Mission"To empower rural communities in Panama to overcome the obstacles that often impede the fundamental human right of access to justice through legal counsel and educational workshops."
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Human Rights in PanamaThere are many reasons rural Panamanian communities look to have Global Brigades aid their community with legal practices and human rights. For more information about the cause of and self-sustaining solutions to these problems, please go to the Global Brigades website at www.globalbrigades.org/human-rights-methodology.
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Human Rights Brigades
There are four parts to the actual brigade that students carry out: legal clinics, family law cases, education workshops, and mooting. The following descriptions are taken directly from the Global Brigades website.
Legal Clinics
Legal clinics offered by Global Brigades combat the issue of distrust in lawyers by providing free legal clinics. Volunteers, with the help of Panamanian lawyers, offer legal advice to communities, families, and individuals with unresolved disputes or questions. These clinics are meant to provide no-cost access to legal services that were previously denied or unavailable.
Family Law Cases
Global Brigades’ Program Lead and technicians find and select family law cases to present to volunteers, such as child custody, alimony, divorce, domestic violence, and criminal cases. Volunteers then perform interviews and intake procedures that can be used by the Human Rights staff to resolve the cases that would have been unattended completely or otherwise unresolved for many more years.
Education Workshops
One of the main resources that drives empowerment is education. Using the educational guide developed by Global Brigades, volunteers will learn how to explain complex issues such as gender vs. sex, legal methodologies to protect and prevent violence and discrimination, why children stop pursuing education, sexual rights in Panama, and many others. In providing these workshops to women’s groups, students, families, and all community members who decide to attend, you will be playing an active role in expanding the understanding and attitudes of rural Panamanians on complex issues that impact their lives on a daily basis.
Mooting
Despite its odd sounding name, mooting is in fact a widely established and popular human rights and law school activity, with international competitions taking place every year all around the world. Looking to build upon Global Brigades’ role in the development of student leaders, and to provide a hands-on activity to specific human rights issues and violations, the Human Rights Program is bringing Mooting to Panama! Prior to and on-brigade, volunteers will research alleged human rights violations and debate head-to-head for the proper decision in Global Brigades’ moot- court based on codified and signed international treaties and human rights conventions.
Legal Clinics
Legal clinics offered by Global Brigades combat the issue of distrust in lawyers by providing free legal clinics. Volunteers, with the help of Panamanian lawyers, offer legal advice to communities, families, and individuals with unresolved disputes or questions. These clinics are meant to provide no-cost access to legal services that were previously denied or unavailable.
Family Law Cases
Global Brigades’ Program Lead and technicians find and select family law cases to present to volunteers, such as child custody, alimony, divorce, domestic violence, and criminal cases. Volunteers then perform interviews and intake procedures that can be used by the Human Rights staff to resolve the cases that would have been unattended completely or otherwise unresolved for many more years.
Education Workshops
One of the main resources that drives empowerment is education. Using the educational guide developed by Global Brigades, volunteers will learn how to explain complex issues such as gender vs. sex, legal methodologies to protect and prevent violence and discrimination, why children stop pursuing education, sexual rights in Panama, and many others. In providing these workshops to women’s groups, students, families, and all community members who decide to attend, you will be playing an active role in expanding the understanding and attitudes of rural Panamanians on complex issues that impact their lives on a daily basis.
Mooting
Despite its odd sounding name, mooting is in fact a widely established and popular human rights and law school activity, with international competitions taking place every year all around the world. Looking to build upon Global Brigades’ role in the development of student leaders, and to provide a hands-on activity to specific human rights issues and violations, the Human Rights Program is bringing Mooting to Panama! Prior to and on-brigade, volunteers will research alleged human rights violations and debate head-to-head for the proper decision in Global Brigades’ moot- court based on codified and signed international treaties and human rights conventions.