I’ve been home for a while and it’s really nice most of the time, but I do miss Quito! I hope I can visit Ecuador again someday.

I saw from one of my recent comments that I haven’t talked as much as I should have about my internship, so I’ll talk a little more about it (thanks Mark!).

My internship took place at the Catholic university in Quito and was first billed as a women’s rights internship, but became more geared towards human rights in general. I helped and observed students working in the Centro de Derechos Humanos at the university. They worked with faculty, mostly lawyers or students interested in law, and the organization was offered as a pro bono service, which is great for the community, as many people are poor and can’t afford council during cases. The center was also associated with a civil office which dealt with many different cases. Another girl living in my host family house, Stephanie, helped in that office and dealt with many divorce cases there.

We took cases and spoke to clients in the Centro de Derechos Humanos who believed their rights had been violated. One case that took place while I was there was for a man who had due process issues after being accused and tried for illegally trafficking immigrants.

Another case the center took in the past dealt with fumigation issues between Ecuador and Columbia which violated international laws. I learned a lot while I was there, even when the internship was cut short when students began summer break. I also was able to observe a mediation while I was there, which was very interesting.

I really enjoyed my time there and hope you have enjoyed my blog! If you have any further questions about my time, feel free to ask!

Until next time,

Megan