Work experience around the clock

From January to March this year, Ms Nowak had the opportunity to intern at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in Tanzania. Formed by the United Nations Security Council in November 1994, the ICTR was established to prosecute those responsible for genocide and other serious violations of international humanitarian law committed in Rwanda or by Rwandan citizens in neighbouring States between 1 January 1994 and 31 December 1994. The Tribunal is made up of three organs – the Office of the Prosecutor, the Registry, and the Chambers where Elise was assigned to.

During her time there, Ms Nowak worked primarily on the case of Yussuf Munyakazi, a 74-year-old Rwandan who had been charged with the deaths of over 5,000 Tutsi civilians. She summarised witness testimonies, carried out witness credibility analyses and conducted factual and subsequent legal evaluations for the case’s final draft judgement.

“When the actual judgement was released by the Tribunal in June, I saw sentences that I had drafted in it,” she recalls, “I wouldn’t say it was rewarding...it just became real.” 

 Having always had a wider interest in international law, Ms Nowak applied for the ICTR’S internship program hoping to explore the area further.

“From the second I walked in, I was learning,” says Ms Nowak.

 “Even when I was preparing my application, I was learning.”

At an international organisation such as the ICTR, there was undoubtedly a lot to learn and take in for an intern. Fortunately for Ms Nowak, she never felt overwhelmed by the work she was given.

“I worked with a team of experienced lawyers who were approachable and receptive. There was open communication amongst us and I received ongoing feedback regarding the work I was doing,” she says.

There were, however, unique challenges that came with working on a genocide trial such as Yussuf Munyakazi’s.

“It was confronting reading details from the witness testimonies about how Munyakazi affected their lives. All that detail is distressing and it’s of a really sensitive nature,” she says.

However, she couldn’t allow emotions to affect her work ethic. Says Ms Nowak, “Bearing in mind the legacy of the Tribunal and its impact on International Criminal Law, I felt it particularly important that my work was accurate and precise.”

She was not alone in this responsibility though with about 30 other interns from across the globe working on similar cases under the different organs of the Tribunal.

“It was good to be able to meet and chat with so many students from different backgrounds. Each intern was there with a different motivation, whether it was to work for the UN or for human rights activism,” she says.

With such ambitious goals, it comes as no surprise that the ICTR interns ensured the free time they had was put to good use.

“On Fridays, we finished work at two o’clock but there was always something for us to do like visiting an orphanage or a school. We often explored various NGOs that were assisting impoverished Tanzanian communities too,” she recalls.

She also made time for travelling with weekend trips to Kenya and Zanzibar and even a six-day climb up Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa. All ICTR interns also had the opportunity to fly to Rwanda on a United Nations’ jet, which of course, she took.

Having experienced so much during her internship, it is hard for Elise to choose the most rewarding part of her time there.

“Everything was good,” she enthuses, “The internship program was a compelling introduction to the hands-on side of International Criminal Law. I was glad to be able to diversify my understanding of it and gain different perspectives.”

She is still unsure though if a career in international law such as at the ICTR is her life’s calling.

“It’ll always be something to look back on. Whether I pursue it down the track, I don’t know, but it definitely had a big impact on me and I find myself always talking about it.”

For more information and assistance on how to obtain work experience such as Elise’s, students can visit Careers & Employment located on the First Floor of the Baldwin Spencer Building at the University of Melbourne’s Parkville campus

http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/careers/ .

Voice intern Sumisha Naidu is a third-year Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communications) student.