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By Henry Futerman

My work experience at René Cassin was an informative, impactful and enjoyable experience in which I learnt about the inner workings of an advocacy organisation, improved my knowledge of the legal side of human rights and was taught how to effectively advocate for causes that I am passionate about. To do my work experience with an organisation so dedicated to improving the human rights landscape in this country was so inspiring. In today’s world full of people turning a blind eye to injustice, René Cassin advocates for the marginalised and being just a small part of that was truly an amazing experience.

In my week here, I was able to research and write an article on the treatment of children who are seeking asylum, a topic that I am very passionate about, and so being given the opportunity to work on it was immensely valuable. Previously, I had never looked at the different legal obligations that the government had towards children, and so doing so and then using this in my article was incredibly interesting. Also, getting to draw on Jewish experiences of the Kindertransport and my own experience with the Homes for Ukraine scheme was super valuable, showing the importance of both safe routes and community-based alternatives to detention. Looking at human rights through a Jewish lens emphasised both the impact that my community can make and further invigorated my passion for the subject. In another piece of work, I was able to look at the impact that equality legislation has on the Jewish community, which was both engaging and also equipped me with further backing to combat discrimination that I can take into other facets of my life.

One of my favourite things that I did in my week was visiting the Justice Committee in Parliament (Portcullis House). It was both an awesome experience to go to Parliament and incredibly informative, giving me a good insight into how select committees work and some of the things that a career in advocacy or politics would entail.

I found the work that I did this week to be engaging, valuable and rewarding, giving me a great foundation for any future advocacy that I wish to be involved in. As someone passionate about social justice, spending a week focusing on just that was an experience that will stick with me, and I’m sure will inform many of my choices in the future.