Sarah Marx
BSc (Stellenbosch University), LLB student (UNISA)
“I am excited to learn more about the Constitution, a cornerstone of our democracy. I hope to become more familiar with current constitutional issues affecting South Africa, and gain experience on the role that civil society organisations play in advancing constitutional values. Interning at the CFCR will assist me in sharpening my legal research and writing skills. My legal interests include constitutional, international and criminal law.”
Josefa Dengler
Legal trainee at the Higher Regional Court of Berlin, Germany
“Although my focus is on international and European law, I have always had a weakness for constitutional law because of its close link to politics. I am thus happy to intern at the CFCR, learning and writing about South Africa’s Constitution and political situation. I also believe in the importance of media as the Fourth Estate and am amazed to have my first work experience in the NGO sector, discovering and being part of South Africa’s strong civil society.”
Myra Sivaloganathan
B.A. in Philosophy and World Religion from McGill University (Canada), M.A. in Religious Studies from McMaster University (Canada)
Myra is currently a Juris Doctor Candidate at the University of Windsor. Prior to joining CFCR, she worked as a foreign policy researcher and peacebuilding practitioner in Sri Lanka. Myra’s graduate research engaged with ethno-religious relations and transitional justice in contemporary Sri Lanka. Her legal interests include international, human rights, and constitutional law. Myra joined the CFCR to explore South African constitutional rights and gain a broader sense of transitional justice in an international context.
Jonas Pauly
BA Political Science and Public Law, University of Bremen, Germany
“Without a doubt, every State has its own character – and today’s South Africa a poisonous past. During my internship, I appreciate being able to learn and contribute to the CFCR’s work of enhancing the political discourse from a constitutional perspective. While populists, from several political backgrounds, promise simple solutions to our time’s challenges, it is critical to emphasise complex technical and legal realities. Certainly, this does not count for South Africa alone, but for all countries.
My personal perspective is shaped by previous internships at the German Bundestag and the German Embassy in FYR Macedonia. Parallel to my studies, I worked as a research assistant for a politician at the provincial level, focusing on Women’s politics, labour relations and European Affairs, as well as for the Research Centre for International Relations, European Politics, and Political Theory at the University of Bremen. During my studies, I benefited from the support of the Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation and the German Academic Scholarship Foundation.”
Antonia Drummond
B.A. Political Science from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri
“I am from Portland, Oregon, but studied political science and mathematics at Washington University in St. Louis. I will be attending the London School of Economics in September for an MSc in Development Management, with a particular focus in technological development and developmental economic policy. I am excited to work at the CFCR, where I can engage my interests in law, politics, and society in the South African context. I appreciate the CFCR’s commitment to research and advocacy, a combination of which I believe is essential to championing civil rights. I look forward to strengthening my analytical skills and developing deeper understanding of South African constitutional law at the CFCR.”
Sonam Mansingh
LLB, University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), LLM in Marine and Environmental Law, University of Cape Town (UCT)
“I am currently completing my Masters in Law at UCT. My dissertation is focused on climate change law and the interrelation between human rights and the right to a healthy environment, drawing particular attention to the plight of developing states in a climate changing world. Human rights have in the past and will continue to be exploited, this has led me to pursue a career within this realm of law in the hope to make my contribution to creating a better society that upholds the foundational values of our unique Constitution. In undertaking this internship I seek to attain invaluable experience not only within the human rights sector, but as well as the non-governmental sector in an effort to impartially gauge South Africa’s compliance with the Constitution.”
Kiah Murphy
B.A. International Development and Social Change from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts
“I am originally from Boston, Massachusetts and am currently working towards an Honours and Master’s degree in Social Development from UCT. Upon completion of my Masters, I aspire to enter law school and specialise in Transitional, Constitutional, or Human Rights law. I chose to apply for a CFCR internship to gain a foundational understanding of Constitutional issues in the developing context of South Africa. My undergraduate work had an emphasis on secondary research; in contrast–moving to South Africa has provided a more pertinent and human experience of the social issues that I grappled with in academia. I look forward to hybridising my knowledge of international development with Constitutional law, to build a stronger lens of analysis in my future professional work. I believe it is integral to take a multi-faceted approach when embarking on social advocacy, and the CFCR highlights this in its ethos of upholding and promoting the South African Constitution”.
Esther Gumboh
LLB Hons, University of Malawi (UNIMA) and LLM (Criminal Justice), University of Cape Town (UCT)
Esther is currently completing her doctorate in Criminal Justice at UCT and doing a research paper on the international trends in independent prosecuting authorities. Her main motivation for applying for an internship at the CFCR was to get more acquainted with current constitutional issues in South Africa, and to get hands on experience in the role that non-governmental organisations like the CFCR can play to advance constitutional values and make the Constitution real for everyone.
Rebecca Sibanda
LLB from the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in Cape Town, South Africa) and an LLM in International Law at the University of Cape Town (UCT) focused on both international law and human rights protection.
“I am a young lady from Zimbabwe who is passionate about human rights protection and enforcement. I chose to apply for an internship at the CFCR because of the interest I have for human rights protection, particularly in the developing world. South Africa’s comprehensive and renowned Constitution is a wonderful example of a way forward in this arena. The CFCR offered a unique opportunity to see how the Constitution operates on the ground and whether its effectiveness is felt by the people for whom it was drafted. I believe that human rights are fundamental to the existence of every human being and that it serves no purpose to merely have them enumerated in a document without their actual realisation.”