Indigenous law student, Daniela Pedraza Ascue from Cusco, attributed the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative’s (ABA ROLI) internship program to motivating young lawyers to “take actions that help eradicate the problems that afflict [their] communities today.” Aimed at promoting equitable access to justice in Peru, ABA ROLI’s 30-day internship program placed Indigenous lawyers and law students in the Judiciary, the Prosecutor's Office, and the National Justice Board, among others, to learn how they operate.
Facilitated through ABA ROLI’s Justice Sector Support Project, this initiative responded to the need for Indigenous peoples to enhance their knowledge of their rights and crime-prevention regulations to protect more than 2.7 million people in the Andean and Amazonian region. Daniela detailed the problems that plague her community, such as “conflicts related to domestic violence, gender violence, theft of livestock, and agricultural products.”
The internship enhanced the participants’ legal and intercultural skills, provided access to key justice institutions, facilitated exchanges with authorities and specialists on access to justice, and offered hands-on experience in court hearings and case analysis.
