Human Rights in Action Clinic - International Field Experience
The Promise Institute for Human Rights is offering for the 2027 J-Term the Human Rights in Action Clinic (HRAC) – International Field Experience for 2 units. Students will travel to Honduras the late night (red-eye flight) of January 3rd and return on January 18th. PLEASE NOTE: With enrollment in the J-Term HRAC--International Field Experience you will automatically be enrolled in LAW 793 the Spring Semester Human Rights in Action Clinic for 4 additional units. The International Field Experience offers students a unique opportunity to engage in human rights work in an international context and learn from leading human rights lawyers and activists on the ground. Building on clinical work of Human Rights in the Americas Project Director Joe Berra with clients and partners in Honduras, the 2027 J-Term course will give students an intensive immersion experience in the human rights struggle in Honduras. Students will participate in various learning modules and workshops in dialog with our partners, clients, and activists, as well as conduct fieldwork in a collaborative model of human rights advocacy on behalf of our clients and in support of the litigation efforts of our partners.
Students will participate in various learning modules and workshops in dialog with our partners, clients, and activists, as well as conduct fieldwork in a collaborative model of human rights advocacy on behalf of our clients and in support of the litigation efforts of our partners. The students will then continue the Clinic work on their projects arising out of the fieldwork during the Spring semester course. Past projects have focused on work with Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities, defene of territory, and resistance to extractivist industries, as well as litigation in the Inter-American System for Human Rights.
Students enrolled in the HRAC--International Field Experience will automatically be enrolled in LAW 793, the Human Rights in Action Clinic, in the Spring 2027 semester for 4 units. Students will continue work on projects developed with partners during the International Field Experience in the Spring HRAC, and may also work on projects focused on the United States with local social movement organizations. The Spring HRAC will meet twice a week for 2 hours and will include substantive law, skills training and project rounds. Meeting days and times will be set with the students to accommodate everyone's schedules.
Students will be required to complete background reading and participate in two Zoom seminar sessions prior to travel, one for logistics and one for substantive preparation. Students can expect a full and demanding schedule while on site in Honduras. Students must be available for travel for the duration of the on-site component. Our scheduled departure date is the late night (red-eye flight) of January 3, for arrival to Honduras on Monday January 4. Our return is scheduled for January 18. We will travel extensively in Honduras in a rental vehicle, between the major cities of San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa, and to one or more of the interior departments. Students should be highly flexible and adaptable. We will follow a strict safety protocol, and nighttime activities will be restricted to group activities.
We will work closely with attorneys from the human rights department of the Equipo de Reflexión, Investigación y Comunicación de Honduras (ERIC: http://radioprogresohn.net/), the Movimiento Amplio de Dignidad y Justicia (MADJ: https://madj.org/), and the Bufete Justicia para los Pueblos (BJP: https://www.bufetejusticiaparalospueblos.org/). Fieldwork will support social movement organizations and ongoing projects of the Promise Institute’s Human Rights in the Americas initiative, such as the Consejo Cívico de Organizaciones Populares e Indígenas de Honduras (COPINH: https://www.copinh.org/), the Organización Fraternal Negra de Honduras (OFRANEH: http://ofraneh.org/ofraneh/index.html), the indigenous Tolupán people of Yoro, and communities resisting extractivist projects. We will also be in dialog with other grass roots organizations engaged in the struggle for human rights. Fieldwork projects will be designed in coordination with our partners, with a view towards making a positive contribution, in a collaborative framework, to ongoing human rights litigation, pre-litigation, or research to be used in advocacy. Our main base will be in El Progreso, Yoro, with in-country travel likely for our fieldwork as well as meetings in Tegucigalpa.
A minimum level of Spanish competency is required, including conversational Spanish. Prospective applicants should show a demonstrated commitment to the field of human rights through prior experience or law school course of study. A co-requisite or prerequisite is one of the following: LAW 927 Regional Human Rights Systems: the Inter-American System; LAW 273 International Human Rights Law; OR LAW 270 Public International Law. The co-requisite/prerequisite may be waived at the discretion of Director Berra.
Travel and per diem expenses (lodging and meals) will be covered by the Promise Institute. Travel will be arranged and registered through UC travel. As a university activity, travel insurance will be provided by the UC system: http://www.ucop.edu/risk-services/loss-prevention-control/travel-assistance/index.html. All students will be asked to sign a liability waiver.
Citizens of the United States, Canada, Mexico and most of Latin America do not need a visa to travel to Honduras; however, a valid passport with an expiration date no earlier than July 2027 is required. Non-U.S. Citizens should review this list (http://www.ftaa-alca.org/busfac/visas/HONvisa_s.asp) of countries for which a visa may be required to enter Honduras. If you are unsure whether you will require a visa for Honduras, you should consult with the Honduran consulate in Los Angeles (see the consulate’s facebook page here https://www.facebook.com/consuladolosangelesHN/).
International students seeking to participate should check with the Dashew Center for International Students and Scholars regarding travel abroad and return on their student visa.
In addition to the application, Director Berra will interview applicants prior to admission into the course. Admitted students will meet with Director Berra in early December to go over logistics for the course, protocols, and health and safety concerns. If you have any particular concerns, please contact Director Berra.
Enrollment for the Human Rights in Action Clinic – International Field Experience is capped at four students.