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Dear Friends and Supporters of Bridges Across Borders South East Asia Community Legal Education Initiative (BABSEACLE),

As more than half of 2106 has now happened, we are eager to share with you many of our experiences and accomplishments for this half a year. In doing this we think about the entire year as Big Picture Puzzle, and each event and activity as one of the many important, vital pieces of that puzzle. The 2016 Puzzle is coming together nicely and we are hopeful this 2016 2^nd Quarter Newsletter demonstrates this effectively. We believe that the puzzle pieces contained in this Newsletter will help you understand much more about our organization, what we do, with whom and why.

Like a puzzle game, each article is like a missing puzzle piece. In reading each of them you will, piece by piece, come to better understand and see the total picture.  This will be revealed to you as you read about many of the different activities and events in many countries such Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, etc.

Looking at our “first puzzle pieces” in Thailand, you will enjoy an amazing 2nd Asia CLE Summer School Event through the “puzzle pieces” of authors coming from Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Australia such as“A journey to CLE: opening eyes to Access to Justice”, “Reflections of an Australian Clinician on the BABSEACLE Summer School 2016”, “Asia CLE Summer School a Huge Success”, “Step to Become a Professional CLE”, “Clinical Legal Education Summer School Benefits”. The 10 day Asia CLE Summer School in Thailand focused on programme and curriculum design for many different types of CLE programmes including in-house clinics, community teachings, externships and simulations. These programmes integrated legal ethics elements within the CLE curriculum which cultivated improved efficacy and a deepened understanding of moral principles as they relate to the law. The Summer School also included a significant focus and means and methods of monitoring and evaluating CLE initiatives and demonstrating impact.

“Our second puzzle pieces” coming from Myanmar are also very exciting. One very important puzzle piece, and great news for BABSEACLE in general, and the Myanmar Team in particular, was the fact that our organization was legally registered in Myanmar. You can read more in the article of“Registration for BABSEACLE in Myanmar”. Moreover, we have the other “puzzle pieces” relating to the workshops including “The Benefits of CLE Externships: Our Two Day Workshop in Yangon”, “Myitkyina Myanmar Justice Sector Actors Gather to Participate in a CLE Workshop”, “Myanmar Supervision and Report Writing Workshop”.

Laos is the third place where the “our puzzle pieces” were produced. You can click into the “our puzzle pieces” titled “Students attend the 1st Regional Land Forum”, “Bounthy’s Journey from FLPCLE Student to a Full Time Legal Fellow”, “Baseline Study for Woman Access to Justice in Laos”, “Faculty of Law and Political Science Clinical Legal Education Training on Human Trafficking and Smuggling” and “The “Rule of Law” Campaign”.

We also have “the puzzle pieces” in Cambodia such as “Reflections on the Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Training Workshop in Phnom Penh, Cambodia” and in Indonesia with“Indonesia Networking for Clinic Legal Education (INCLE)_2nd Conference on Clinical Legal Education: Diversity of Clinical Legal Education and the Road to Social Justice, 11 – 13 May 2016, Universitas Udayana – Denpasar”.

We also welcomed to our new intern members to the BABSEACLE Myanmar Team, Zabu Aung and Sai Oo Hseng Ngin (Philip). You can read 2 introduction articles to know more about them and their wonderful experiences with us as they help to fill in the puzzle picture.

Additional good news which we would like to let you know about is that our BABSEACLE’s Co-Director/Co-Founder and 2003 CEU Legal Studies Department (Human Rights) Alumnus Bruce A. Lasky was himself one of our puzzle pieces. He, and 24 other CEU alumni were presented awards at the University’s 25th Anniversary Alumni Reunion. Please enjoy with the “puzzle piece” of “25 Years of Making a Difference-Central European University Alumni Impact Awards”.

A continuing and yearly puzzle piece includes BABSEACLE once again giving its Human Rights Award to a Central European University Legal Studies Department graduate, while simultaneously assisting migrants and refugees. She was Felicia Nica, and you can read her “puzzle piece” acknowledgement letter which beautifully illustrates the emotions which she expressed upon receiving notice of receiving this well deserved award.

We hope you will enjoy and have a great time “playing with our puzzle game” and thank you so much for supporting us all the time.

Lan Anh Nguyen, BABSEACLE Newsletter Coordinator, on behalf of the BABSEACLE Team

THAILAND  

2nd Asia Clinical Legal Education Summer School

Asia CLE Summer School a Huge Success BABSEACLE recently held the 2nd Asia CLE Summer School in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Between the 9th and the 18th of June 2016, more than 50 participants from 16 different countries attended. Justice educators from Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Pakistan, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Nepal, Laos, Italy, Myanmar, Bhutan, Australia, Great Britain, Singapore, USA, Malaysia shared experiences and gained new knowledge to strengthen CLE in their countries.  Read more!

Steps to become a professional CLE    Twelve countries participated in the 2nd Asia Regional Clinical Legal Education (CLE) Summer School held by Bridges Across Borders Southeast Asia Community Legal Education Initiative (BABSEACLE), 9-18 June, 2016, in the Chiang Mai Hill 2000 hotel. As the head of the Legal Community Teaching Centre, at the Faculty of Law and Political Science (FLPS), of the National University of Lao, I was proud to have participated in this program, and was quite excited to learn about the diversity of cultures in Asia.  Read more!

A journey to CLE: opening eyes to Access to Justice Bridges Across Borders Southeast Asia Community Legal Education Initiative (BABSEACLE), the Global Alliance for Justice Education (GAJE) and Southeast Asia Clinical Legal Education Association (SEACLEA) conducted a spectacular course, the 2nd Asia Clinical Legal Education Summer School,  on the 9th – 18th of June, 2016,  in Chiang Mai, Thailand.  Read more!

Reflections of an Australian Clinician on the BABSEACLE Summer School 2016  A wave of emotion passed over me, on the very last day of the 2016 Bridges Across Borders South East Asia Clinical Legal Education Initiative (BABSEACLE) Summer School. As I was saying my goodbyes to the wonderful people I had met, I suddenly felt overwhelmed, and struggled to hold back the tears that welled in my eyes. Let me tell you why I felt that way.  Read more!

Internship

 

My Journey in Chiang Mai

I fell in love with Thailand, during the three month winter of 2015, in Bangkok, while on a research project. When I went back to Europe to finish my studies, it took me a little time to realize how much I felt attached to Thailand: it’s delicious food; its cozy environment; and the breathless landscapes. Thus, when I got the opportunity of interning, for Bridges Across Borders Southeast Asia Community Legal Education Initiative (BABSEACLE), in Chiang Mai, I immediately packed my stuff, and I left my city, Milan, to come back to the land of smiles. Read more!

MYANMAR

 Workshops  

The Benefits of CLE Externships: Our Two Day Workshop in Yangon On May 7th and 8th, 2016, lawyers from the Yangon Justice Center attended the Community Legal Education (CLE) Externship Programme Supervision and Report Writing Workshop. During this workshop, we were introduced to CLE and learnt about the six goals of CLE. We also learnt that Bridges Across Borders Southeast Asia Community Legal Education Initiative (BABSEACLE) is partnering, with all 18 Myanmar University law departments, in order to develop CLE Community Teaching, CLE Mock Trial, CLE Externship and CLE In-House Consultation programmes. Read more!

Myitkyina Myanmar Justice Sector Actors Gather To Participate in a CLE Workshop A Clinical Legal Education (CLE) workshop, organized by Bridges Across Borders Southeast Asia Community Legal Education Initiative (BABSEACLE), took place at Myitkyina University campus, from the 24th to the 27th of May, 2016. The participants were law officers, judges, lawyers, and law students and teachers, from the Myanmar Law Department of Myitkyina University.  I was grateful to be one of the participants.  The main focuses of the workshop included an introduction to CLE, CLE Mock Trials, CLE Externships and CLE Externship Report Writing.  Read more!

Internship

Precious Memories of My Myanmar Summer Internship My name is Zabu Aye Chan Aung, a/k/a Kamar, and I am a third year Yangon University law student. I was an intern in the Bridges Across Borders South East Asia Community Legal Education Initiative (BABSEACLE) Myanmar Office, during April and May, 2016. In each of the last two years, I participated in both international externship programs that BABSEACLE has brought to Yangon University. The last one, on the 27th -29th of February, 2016 was with Australian students, from the Queensland University of Technology and with Myanmar students from Yangon University. Read more!

Our Legal Internship at White & Case (Singapore) With the help of the Bridges Across Borders Southeast Asia Community Legal Education Initiative (BABSEACLE) Myanmar team, we got the chance to do an internship training at the White & Case (Singapore) head office for two weeks, starting 16th May, 2016. We are 4th year students at Dagon University, Myanmar.  When we began our internship we didn’t have any idea of how the legal profession appears from the viewpoint of an International law firm. At first, we were very worried and nervous. But as soon as we arrived, everybody welcomed us so warmly that we lost our apprehension and everything went well. Read more!

LAOS

Laos Woman’s Access to Justice Baseline Study/Survey   After launching at the Woman’s Access to Justice (WAJ) Project, which is being supported by the  European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) and implemented by Helvetas, Bridges Across Borders South East Asia Community Legal Education Initiative (BABSEACLE) and the Association of Development of Women and Legal Education (ADWLE) the BABSEACLE team, in Laos, started drafting the Baseline Study/Survey for the WAJ project, by working closely with BABSEACLE Board Director, Dr. Christopher S. Walsh (Dr. Chris). Dr. Chris is an expert in design, data collection and analysis. Read more!

Faculty of Law and Political Science Clinical Legal Education Training on Human Trafficking and Smuggling   Between the 14th and the 18th of May, 2016, the Faculty of Law and Political Science Clinical Legal Education (FLPCLE) in Laos organized a training on the topic of “Human Trafficking and Smuggling”. My name is Vanny Phommathed, I am a FLPCLE student, and I attended this training, along with more than 27 other students, teachers, donors and lawyers. It was conducted by FLPCLE Teachers, who used Clinical Legal Education (CLE) Lesson Plans and methodologies. All were actively involved and appeared to enjoy the sessions Read more!

Laos Students Attend Regional Land Forum The first Mekong Region Land Forum was held in Hanoi, the 21st to 23rd of June, 2016, and was organised by Mekong Region Land Governance, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbei and Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development. Read more!	The “Rule of Law” Campaign in Laos Bridges Across Borders South East Asia Clinical Legal Education Initiative (BABSEACLE) and the National University of Laos Faculty of Law and Political Science Clinical Legal Education (FLP CLE) work together to support the “RULE OF LAW” campaign, by using CLE Training of Trainers workshops. Read more!

CAMBODIA

Reflections on the Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Training Workshop in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

INDONESIA

 Special events!

25 Years of Making a Difference-Central European University Alumni Impact Awards     One of BABSEACLE’s guiding principles is embodied in the Margaret Meade quotes,  Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” On May 7, 2016 in Budapest Hungary, Central European University (CEU) recognized a small but growing number of these individuals during its 25th Anniversay Alumni Reunion.  BABSEACLE’s Co-Director/Co-Founder and 2003 CEU Legal Studies Department (Human Rights) Alumnus Bruce A. Lasky was one of these individuals acknowledged as he and 24 ofther alumni were presented awards at the University’s 25th gathering. Read more!

The 2016 BABSEACLE/Central European University Legal Studies Department Human Rights Award: Supporting the Rights of Migrants Each year Bridges Across Borders Southeast Asia Community Legal Education Initiative (BABSEACLE) is honored to provide one of the many exceptional graduates of the Central European University (CEU) Legal Studies Human Rights Department with a Student Award.[..] this year BABSEACLE was honored to give them award to Felicia Nica from Romania who both excelled as a student at CEU and has devoted her professional legal career in providing legal services to migrants and refugees and intends to keep doing so. The below is the letter of acknowledgement and thanks on the part of Felicia upon learning she received the award. We are hopeful in reading this you are filled with as much inspiration and joy was we were in receiving it. Read more!

Latest news!

        

Upcoming Events!

‘The Impact of Pro Bono on Transformational Change’ The 5th Asia Pro Bono Conference (August 31 – September 1), and other side access to justice related events (dates to be determined), are being organized by BABSEACLE and its regional and global Consortium partners. This impactful, regionally developed and guided Conference is being coordinated and held side by side with the PILnet 3rd Asia Pro Bono Forum (August 29-30).  Collectively the Conference and Forum is being referred to as the Asia Pro Bono Exchange (August 29 – September 1).  The theme of this year’s 5th Asia Pro Bono Conference is “The Impact of Pro Bono on Transformational Change”.  Read more!

5th Asia Pro Bono Conference Silent Auction Dear 5th Asia Pro Bono Conference Delegates, Last year during the 4th Asia Pro Bono Conference in Mandalay, Myanmar we organised a Silent Auction which was a huge success. We raised $1,680USD all of which was donated to local organisation supporting the victims of some of the worst floods Myanmar has ever experienced. This year we will once again be holding a Silent Auction and invite delegates coming to the conference to bring souvenirs from their countries to donate to the “silent auction” that will take place on 31st August -1st September. The item could be anything that is traditional in your country or region, something that tourists like to buy when they visit or something that you think is representative of your country. It can be something very small and inexpensive.  Read more!