March 2009
In summer 2008, the ABA Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) organized summer schools and working retreats and sponsored two events at Vadu lui Voda in Moldova. The first event, a week-long retreat focused on legal practice before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), was organized by Emil Darii, ABA ROLI’s legal clinic program manager. Participants included administrators, lawyers and students affiliated with ABA ROLI’s legal clinics across Moldova. Attorneys who specialize in ECHR cases addressed specific convention articles and court procedures. Students participated in mock trial activities based on pending or previous ECHR cases involving Moldova. Moldovan law schools do not focus on the ECHR; thus, the event provided both students and professors with a platform for better understanding the ECHR’s influence on Moldova.
The second event was organized by the ABA ROLI-sponsored Causeni Law Center, in partnership with Winrock International Moldova and Peace Corps Moldova. It focused on human rights training and on raising awareness about gender equality, domestic violence and human trafficking. Participants included teenagers from rural areas who were identified in their communities as future leaders. A similar event in Vadu lui Voda was interrupted by flooding of the Nistru River and the ensuing evacuation. It was subsequently held in a new location with about 20 relocated participants. Participants said the event has inspired them to share their new training with counterparts.
To learn more about our work in Moldova, contact the ABA Rule of Law Initiative at <[email protected]>.