Reflections
Time Flies
I sit here, having just submitted my last work assignment, and think to myself how the past 10 weeks have flown by. It feels like it was yesterday that I embarked on this wild journey working for a Netherlands-based organization during a global pandemic. The distance brought about some difficulties, but also proved to be advantageous at times.
Flying to Brussels in order to at least be in the same time zone as my co-workers proved to be a great decision. It made communication and project coordination a lot easier to organize and carry out, as I was no longer working while my colleagues were asleep.
Working for the Constitution-Building Programme at International IDEA has truly been a wonderful and very enriching experience. It has given me the opportunity to learn more about how to research, compare and analyze constitutions through projects such as:
- Writing a profile on the constitutional history of Mali
- Drafting reports on constitutional environment innovations in Tunisia, Kenya, and Hungary
- Researching current constitutional reforms and events in French-speaking countries
The lessons I was taught through these tasks have been invaluable and will certainly prove to be useful in my future studies and endeavors.
Alongside the work aspect of the internship, I was also fortunate to ‘meet’ and get to know experts in the constitution-building field and champions for democracy. Talking to them, getting to know their backgrounds and the paths that have led them to where they are today has been particularly useful as I continue to figure out the international law career I wish to pursue.
Last Adventure
It has been sunny and warm the past two weeks. I took the opportunity to visit the French-speaking Walloon Region in Belgium. I thus planned a day trip to the Domaine Régional Solvay – a large plot of greenery, full of lakes, trees, horses, chipmunks, and the beautiful Château de La Hulpe.
