Daly Quigley letter to American Law Professors (1)
To: Law Professors Interested in International Social Justice
From: Erin Daly, Widener University Delaware Law School,
Bill Quigley, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law
Dear Colleagues:
We write to invite you to participate in an exciting experience — to share some of your knowledge with Haitian law students at the Université de la Fondation Dr Aristide (UNIFA) in Port au Prince, Haiti.
Both of us have had the privilege of working here at UNIFA. Erin Daly is responsible for Institutional Development during this academic year; Bill Quigley taught a short seminar on Social Justice Law. Other faculty members from American law schools have also taught at UNIFA in the past few years. Courses can range from one-day seminars to multi-week or semester-long courses and they can be on almost any topic — human rights, environmental law, immigration, international law, etc.
While UNIFA has no political agenda, it does have a strong social justice mission. Located just outside Port au Prince, UNIFA has about 1000 students, mostly in medical and nursing schools; the law school is just in its third year and has about 25 students per class. (Law schools throughout Haiti are under-enrolled due in part to the precarity of rule of law in the country). We have found the students to be enthusiastic, diligent, and happy to have the opportunity to study law; they are dedicated to using their legal skills to help those less fortunate. They are also extremely grateful to those who share their time and expertise with them, and very receptive to learning.
Classes are taught in French, but we can arrange for translation if you do not speak French. Given the financial situation in Haiti, UNIFA is unable to pay you for your time, or to reimburse your travel expenses. UNIFA will provide free transportation for you once you get here and will provide accommodation in on-campus faculty townhouses or recommendations for nearby hotels. Erin can make arrangements for you. While life in Port au Prince does not have many of the luxuries we take for granted in the US, you will find all the basic amenities.
We have found our time at UNIFA to be profoundly meaningful; spending time with these students and the UNIFA faculty is an experience that will stay with you forever.
If you want to know more, please contact Erin Daly or Bill Quigley. We will help you with course details and make logistical arrangements with you, and we can answer any questions about travel to Haiti.
Thanks for considering.
Erin and Bill