Asochivida.org

Now that we have safely returned back to the states, Scott, Jenny and I have been able to complete the website we created for the group of terminally ill ex-sugar cane workers whom we were aiding during the final portion of our time in Nicaragua. I encourage everyone to check out the website we spent countless hours creating at ASOCHIVIDA.org! On our website you will be able to read about the terrible epidemic that is ruining their community, the impact that the deaths of thousands of workers has had, and the current negotiations underway between the workers and the factory with the assistance of the World Bank's alternative dispute resolution mechanism. You can also read personal narratives from the workers themselves about their experiences both working for the factory and discovering they are ill with Chronic Renal Failure. I apologize for the brevity of this blog post, but all I have to say has already been put into words on our website, again at ASOCHIVIDA.org.

Adios from the Swamp - Washington, DC

So my first post is coming during my last week at the Federal Judicial Center here in Washington, DC. The summer has flown by and aside from the relatively mild heat (by DC standards), my time at the FJC has been a great experience.


Having initially worked with the Leitner Center and FJC last October in Ghana, the opportunity to do so again was something I jumped at. The International Judicial Relations Office of the FJC works in Washington and abroad to help foreign judiciaries develop fair, efficient, and effective justice systems.



As such, I've spent the summer working on a variety of different projects related to upcoming FJC initiatives. To help US Federal Judges participating in training conferences in Afghanistan and Iraq, I've been researching and writing on Islamic Law. I've also worked on Opinion Writing and Ethics presentations that will be used in an upcoming FJC trip to Uganda and background information on Latin American judiciaries for an upcoming trip to Argentina.




All in all, the summer at the Federal Judicial Center has been interesting and educational. Working on such broad and diverse projects that directly impact the lives of so many around the world will surely be missed when I'm soon sitting in Professional Responsibility . :P