News
Friday 16 November 2007
Study triumph in Darfur war zone
A Nottingham Trent University student has graduated against the odds with a Graduate Diploma in Law having completed his studies in the heart of a war zone. Erasmus Ndemole Migyikra, a Peace and Human Rights Officer for the United Nations, has undertaken his two-year distance learning course at the university’s Nottingham Law School whilst working in Darfur, one of the world’s most dangerous and remote places.
Regarded as the worst humanitarian disaster of modern times, the Darfur conflict in Sudan has left more than two million people displaced and living in refugee camps after fleeing the intense fighting.
In his role for the UN, Erasmus has been on a fact-finding mission to monitor human rights issues in Darfur – a job which has brought him face-to-face with the violence and despair afflicting the region. He has also been promoting greater awareness of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights there.
At the same time, he has persevered with his Nottingham Law School studies. He said: “South Sudan and Darfur are probably among the most dangerous places to be at present, but I was fortunate to be able to manage my studies despite incredibly difficult conditions.
“I have often been in places where there was no electricity, so no access to telephone or email. I have also suffered many forms of illness in the extremely hot weather, as well as facing serious security threats. It was certainly the hard way to study!”
When he heard that he had passed, he was “overjoyed” because of all the sacrifices he had made to become successful – especially missing out on valuable time with his six-year-old daughter, Sena.
He admits: “Whenever I had leave, I ended up using the time to attend weekend school in Nottingham – so I apologise to my daughter and promise to devote more time to her after my studies!”
Not that Erasmus has been deterred from continuing with his legal education. With his ultimate goal of becoming a barrister one day, he has now enrolled for the LLB distance learning top-up degree at Nottingham Trent University.
Originally from Ghana, Erasmus has studied extensively in his home country, Austria and in Italy, gaining various qualifications in fields such as peace and conflict resolution, human rights and social administration. Having risen through the ranks to become an investigator with the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice in Ghana, he joined the UN Mission in Sudan in March 2005.
“Having worked with the UN human rights team and Ghana’s Human Rights Commission where the majority of people are lawyers, it is now my dream to become a lawyer myself,” he said. “I hope to practice in Ghana eventually.”
Erasmus’ supervisor at the Nottingham Law School, Andrea Nicholson, said: “I am absolutely thrilled for Erasmus. He has achieved this in the most difficult conditions, but his commitment and dedication has ensured him success. We're very much looking forward to welcoming him back and supporting his goal to become a barrister.”
ENDS
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