Dean Adams, the new Associate Dean of Students, has diligently worked for the last six years to arrange a study abroad program in Chile and Argentina. The first group of students who attended the program in Chile and Argentina last summer spent their time studying Human Rights. During the second year of the program 13 students partook in studies relating to human rights and family law.
The South America program is designed for students to explore legal, historical and cultural approaches to human rights in Chile and Argentina. Both countries have been victimized by military regimes, genocide, and disappearances of individuals deemed subversive because of their political views. The program challenges students to think about the social issues and policies that affect human rights in these countries and helps students to think outside of the box about methods for effective reparations for victims of torture.
The program also exposes students to the legal and judicial systems in Chile and Argentina. As a participant in the program, I had the opportunity to hear oral arguments at the Constitutional Court, Supreme Court and Appellate Court which as a future lawyer was an valuable experience. The students attending the program gained a better understanding of how foreign courts are administered allowing them to gain a better comparative perspective to the U.S. court systems.
Study abroad also has a cultural element which is difficult to fully describe. During our experience, we had the chance to see and experience a lot of new things. We had the opportunity to cook a gourmet meal in a restaurant over-looking the Pacific Ocean. We also soaked up the culture by living with local famileies. We attended a few asados (cookouts), and even watched the finals of a local soccer club match.
An eye opening experience for us was our tour of a maximum security prison. We even got to speak with some inmates. Another experience was a tour of a concentration camp - where political dissidents were tortured and killed.
The hightlight though, was our trip to the home of Chilean writer and politician Pablo Neruda.
Additionally, we had the opportunity to travel to Uruguay to further enrich the cultural experience.
As a participant in the 2008 summer abroad program, I would highly recommend the program. It was academically, socially and spiritually rewarding. Furthermore, spending four weeks with professors and other law students allowed us the opportunity to meet new people and create friendships that will last beyond our law school years. If ever presented with the opportunity to study abroad again my answer would be: “Absolutamente!”
Hugo is a 2L and can be reached at Hugo.gamez@valpo.edu
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