I have nothing but positive memories of the experiences that I have had over the past 10 weeks while at ODAC. It seems like just yesterday that Beverly and I sat down with Mukelani, the Deputy Executive Director, to discuss the work that we would be assigned during our time here.
I conducted a large amount of research on freedom of information laws in Africa and around the world. This included formulating arguments regarding the right to internet being embedded within the right to information and additionally providing commentary on the agendas of other NGOs around Sub-Saharan Africa as they continue to advocate for increased freedom of expression rights in their law-making bodies. I enjoyed observing sessions of an ad-hoc parliamentary committee tasked with drafting a Protection of Information (Secrecy) law and Alison, ODAC’s Executive Director, also assigned me a project where I was to extract clauses relating to PAIA (Protection of Access to Information Act) from South African environmental law to be compiled for comparative analysis with other countries around the world.
Another one of the highlights of my time at ODAC was definitely being sent to Polokwane in Limpopo Province with Emma to assist in the presentation of a workshop regarding the Protected Disclosures Act. We educated members of various trade unions on how they can best use statute to their advantage when blowing the whistle on corruption in the workplace. While this opportunity was extremely professionally enriching, the greatest takeaway was the cultural and political experience of going to a more remote area of South Africa and interacting with members of COSATU, The Congress of South African Trade Unions. The COSATU members were cautiously attentive, especially as we fielded questions that were oftentimes very politically charged. Little did I know that learning how to drive on the left-hand side of the street would not be the largest hurdle of the trip.
Above all, the best part of my time in Cape Town was getting to know all of the members of the ODAC team. I will miss staff meetings on Monday mornings more than anything (except maybe lunches at the Eastern Food Bazaar). Further, sharing an office with my comrades, Tobela, Mkhululi, and Ronald, remained perennially entertaining as we exchanged lighthearted banter about everything from workshops in Khayelitsha and the KZN (pronounced “kay-zed-en”) to our favorite lunch spots.
I would highly recommend this opportunity to anyone interested in coming to Cape Town and learning more about South African law and politics.
Mike
Beverly Vu ( Intern 2011) – In her own words……..
I have worked at ODAC for 2 months now, starting in May and ending in July. As my final day approaches, I can honestly say that I will be sad to go. During my time here in Cape Town I have been exposed to many interesting and important issues regarding open and transparent governance. Best of all, ODAC has shown me how one small NGO can make a difference. Members of this office have been caring, funny, dedicated, and have gone out of their way to make me feel welcome in Cape Town (whether it be by sharing food and videos or yoga recommendations). ODAC has a very collegial atmosphere and it is clear that everyone is passionate about his or her work. I was especially impressed by the many projects my director, Alison Tilley, and supervisor, Mukelani Dimba, are involved in and I am sure it is through their direction that ODAC has been as successful as it is, with growing international recognition.While at ODAC I worked on several projects. I wrote a brief regarding international standpoints on public interest defenses, looked at the effect of amicus curiae participation in bilateral investment treaty arbitrations and its implications on civil society involvement, researched freedom of expression laws in the workplace, assisted with surveys of freedom of expression and access to information laws, and regularly attended parliamentary deliberations on the Protection of Information (Secrecy) Bill. My work was varied and challenging, and I am grateful that I was given the opportunity to tap into many different areas of law.
I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here at ODAC and in the beautiful city of Cape Town. I would definitely recommend this internship to anyone coming to Cape Town!
Montage of time spent at ODAC
James Robert Kinngman
Jim is a rising 2nd Year Student at Harvard Law School from Corsicana, Texas. He graduated from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, in 2009 with a B.A. in English Literature. As an Undergraduate, Jim participated in the European Studies Program on the Classical track, studying abroad at Lincoln College, Oxford, UK, Greece, Turkey, and Italy.
After this program, he participated in a Spanish Immersion Program at Estudio Sampere in Salamanca and Madrid. He is interested in open and transparent governance, and the way that nations deal with the global attention caused by large-scale international events such as the FIFA World Cup.
Cary Mayberger
Cary Mayberger is our second intern at ODAC, working from June to August of 2010. Cary graduated from the University of Virginia in the United States with her bachelor’s degree in English and French. Cary is currently a 2nd Year law student at Harvard Law School in Massachusetts.
At Harvard Law, Cary is the Vice President of the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund (SALDF) and is currently writing an article about equine welfare that she hopes will be published in the Lewis & Clark Animal Law Journal. Previously, she worked for Common Cause, a watchdog organization in Washington, D.C. that promotes and monitors ethics and transparency in government; Cary is excited to be currently working with an organization that espouses similar objectives for South African governance.
In the END – what they had to say about their time spent in Cape Town and at ODAC
Cary Mayberger
I was a volunteer intern at ODAC from June-August 2010. I am currently a law student at Harvard Law School in the U.S., about to enter my second year of study (it’s a 3-year graduate degree).
Over the past several months, I was involved in two main projects. The first was a project for Mukelani, the Deputy Executor here at ODAC. Mukelani is doing research on access to information laws and policies in several other African countries. Because I studied French in college, he had me research this issue in the DRC and write a descriptive report. Most of the reading I did for my research was in French. I compiled a 30-page report, finding that (1) the laws/constitutional provisions protecting the right to information in the DRC are nonexistent, shaky, or simply not implemented; (2) citizens do not know they can request information from the government or how to do so; (3) citizens are preoccupied with more vital, “life or death” concerns, such as physical security. I ultimately concluded that it is not likely that DRC citizens currently make or will soon make requests to the government for information. I also assisted Mukelani by translating some correspondence and documents from English into French so that he could communicate with another organization in the DRC.
The second major project I was involved with concerned victim empowerment policies in South Africa and the feasibility of enacting victim empowerment legislation. I attended weekly meetings with Alison Tilley, the Executive Director of ODAC, and others involved with the project from Rape Crisis Centre and the Women’s Legal Centre. After researching the relevant policies in South Africa and international trends in victim services treaties and legislation, I wrote a policy piece proposing a more proactive system of providing information to victims of crimes, arguing for victim empowerment legislation that specifically confers upon victims the automatic right to be updated about the progress of their case, whether or not they have specifically requested that information.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my experience volunteering at ODAC and living in Cape Town. I recommend working at the organization to anyone with an interest in freedom of information policy.
James Robert Kinngman (Jim)
I volunteered at ODAC as an intern and researcher during my summer break between my first and second years at Harvard Law School. Though it was winter in Cape Town—much different than the Texas summers I am used to in June and July—the experience allowed me to enjoy the city during the World Cup while working on accountable and transparent governance matters. The office is small and each person has their own set of projects, so over the course of my time here I worked on many different issues.
For my first assignment, I wrote part of an Amicus Curiae brief for the Inter-American Court of Human Rights regarding the right to truth for the families of Brazilian guerillas disappeared by the military junta in the 1970s. In addition to sifting through international law, this required me to learn the Constitutional framework behind the Promotion of Access to Information Act and the Protected Disclosures Act. I also prepared a literature review on the state of Access of Information laws in Zambia and Uganda. The Protection of Information Bill and the Protection of Personal Information Bill are both progressing through Parliament, so on days of important presentation or deliberation, I would go observe the process. I drafted a few memos regarding the use of ‘public interest,’ ‘national interest,’ and other terms related to the legislation.
Throughout the summer I researched the role of free speech laws in the workplace throughout the world. I helped grade and compile the Golden Key Awards, the recognition that ODAC confers on organizations that have distinguished themselves with transparent and accountable processes, as well as helping to design a study on the connection between the application of South African access to information laws and primary education.
Good luck with all your future endeavours.
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