A Whirlwind Week
My first week with International Bridges to Justice came and went in a flash. After arriving early Sunday morning, I had the afternoon to settle in and prepare for work the next day. I quickly discovered that next to nothing is open on Sundays, which made finding food a challenge. After a quick Dominos dinner, I crashed early and prepared for my first day at IBJ-Geneva.
As the international headquarters, IBJ-Geneva offers a unique perspective into the functioning of an NGO. The staff provided a quick run-down of the organization and by the afternoon, I was working on my first project. IBJ's mission is to provide early and competent legal services to individuals in areas with developing legal systems. The organization's field offices around the world work hands-on with locals to train new attorneys and inform citizens of their rights. Much of this humanitarian work takes place at the field offices; the Geneva office, by contrast, operates as the more "corporate" side of the organization. Because of this, my work is very different from what you might expect of a non-profit.
My first project, working alongside Tessa Tigar-Cross, is to build from scratch a risk-management plan for the entire organization. A risk-management plan seeks to lower an organization's risk by predicting potential problems and recommending solutions and protocol. With an organization as large as IBJ, a risk management plan spans topics such as employment law, terrorist attacks, insurance policy, and more. The project is large, but we intend to complete it by the end of the summer.
Although my first week at IBJ was full of researching new legal issues, my time was not all about the work. On my first day, the staff welcomed Tessa and I with a party, complete with Swiss cheeses, breads, and French wine. For my first weekend, Tessa and I took a short trip over the border to Lyon, France, and enjoyed our Saturday exploring the city.
As my work with IBJ progresses, I look forward to learning more about employment law, intellectual property law, and other legal topics. There is a lot of work to do, but with such an incredible organization, my time will also be full of fun.