Monash Law Students' Society

Volunteering in Vietnam from Helen Yandell, Director of Springvale Monash Legal Service:

Volunteering experience in Vietnam 

I volunteered for Bridges Across Borders South East Asia Community Legal Education Initiative (BABSEA CLE). They are based in Chiang Mai in Thailand. They have an international internship program with two major intakes a year, November and May. There is a two week Orientation program which is held in Chiang Mai. BABSEA CLE website is www.babseacle.org 

I attended the Orientation in  May 2010 with interns, (law students and graduates) from USA, UK, Australia, Phillipines, Singapore where we were introduced to the philosophy of BABSEA CLE and to understand the program they either run or work in collaboration with in Cambodia, Laos and Thailand and for the first time, Vietnam. I was asked to work with a partner NGO in Hanoi in Vietnam called the Institute on Policy, law and Development (PLD). Four of the interns came with me and we spent 10 -12 weeks working on a range of projects with PLD. 

BABSEA CLE's philosophy is to 'overcome poverty, injustice and inequity' in south east asia and to do this in part  through clinical legal education programs. There is a strong focus on student clinics (just like Springvael Monash Legal Service and Monash Oakleigh Legal Service) being able to assist vulnerable members of the community to understand the law, legal systems and their rights in each of the countries and to improve the skills and awareness of law students, thereby encouraging a more ethical practice of law. All legal education is carried out in an interactive manner so interns become familiar with developing legal education sessions using participation as a major tool. It can often involve the training of trainers, i.e. training the workers or leaders in disadvantaged communities who can then work with their own communities to increase knowledge of the law and people's rights. 

The interns who came with me to Vietnam were also involved in a recently funding project to research the possibility of setting up clinical legal education programs in universities throughout Vietnam. This involved preparing materials to teach law faculties about researching the needs within their communities and how to set up clinics that could deliver legal education and / or advice. It also involved helping organisations prepare funding submissions etc. Another project involved the preparation of a resource on the law on HIV and AIDS in Vietnam. The publication was in English and Vietnamese and was targeted at workers in the field and legal clinic workers. 

Interns also helped with spoken and written English skills of the workers and volunteers of the NGOs we worked with. Interns in other countries were involved in a range of activities that were relevant to them including land rights, migrant workers, family violence and women;s shelters, working with homeless youth. The list goes on. 

The website has a great deal more information and the application form for the internships. I really recommend the experience to students at Monash. I  am happy to talk with anyone who may be interested on Helen.Yandell@monash.edu