in a fine restaurant with gorgeous views for under AUD 20.00, including drinks and dessert. Fancy a scoop or three of gelato? That’ll be AUD 1.20 please. A slab of steak? A handful of crowns will see you through. And don’t even get me started on the pivo (beer). Not only is it high quality pilsner, but it’s also all of AUD 1.00 a glass in most places. Sometimes it’s as little as 25 cents. I’m not a beer person but I’d be willing to convert for that price.

Typical meal at the cafeteria - Goulash with potato dumplings

Stepping out of the frosty air into a warm café for a spot of hot chocolate so thick it has to be eaten with a spoon is, no lie, one of the biggest highlights of my day.

That, and visiting Billa, the local supermarket chain that sits across the street from our residence. From Hello Kitty ice cream to Hannah Montana non-alcoholic wine, Billa has all your essentials covered. It’s pretty much become our local and we frequent it at least once a day.

Baby bear apricot cake. The weirder it is, the more compelled you are to buy it and try it.

Italian is big here. As an alternative to the traditional meat and potato dishes that still retains a high level of warming carbohydrates, it makes sense. But it soon became our mission

to find a non-Italian place after eating risotto and ravioli for dinner every night. Not to hate on the pasta though, it’s all delicious - gnocchi’s on every menu to the delight of many.

Success! Happy Chinese New Year!

SHELTER

Living in a university dorm seems to have thrown up a mixed bag of experiences amongst those participating, especially those rooming with an actual student of Masaryk University. I have been more than blessed, however, with my lovely Serbian room mate, Ana, who frequently shares her cake, fridge, excellent English and knowledge of good places to eat in Brno with me.

View from my room of my first night in Brno

On a broader level, the architectural landscape of both this city and Prague, which we visited over the weekend (!) is consistently stunning. 15^th Century baroque and neo-renaissance cathedrals seem to be as carelessly scattered throughout Europe as RSL’s are back home. St Petrov’s Cathedral in the midst of Brno, with it’s sky high spires and panoramic view of the entire city, is a typical example of the astonishing buildings you can expect to see on an everyday skyline. Same goes for ornate metalwork and gold leafing on balconies, marbled facades for any one of the six or so major theatres and generally complementary colour scheme that all the buildings in Brno seem to have going on.

The view of Brno from the top of St Petrov’s Church. Note the red nose.

Tradition vs. modernity in Freedom Square

Beautiful Brno

A place where we spend a fair amount of time is room 038 in the law faculty of Masaryk University. The building is gorgeous, open and lit by a lot of sunlight which glances off the white marble and wood that makes up a lot of its interior and exterior. It feels a bit like a UN building. Apparently it was used by the Gestapo during the Communist regime.

WARMTH

It’s generally agreed that the weather here has been ridiculously mild for what is supposed to be the depths of European winter. We’ve been lucky enough to have blue skies and sun for most of our time, save one episode of rain and driving, wet, sideways blowing snow in Prague during a four hour walking tour. There have been a few magical bouts of falling snow in Brno but they never seem to last long - the quest to craft a snowman still remains.

LOVE

Everyone on this course, without exception, is lovely. Our tutors, co-ordinators and guest speakers have so far been endearingly enthusiastic about their respective areas of expertise. One of them even claps his hands a little bit when he gets really excited. There have been plenty of scheduled and spontaneous group dinners and activities and new friendships have become Facebook official. Whatever reservations anyone had were quickly tossed aside during group cocktails and other bubbly filled, strobe-lit outings in Brno and Prague. After readings had been finished, of course.

Outside St Vitus Cathedral in Prague

Loving the shopping at the moment. Everything’s on sale and most people have purchased at least one or two new items for their travel wardrobes. Shoes were a big one after some pairs got wet in the crazy Prague snow. Dresses for an operatic ballet were another good excuse to trawl through Zara and H&M. It’s safe to say that we’re quite a sartorially splendid crew at the moment.

Most of all, loving the essence of travel. New people, new places, new words, new knowledge and new experiences. And by the end of it, new you.

Czech-ing in again soon,

Jam..

Anything but pedestrian Prague!

 Anything but pedestrian Prague! - International Law and Human Rights Blog with Lauren Howes

It doesn't matter where you are in the world, getting up on a Monday morning is very hard. Especially when you have had such a fabulous few days in one of the best cities in the world!

It's hard to believe that we are more than a third of the way through our International Law and Human Rights Course. We have had such great experiences already! On Thursday we got to be judges for a few minutes, taking our seat on the bench at the Constitutional Court. A few of us were also lucky enough to get tickets to the National Ballet Company performing the 'Swan Lake' ballet! It was a truly spectacular performance and it only cost $7 AUD!

The whole group on the bench at the Constitutional Court

After a week of anticipation, Friday finally arrived and we were on our first weekend trip away. Two and a half hours later and our train pulled up to the 'hlavni nadrazi' in Prague! We walked from our hotel through the beautiful streets of Prague to the offices of Allan and Overy. We were given a great talk by the office manager of the firm, who spoke about the ethical responsibility of corporate lawyers. This was then followed by talks from representative of Czech NGO's. There were some really interesting perspectives on human rights, and it was great to compare the Australian and European systems of law.

Saturday was definitely the best day I have had so far. We started early and began our walking tour of Prague. Accompanied by our wonderful your guide Wencelaslas, we conquered most of the major sites of the city. From the Prague castle to Charles Bridge, words can't quite describe how beautiful this city is! Standing on the Charles Bridge with a bunch of new friends whilst it was snowing was just amazing! A word of caution though: the streets here are all made of marble. This is very pretty, but when it starts snowing it gets very slippery!

Our walking group with the city of Prague in the background

After such a big day on Saturday (and for some, a very big Saturday night!!!!), Sunday morning was very early. We checked out of Hotel Evropa and caught the train to a little city about an hour out of Prague. Kutna Hura contained a fascinating church that houses the bones of 30000 plague victims. These bones had been turned into works of art - everything from pyramids to shields and chandeliers. Honestly - it was a little bit creepy! We finished up the day visiting a beautiful church and eating deep fried cheese!


 

I've found out there are definitely some things I take for granted in Australia!

• Laws about smoking! The Czech Republic has no laws about smoking - you can smoke anywhere! This includes inside in shopping centres and restaurants!

• The natural beauty of Australia - especially the beach! The Czech Republic is a beautiful country, but it's landlocked! I definitely miss seeing the beach.

• Vegetables. I love salad and vegetables. But nothing is served here with vegetables! I have eaten a lot of potatoes, bread, meat and cheese, but not much else!

• Shower screens! No shower has a shower screen over here. Let's just say I have learnt the hard way not to put any dry clothes anywhere near the shower.

I'm very excited for the week ahead. We have a lot of really interesting activities scheduled! Until then!

The gorgeous Prague Castle

A shield made of bones at Kutna Hora

The group in Kutna Hora

Charles Bridge in Prague

Lauren Howes is participating in our January 2012 International Law and Human Rights program at Masaryk University, Czech Republic. Lauren is about to start her 5th year of a Bachelor of Laws/Medical Science degree at the University of Wollongong. 

Burning up Brno! (Well freezing actually...) - International Law and Human Rights Blog with Lauren Howes

Updated photo of me


After more than thirty hours of travelling, including two planes, a bus, a train and a cab, I've arrived in Brno, Czech Republic! Coming from all over Australia to study International Law and Human Rights, we have a big couple of days adjusting to freezing temperatures, jet lag and significant language barriers.

Sunday night was our first opportunity to all meet each other, our program coordinator and our lecturers. Heading out in minus two degree weather and watching the snow fall all around us, we caught the very efficient public transport system to a traditional restaurant in downtown Brno. We were glad to get out of the cold, Most of us struggling to adjust to the freezing temperatures! With giant beers all round (these things are huge!!!), we settled in for a night of introductions, traditional Czech food and plenty of laughs.

We headed home to our accommodation, a university residence really close to the law faculty. 'Druzba' is a 12 storey building housing Masaryk University students. Most of the Australian's on the program are sharing a room with a local student, which has been a great cultural experience. For every two rooms, there is shared bathroom and toilet. Everyone lives in very close quarters, so you get to know the quirks of your other ‘housemates’ pretty quickly!

Monday morning dawned (a little later than expected at around 7:30am) and with it came a white landscape and the beginning of our official educational program. Our program coordinator Martin gave an introductory lecture, took us round the campus on a little tour and gave a very quick Czech language lesson. The 'Czech survival' lesson was very important for me - I am really struggling with all the consonants in the Czech language. Most difficult is the fact that the word for 'yes' in Czech is actually 'no'!

We headed downstairs for lunch, a cafeteria on campus. Struggling a little with the English translations, I ordered the 'chicken with cheese batter'! It was battered chicken, with the batter comprised of cheese! It was actually quite tasty and something a little different.

Monday afternoon and the jet lag really kicked in. Unfortunately, this was at the same time as our first real lecture on human rights! Our lecturer Pavel did so well, keeping a very sleepy audience interested in the topic. After such a big day, we all had an easy night, enjoying some pizza from the pizza bar on the first floor of our residence and having an early night.

After our morning class on Tuesday, the whole group headed out on a walking tour of Brno. This was definitely the highlight of my program so far. Martin showed us all the key landmarks of the city, giving us a much better understanding of the city we live in. At the end of the tour we climbed the tower of Saints Peter and Paul. After hundreds of stairs, we reached the top and got an absolutely spectacular view of the whole city. We headed down the scary spiral staircase and finally got a chance to warm up with a hot chocolate or hot wine.

Culturally, the Czech Republic is very different to Australia. Here are some of the things I've experienced in the last few days:

- At a set of lights, there is no button for pedestrians to push to cross the road. You just wait for them to change!
- There are no 'fitted sheets' on beds, just normal sheets, and a light doona is used as the top sheet!
- The main meal of the day is eaten at lunch time, and dinner is only a light supper.

And so the adventure begins. Only more exciting times to come!



The size of a beer here! comparing a beer to an iPhone




The beautiful Masaryk University




The view from my bedroom window at the residence




Overlooking Brno from the top of the tower



Climbing down the stairs of the tower





Lauren Howes is participating in our January 2012 International Law and Human Rights program at Masaryk University, Czech Republic. Lauren is about to start her 5th year of a Bachelor of Laws/Medical Science degree at the University of Wollongong.