My voluntary work experience in the area of Law and Social Justice

Posted on: 30 June 2020 by Haneen, final year Law student at the University of Liverpool in Student experiences

I believe that it is important to consider diversity when it comes to employability. The University of Liverpool provides many opportunities when it comes to employability and these opportunities are open to a diverse range of students.

Following an advertised opportunity at Consonant, promoted through University of Liverpool Law School, I have been given the opportunity to secure voluntary work experience in the area of Law and Social Justice that I am most interested in. I am also from an ethnic minority background.

Consonant specialises in raising awareness of statelessness and helping people with legal advice and skills, such as improving English. My role with Consonant involves working on a diversity project aimed at children, through the book ‘The Girl Who Lost Her Country,’ where a girl called Neha, who is of Nepalese decent, travels the world learning about statelessness in different countries. My role is to design sessions and resources based on the book and guides given to me by my colleagues and, hopefully when schools reopen again, to get the chance to visit and put them into practice in a real school setting.

This book promotes diversity in education, as it shows that not all children grow up the same way. It teaches acceptance towards others who come from different cultures while provoking curiosity and excellent questions from children! This project feels very personal to me, coming from Palestinian decent, I would always get asked questions when I was at school about things like why I spoke a different language and my origin. 

I could not have asked for a better team, my colleagues are extremely supportive especially regarding study and supporting me with my role within the organisation. I have never felt more welcomed and I thank them for that! 

When looking for an employer my top priorities are that they are diverse, able to provide flexible working, especially in uncertain times like the one we are in now, and finally an employer that is willing to provide training in employee development and enrichment.  

My piece of advice to those reading this post is to never be afraid to take risks and apply for opportunities whether it is work experience, employment, internships or a university place. Society around us is becoming more and more diverse by the day and therefore institutions look to include individuals from all walks of life! Also if you would like to check out our work at Consonant here is the link:  http://www.kids.worldsstateless.org/learn