into my major

I had the pleasure of visiting the Inter American Court of Human Rights with my Human Rights in Latin America class and I have to say it is one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had. We were given a tour by the secretary and he sat down to discuss many of the processes, as well as court cases that are seen. This made my heart jump out of my chest being that it is along the lines of what I would like to do with my life, working with Indigenous peoples and endangered species. During class I learned that the United States has not ratified the document needed for us to be a part of the court and how it has its advantages and disadvantages. The court is very small and 60% of the funding needed for the court was given by Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. This court gave me a bittersweet feeling because they have the power to go as far as amending constitutions, but cannot force the country to comply with the rulings. This left me with a pain in my heart because I want to know what more people can do when their rights are being violated, they have gone through the proper channels, the court rules in their favor, but the country does not comply. It is even more disheartening because many of these cases take years to get processed. However, on the plus side I do understand that one cannot win every war and there are many countries who are willing to comply, which is good for the people. Venezuela recently pulled out of the court and many questions were asked as to how to help, but there were not many answers. Being in the court gave me more motivation to fight for those without a voice,. I am not sure how I am going to do it, but so many things have been swept under the rug and people have been crying out for help. The court has the right idea and I am forever thankful that my professor planned this trip. It was not only eye opening, but it allowed me to broaden my horizons.  I am all smiles after this experience. They also offer internships :)