BRIDGING BORDERS
JANUARY-MARCH 2015
“Like FAST & FURIOUS 7 BABSEA CLE Completes the First Quarter of 2015 with Scenes of Exciting Impact and Adventure”
Dear friends and supporters of Bridges Across Borders South East Asia Community Legal Education Initiative (BABSEA CLE),
Welcome to April and Happy Thailand/Laos/Myanmar/Cambodia New Year and Water Festival to all.
As April is now upon us, we want to know if you like the cinema? Are you keen on action and adventure films? For those of you who are, we are pretty confident that you are aware that the film Furious 7 was recently released and that people all over the world have gone to see and enjoy it. It is a film filled with adventure and amazing cinematography scenes. Just like the release of Furious 7 in April, our BABSEA CLE 2015 January-March Quarterly Newsletter is now being released, and we believe it is similarly filled with a collection of incredible action scenes and undertakings, which we feel will bring great enjoyment to all who explore their way through it.
Like the racing cars in Furious 7, the articles in the first 2015 Quarterly Newsletter include many fast paced access-to-justice adventures of our organization’s team members and partners. As you read through the many articles, you will feel the incredible energy that is generated coming from different countries, such as Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Australia, Singapore, USA and Indonesia. Each article is like an individual scene of a great access-to-justice movie, which we “continue to film”.
If you want to know more about these scenes, then just “buy a ticket”, by clicking on the links below and sit back and enjoy the following articles: “Myanmar National Mock Trial Workshop and Event”; “Asia/SEACLEA Regional CLE Summer School”; “SEACLEA”; “Trio For Justice”; “The 4th Asia Pro Bono Conference & Legal Ethics Forum: See You in 5 months”; “Rule of Law Centres Pilot Project”; BABSEA CLE events on CLE Monitoring and Evaluation and Legal Ethics”; “Community Legal Training in Myanmar”; “Growing Pains and Moving to a New Office in Chiang Mai”; and “Mawlamyaing University Law Department’s Ambitious Clinical Legal Education (CLE) Plan” and many more.
We also have a number of self-reflective-experience articles, all written directly by our team members, partners and volunteers, and we think they are worth academy awards. Please follow us through Pa’s article about her legal aid study tour to Indonesia, Thip’s leadership visit to the USA, Intha’s experience of working with BABSEA CLE in Thailand, and the National Economic University (NEU) Vietnam student’s article, about attending the Access to Justice Weekend and 6th Trio for Justice in Chiang Mai.
These articles, and many more, are ready and eagerly waiting for you. If you want to grab some popcorn in the process, please feel free to do so.
We hope that our collective efforts are reflected in this Quarterly Newsletter, that it thrills and energizes you, like Furious 7 does for so many, and that it reveals the truly impactful work of our organization and partners.
We sincerely thank all our supporters, volunteers, interns, staffs and friends for everything, because we can’t do it without your help. So the race is on, which is both very fast but also slow and steady, to the next quarter of 2015!
Lan Anh Nguyen, BABSEA CLE Newsletter Coordinator, on behalf of the BABSEA CLE Team
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Dagon University hosted the hugely successful Inaugural Myanmar National CLE Mock Trial Event, on February 7-8, 2015. The event brought together almost 100 participants, including students, law faculty teaching staff, International Clinicians in Residence, international trainers and legal experts, law officers, UNDP personnel and international lawyers, who attended as judges The first of its kind to be held, in Myanmar, this event was co-organised by Bridges Across Borders South East Asia Community Legal Education Initiative (BABSEA CLE), DLA Piper/New Perimeter, Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF), and was supported by the United National Development Programme (UNDP) and USAID. Read more! |
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Leadership Learning in the USA-A Laotian Experience
It was unbelievable that I had a chance to attend a study visit in the USA. As part of working hard, with Bridges Across Borders South East Asia Community Legal Education Initiative (BABSEA CLE), I am helping to lead the organization, in implementing clinical legal education (CLE) throughout my country of Laos. As a result of this important responsibility I had a chance to meet with representatives from the US Embassy. Read more!
My First Legal Aid Study Visit to Indonesia
I was nomination to attend ‘The Study Visit of Laotian & Cambodian NGOs to Indonesia’, began my journey to Indonesia, a once in a lifetime experience that I had always dreamt of, This program was organized by the Human Rights Working Group (HRWG) Indonesia, and was held 30thJanuary – 6th February, 2015 began.
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Further Building of the Rule of Law in Myanmar
The Rule of Law Centres Pilot Project
The training program has come to an end, with a very exciting graduation ceremony that was attended by members of the Pyithu Hluttaw Coordinating Body for the Rule of Law Centres, participants, family and friends.
The Coordinating Body Chairperson, Daw Aung Sun Suu Kyi, granted certificates to the participants from Lashio and Mandalay as well as the national and international trainers. It was a great way to bring the training to an end.
Experiences of a Laos Law Lecturer Living and Learning in Chiang Mai
I am taking part in many memorable things, with the Bridges Across Borders South East Asia Community Legal Education Initiative (BABSEA CLE) team, including Chiang Mai University, English tutorial, Wildflower Home and the Wat Sai Moon Temple, and would like to share my Chiang Mai experiences, in Thailand, thus far.
BABSEA CLE Access to Justice Weekend
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A Gathering of The Clan
Saturday, January 10th, 2015, saw large numbers of the Bridges Across Borders South East Asia Community Legal Education Initiative (BABSEA CLE) team, our partners and supporters take part in a new event: the Access to Justice Weekend which combined the 6th Trio for Justice with the Access to Justice Fair along with two days of trainings, a dinner and a movie night. This groundbreaking occasion took place on a fine Saturday morning, at Huey Tueng Tao Park, Chiang Mai, Thailand, with a post-event dinner. This was all followed by directors working lunch, the next day.
Workshop on Survey Design @ The Access to Justice Weekend
On January 8, 2015 I gave a workshop to just under 25 students and advocates for justice at the Access to Justice Weekend Fair at Chiang Mai Hill Hotel with Wendy Morrish.
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Practical Lessons for Vietnam from the BABSEA CLE Access to Justice Weekend
We are students of the Clinical Legal Education at the National Economics University (NEU), Vietnam. From 6th January to 10th January, we took part in the “ACCESS TO JUSTICE WEEKEND”, which was held by Bridges Across Borders Southeast Asia Community Legal Education Initiative (BABSEA CLE), in Chiang Mai, Thailand. We learnt many things about CLE in other countries. It was a great opportunity for us to learn more about CLE.
Unlimited and precious experiences from BABSEA CLE Access to Justice Weekend
This year’s Trio For Justice walk/run was unique, because it had never been held, before, with the Access to Justice (A-J) Public Interest Fair. Our law firm, Beacon Law Corporation, had the pleasure of flying up to Chiang Mai for the event, with three truly remarkable people, Carol, from a social enterprise Photokidz, a Singaporean NGO, Carrie from Daughters of Tomorrow, another Singaporean NGO and Alice, from DOT’s World. They all exhibited at the A-J Fair.
Upcoming Events |
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The 4th Asia Pro Bono Conference & Legal Ethics Forum: (September Mandalay, Myanmar) See You in Less than 5 months
“The concept of service pro bono publico is found at the very core of the profession. In fact, it distinguishes the practice of law as a profession.” Justice J-C Major
The 4th Asia Pro Bonon Conference and Legal Ethics Forum (www.probonoconference.org) is less than 5 months away and all of us at BABSEA CLE are incredibly excited and super busy helping to make this event the success we know it will be.
Bringing the Asia Region Together for a CLE Summer School_Chiang Mai, Thailand 5-14 June, 2015
Bridges Across Borders South East Asia Community Legal Education Initiative (BABSEA CLE), in conjunction with the South East Asia Clinical Legal Education Association (SEACLEA) , will host a ten day Regional CLE Summer School Training Workshop, in Chiang Mai, Thailand 5-14 June, 2015. For several years, BABSEA CLE has successfully conducted CLE Summer School training workshops to help develop and strengthen the Clinical Legal Education (CLE) programs of the Myanmar (2014) and Vietnam (2012) university law faculties. BABSEA CLE will be holding another national CLE Summer School in Myanmar in May 2015.
Latest news! |
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New members at the BABSEA CLE team
BABSEA CLE is pleased to introduce its newest member at the BABSEA CLE team.
Growing Pains and Moving to A New Office in Chiang Mai
Our team in Thailand set out to find a suitable space and find one is what they did. Not only did the team move to new offices, on the 2nd of March, 2015, they also moved to a completely renovated building. The address is 41/1 Soi 1, Siriot Road, Suthep, Mueng, Chiang Mai 50200.
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