Work (yeah, I do that occassionally)
So I've spent the last couple of weeks editing up a storm. I was assigned to edit/proofread an application for funding that was being submitted to the European Commission, and once I finished that (and had a day of downtime, when no one knew what to do with me), I was assigned to edit HRAAP's 2003 Annual Report. Yes, that's right, 2003 - written and published in 2004. Why was I asked to edit it, you ask? Good freaking question!!!! I don't think I've ever been asked to do busy-work as transparently useless as this ...
Except, really, it wasn't useless at all. Clearly, it didn't help the organization much, but it gave me a very good 115-page overview of what we do around here, and the state of prisons in Egypt. Since I'm fighting to reform the damn things, I guess it's good to know how they're run at this point. I read some pretty interesting stuff in there, too ... really horrible cases of torture and disappearance, and stupid legislative flaws that enable police and detention officers to get away with absolutely astonishing things. For example, someone in the Egyptian legislature thought it would be smart to define "torture" to ONLY include abuse of someone currently in detention and being investigated for a crime. This means that 1) family members of defendants, or random people with no charges pending, and 2) convicts in prison, are never "tortured," no matter what is done to them - the worse charge that can be filed on their behalf is a misdemeanor called "cruelty." Genius, eh? Almost as good is the caveat that ONLY the general prosecutors (e.g. district attorney, assistant DAs, etc) are allowed to file torture claims, NOT victims - if I was taken into custody and tortured, my only recourse would be to report to the general prosecutors and hope that they were willing to open an investigation. I guess this is kind of analagous to the US system - it's not like I can file my own criminal charges in Boston - but the close relationship between the police and general prosecutors, and the lack of any guidelines directing when the case will be investigated (it's left entirely up to the discretion of the prosecutors, who don't even have to explain their decisions), results in very few cases filed regarding state-sponsored torture. If nothing else, I'm definitely convinced that the system could benefit from reform!
Anyhow, that done, and no new editing projects on my schedule, I've moved on to my more ambiguous project of "building a closer working relationship with the UN and other International Organizations." I still haven't gotten guidance, mainly because I don't feel like asking for it, but I think progress is being made all the same ...
It turns out that NGOs can register for "consultative" status with ECOSOC, the main body under which human rights work is done at the UN. There are a few different levels, depending on how relevant we actually are, but it seems like we qualify for "special" status (as opposed to "general") as an organization that specializes in prison reform and torture. The only problem is that we need to meet certain structural requirements - a constitution, a democratically-run decision-making process, etc - and I'm not certain that we do. I think I'll ask the relevant questions in writing, though. That seems to make the communication a bit smoother.
Once that's determined, and if we meet the requirements, I get to write a letter of intent and then fill out an extensive application about how valuable our assistance would be to the UN. I don't know how often consulting actually takes place, as there are currently almost 3,000 NGOs registered with the UN. However, it would give us constant access to relevant UN conventions and sessions, and then we could join this organization, CONGO, of NGOs with consultative status, which organizes additional projects and initiatives and stuff. So, this is what I'm hoping to work on in the next few days.
I'm also going to dig around for other organizations that might be of interest to us. I know there are some pan-regional groups that bring together multiple NGOs, so might see if there are any relevant and reputable options there. And I should spend some time researching the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights ... maybe I have other options there.
So, all in all, work is kind of interesting right now. I'm a little irritated at times to have so little guidance, and find myself wondering what exactly the OPIA evaluation of this organization says - but of course, I never found the time to go up to the office and check it out. I have, however, talked to an Irish girl who interned here last summer, who said that "No one spoke English and they didn't seem to know what to do with me," so at least I know I'm not alone! The pro, though: I can get as much or as little out of this summer as I want, and since I want to learn more about how international organizations actually work, spending my time trying to get my organization recognized by ECOSOC seems like valuable and relevant job experience, even if it wasn't specifically assigned ... And, well, on the days where I really just don't want to do anything, I can pretty easily get away with it!
Except, really, it wasn't useless at all. Clearly, it didn't help the organization much, but it gave me a very good 115-page overview of what we do around here, and the state of prisons in Egypt. Since I'm fighting to reform the damn things, I guess it's good to know how they're run at this point. I read some pretty interesting stuff in there, too ... really horrible cases of torture and disappearance, and stupid legislative flaws that enable police and detention officers to get away with absolutely astonishing things. For example, someone in the Egyptian legislature thought it would be smart to define "torture" to ONLY include abuse of someone currently in detention and being investigated for a crime. This means that 1) family members of defendants, or random people with no charges pending, and 2) convicts in prison, are never "tortured," no matter what is done to them - the worse charge that can be filed on their behalf is a misdemeanor called "cruelty." Genius, eh? Almost as good is the caveat that ONLY the general prosecutors (e.g. district attorney, assistant DAs, etc) are allowed to file torture claims, NOT victims - if I was taken into custody and tortured, my only recourse would be to report to the general prosecutors and hope that they were willing to open an investigation. I guess this is kind of analagous to the US system - it's not like I can file my own criminal charges in Boston - but the close relationship between the police and general prosecutors, and the lack of any guidelines directing when the case will be investigated (it's left entirely up to the discretion of the prosecutors, who don't even have to explain their decisions), results in very few cases filed regarding state-sponsored torture. If nothing else, I'm definitely convinced that the system could benefit from reform!
Anyhow, that done, and no new editing projects on my schedule, I've moved on to my more ambiguous project of "building a closer working relationship with the UN and other International Organizations." I still haven't gotten guidance, mainly because I don't feel like asking for it, but I think progress is being made all the same ...
It turns out that NGOs can register for "consultative" status with ECOSOC, the main body under which human rights work is done at the UN. There are a few different levels, depending on how relevant we actually are, but it seems like we qualify for "special" status (as opposed to "general") as an organization that specializes in prison reform and torture. The only problem is that we need to meet certain structural requirements - a constitution, a democratically-run decision-making process, etc - and I'm not certain that we do. I think I'll ask the relevant questions in writing, though. That seems to make the communication a bit smoother.
Once that's determined, and if we meet the requirements, I get to write a letter of intent and then fill out an extensive application about how valuable our assistance would be to the UN. I don't know how often consulting actually takes place, as there are currently almost 3,000 NGOs registered with the UN. However, it would give us constant access to relevant UN conventions and sessions, and then we could join this organization, CONGO, of NGOs with consultative status, which organizes additional projects and initiatives and stuff. So, this is what I'm hoping to work on in the next few days.
I'm also going to dig around for other organizations that might be of interest to us. I know there are some pan-regional groups that bring together multiple NGOs, so might see if there are any relevant and reputable options there. And I should spend some time researching the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights ... maybe I have other options there.
So, all in all, work is kind of interesting right now. I'm a little irritated at times to have so little guidance, and find myself wondering what exactly the OPIA evaluation of this organization says - but of course, I never found the time to go up to the office and check it out. I have, however, talked to an Irish girl who interned here last summer, who said that "No one spoke English and they didn't seem to know what to do with me," so at least I know I'm not alone! The pro, though: I can get as much or as little out of this summer as I want, and since I want to learn more about how international organizations actually work, spending my time trying to get my organization recognized by ECOSOC seems like valuable and relevant job experience, even if it wasn't specifically assigned ... And, well, on the days where I really just don't want to do anything, I can pretty easily get away with it!
posted by Teale at 1:16 PM
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