Auckland student represents NZ at Human rights lab in France

7 July 2014

Auckland student to represent New Zealand at Human rights lab in France

23 year-old University of Auckland student Julia Reynolds will represent New Zealand at the second edition of LabCitoyen, an international Human Rights lab in France, gathering 82 young people travelling from 60 different countries.

Selected from over 20 candidacies, Julia’s application stood out due to her long-lasted involvement in human rights organisations. Over the last few years, she has taken part in university associations, such as “Equal Justice Project”, a student run pro bono initiative empowering communities to seek equal access to justice through education, service, and advocacy. She was also the president of the Street law section, informing students of the judicial rights and was a founding member of “law for change”, which aims at promoting New Zealand public interest law. She presents a special interest in women, children and ethnic minorities’ rights.

From July 7th to 16th, Julia will be exchanging with students from over the world around the theme “Human Rights in the digital era and the fight against discriminations”. During 10 days, the participants have a full-packed programme of visits, workshops and lectures, including a notable one on the fight against death penalty to be given by the French Minister of Foreign affairs and International development, Mr Laurent Fabius.

Other lecturers to take part in the lab include Mrs Patrizianna Sparacino-Thiellay, French Ambassador for Human rights, Nobel Prize Mrs Anne Denis, Mr Bernard Benhamou, French expert on Internet and the economy of information as well as representatives from Global Voices, Inter-LGBT or Human Rights Watch.

The participants will also visit the National Assembly where they will get to exchange on the exercise of democracy.

Labcitoyen is a mobility programme for young people proposed by the Embassy of France in New Zealand in partnership with the Institut Français, centred on the theme of human rights and liberties. Its aim is to promote French as a language of debate and action in the context of today’s major issues.

ENDS

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