Inga Ivanovaite
MDAC. Do these letters make much sense prima facie? For me - they did not until the start of work in this Center carrying a “heavy intern label”. Honestly, I can consider it as the best label ever. The latter NGO in cipher of “MDAC” was a remarkable jump from theoretical law knowledge acquired through Master’s degree International Law studies straight to the international legal practice.
The intern status at MDAC was embellishing me for a period of two months with a great supervisor ahead. He provided excellent, and even challenging, tasks that are closely related to the project he is working on. In particular, I conducted a stakeholder analysis of the Republic of Lithuania concerning legal capacity of the people with mental disabilities and institute of guardianship.
The research embraced the present national legislation, state authorities and NGOs taking part on the latter issue. Most importantly, the recent amendments’ proposals for legal acts’ provisions, reflecting the law reform on legal capacity, and tense issues that emerged from signing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities were taken into consideration as well.
Moreover, I prepared a feedback on Alternative Report prepared for the United Nations Human Rights Comittee on the occasion of its review of Lithuania’s Third Periodic Report under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, adding more key points and comments on issues regarding basically legal capacity, guardianship and involuntary hospitalisation. I also translated a significant Lithuanian civil case in respect of which the Lithuanian Supreme Court made its decision. My last and most challenging task indicates a comparative research on the rights of children with mental disabilities regarding legal capacity.
It is supposed to be a great job done by my endeavour, and my collaboration, for sure, will not end in liaison with termination of the internship agreement. I highly benefited from this internship opportunity as it significantly improved my knowledge and increased the interest - till the top of the scale - in this fairly narrow sphere in which the Organisation is taking part.
To be true, work never dispenses with staff. The members of MDAC created a wonderful atmosphere – the best a colleague behind his/ her laptop or the next door can expect and get daily. Fellowship, enthusiasm, responsibility and endeavour to reach mutual objectives are those main phenomenon hovering in MDAC, and thrusting thoughts to one’s brain’s prefrontal cortex that he/ she does not want to leave this place.
Inga Ivanovaitė
Intern Spring 2012