Human Rights Internship Programme 2006
Melva Elfrida Sihombing (GMKI) in the Philippines and Hong Kong
This year’s Human Rights Internship Programme had two main objectives:
- To help strengthen and facilitate the development of WSCF AP’s Human Rights Programme; and
- To provide opportunity for individual SCMs to strengthen and develop analysis on the theme and skills necessary in human rights advocacy work through exposure, integration and actual campaign work.
After a thorough search and application process, WSCF AP selected Ms. Melva Elfrida Sihombing, a member of SCM Indonesia (GMKI). Melva’s programme included a one-and-a-half-month program in the Philippines and one-and-a-half-month internship in WSCF AP’s regional office in Hong Kong. The following is Melva’s reflection/report of her time in the Philippines.
I’ve read and heard stories about human rights violations in the Philippines but it did not make my “brain bleed” in shock and disbelief until I actually arrived Manila on the 3rd of December, 2006. As a Human Rights intern from WSCF AP, I joined an exposure program with human rights organizations called KARAPATAN, an Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Right’s and the EMJP (Ecumenical Movement for Justice and Peace). My host were SCM Philippines members composed of Dion Cefarron, Biyaya Quizon, and Leni Valerio. They gave me a brief orientation of my program and organized my itinerary during my one and half month internship in the Philippines. They also introduced me to the staff of Karapatan and EMJP and arrange my temporary settlement in Manila. They shared information about the current Philippines situation that made me really excited about my internship. [read on]
