Arthur C. Helton Fellowship Reflection Paper
Eissa Villaseñor, Harare, Zimbabwe
What were the original goals of the internship?
In 2004, I spent approximately 11 months interning with the Refugee Rights Project at Lawyers for Human Rights. During my internship, I worked with refugees and other individuals seeking asylum in South Africa. The fact that the office provided legal assistance to more Zimbabweans than any other nationality and that often their asylum applications rested on claims of political persecution sparked my interest in visiting Zimbabwe.
In the fall of 2006, I met Arnold Tsunga, executive director of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights in our International Human Rights Law course at the University of Minnesota Law School. It was through Arnold that two other classmates and I were able to set-up an internship with Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights. While the primary purpose of the internship was to assist the organization with legal research and writing as it related to its current advocacy and litigation efforts, the internship also offered the opportunity to visit a country experiencing an economic crisis and suffering from severe political and human rights violations. For me, it presented a chance to understand better why millions of Zimbabweans, such as those who I had worked with in South Africa in 2004, have fled from their home country into neighboring African countries and beyond.
What challenges did I come across?
Upon arrival to the Harare international airport and after a quick drive through the city, it appeared that perhaps the accounts of massive food shortages, political repression and the countless other grim stories reported were an exaggeration. However, after close observation, I found that the situation is, as many Zimbabweans described, "abnormal."
It is true that shelves at the markets are empty, that people queue for basic commodities such as bread daily, that the value of the U.S. dollar fluctuates constantly, that electricity and water supplies are shut-off for the majority of the day, and that public hospitals lack basic supplies. Without a doubt, having to walk through the city center searching for items such as toilet paper or eggs was an added stress to my stay in Harare. However, my greatest adjustment concerned the lack of freedom of expression Zimbabwe. Due to my affiliation with Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, an organization strongly disfavored by the government and heavily monitored by its central intelligence organization, I immediately learned to be careful with my words at all times. The government monitors phones to listen in on private conversations and its central intelligence organization commonly follows individuals to record their whereabouts. As an American and intern with Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, I experienced this type of monitoring that infused strong feelings of apprehension and stress throughout my stay in Zimbabwe.
Did your results reflect your original expectations?
The main expectation I had for the internship was to gain exposure to Zimbabwe's political climate, particularly as it affects human rights advocates. Through daily conversations with co-workers, I definitely got a very clear sense of the challenges they encounter as they try to do their work. Frequently, they are intimidated and risk police interrogation and detention. The experience certainly demonstrated the tense and oppressive conditions that force many Zimbabweans to flee. Unfortunately, I learned that the sense of hopelessness held by Zimbabweans and the pervasiveness of the calamity throughout the country is much greater than I imagined or could have understood by reading a news report.
Certainly, I had the desire to maximize my time and work product during my ten weeks in Zimbabwe. However, upon arrival, I quickly realized that even the most basic tasks such as exchanging money could consume much of your day. When it came to doing legal research, I learned that searching for cases and statutes was an even slower process. There is no central source of information. So often, finding a particular case or statute required looking through old law reports, visiting neighboring law firms or legal non-profits to determine if they had the missing information, asking Parliament for a copy of a statue or inquiring with the country's sole law school.
How has your experience influenced your professional goals?
My experience definitely provided a first-hand experience of the daily obstacles that human rights lawyers and advocates must deal with while doing their work in countries that do not champion a human rights based culture. It demonstrated the great need for more human rights advocates and the value of ardent protection for the rule of law. Human rights activists and political activists in Zimbabwe are working tirelessly to revive democratic values such as freedom of expression, free and fair elections, and freedom of association. However, the government, through legislation such as the Interception of Communications Bill and constitutional amendments works to thwart these courageous efforts. If nothing more, the experience prepared me for challenges I may encounter by pursuing particular types of human rights work.
How do you anticipate bringing your experience to your local community?
The University of Minnesota Law School has asked that we offer a presentation to interested students and faculty members on our experience in Zimbabwe. The opportunity should offer a chance for us to share our experience. Also and more importantly, the presentation will give us the opportunity to describe the appalling and depressing conditions imposed on Zimbabweans.
In addition, I hope to have the opportunity to share my experience with the greater community in the Twin Cities through presentations and op-ed pieces. Perhaps, greater international attention will compel Southern African leaders to place more pressure on the Zimbabwean government to end its dictatorial practices and begin to work towards implementation of its legal obligations.
What quote would captivate "a moment" that you had during your experience?
There is no definitive moment in my ten-week stay in Zimbabwe. Often, Zimbabweans referred to Zimbabwe as a country where the abnormal is normal. Zimbabwe's current conditions did not arrive overnight. Rather, its people have been living in an intolerable environment for many years. Everyday something happens that demonstrates that despite the extremity of the situation the next day can be worse. I left Zimbabwe wondering just how much individuals, families, communities, and the society as a whole can continue to endure, especially because change does not seem to be coming.