Feeling distant...

Thanks to Eid El-Fitr, the end of Ramadan, the Court enjoyed a long weekend break. I decided to do a bit of travelling and took the train from Amsterdam to Paris. The view along the tracks was scenic, and the three-hour ride gave me the opportunity to reflect on my time thus far in The Hague. At this point, I am struggling a bit on the professional level. The time and distance from Boston has separated me from the concepts and skills learned over the summer, and I am finding it hard to link this placement to that experience. At times, I find myself thinking that, while I am ultimately very grateful for this opportunity at the ICC, this placement does not feel like it fits into the vision of the Fellowship program. There is no defined role for us as Fellows at the Court—I have no supervisor or tasks, so it is up to me to figure out how to maximize this experience. It has not been made easier by the Prosecutor’s extremely busy schedule, which has caused his office to cancel my appointments with him. Without his guidance and due to the distance from Insight, I feel a bit abandoned. However, I suppose that this is part of the challenge of this placement—a sentiment echoed by previous Fellows in my conversations with them. While I am having difficulties, it has strengthened my ties with them and this connection helps reinforce my purpose and motivation to make the best of the situation.