Troubled by the millions of people around the world who do not have ready access to higher education, a small family-run company in Richmond Hill has established a bursary at the U of T Law School. The Group of Gold Line (GGL) has donated $25,000 to the Faculty to establish the Group of Gold Line International Human Rights Internships, which will allow law students to work on human rights issues in foreign countries over the summer. Beginning in January 2006, one or two students each year will be awarded $2,500 to $7,500 to work on human rights issues abroad. The husband and wife team who founded GGL say they would like to help students in countries where access to education is not considered a basic human right, including Iran, where they believe the Baha'i community is being denied access to government-run universities and colleges. Neda Moeini and her husband heard about the U of T Faculty of Law's International Human Rights Program (IHRP) through some friends. After meeting with the Director, Noah Novogrodsky, they chose the IHRP to administer the bursary as part of the law school's annual summer internship program over the next five years. "My husband and I feel that we may be able to play a small role and be of some assistance in bringing hope to innocent people who have fallen prey to these injustices," says Moeini, Executive Vice President of GGL. This summer, the IHRP sent 20 faculty-funded interns to human rights organizations in 15 countries around the world. In addition, seven students participated in firm-funded human rights internships where they divided their summer between work at leading law firms and at human rights organizations.
"Our goal is to educate law students to make a difference on the world stage," says Novogrodsky. "It's wonderful that a company with global reach like Gold Line is supporting our annual internship program." Group of Gold Line, the largest prepaid long distance service provider in Canada, services over 60 per cent of the industry, providing newcomers to Canada with a way to keep in touch with friends and relatives in their home countries. For more information, please visit www.goldline.net.
