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Ximena Casas
I am a lawyer from El Rosario University in Bogotá,
Colombia. I am proud to come from a country that boasts dramatically
beautiful rainforests, mountains, and beaches, vibrant cities, and
enchanting people who always seem to smile. Unfortunately, this
beauty coexists with stark violence and a critical human rights
situation. While Colombia has a robust democratic history, a forty-year
armed conflict has left many Colombians feeling helpless and indifferent.
As a law student I became more interested in examining the mechanisms
being used to address the vast number of deaths and displacements
arising from this conflict.
Upon completing my legal studies, I moved to Washington,
D.C. for three reasons: to improve my English, advance my knowledge
and experience in the human rights field, and obtain a graduate
degree in law. I am pursuing these goals at Georgetown University,
Human Rights Watch, and the Center for Justice and International
Law. After my LL.M., I hope to continue my work monitoring human
rights in Latin America. I believe the LL.M. will train me for a
position of leadership within government ministries and judicial
offices devoted to upholding the rule of law in Colombia.
Washington, D.C. is the ideal place to develop
knowledge on issues of international relations. I feel fortunate
to have found ISH, not only because of the great location—close
to the heart of the city—but because I have the opportunity
to meet diverse people from all around the world, whose unique perspectives
help to enrich my own experience. Here at the house we have extraordinary
cultural activities and lectures where we can discuss issues and
their global impact. It is an unforgettable experience living with
people with different beliefs, religions and outlooks because it
teaches how important it is to respect other points of view. I quickly
made close friends at ISH just by sharing daily routines and thoughts.
These people have become my family and have profoundly changed me.
So when it is time to say goodbye I know that even if I don’t
see them again they will be in my heart and memories forever.
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