Nic Olson (law)
My name is Nic Olson (he/him). I am from Treaty 4 Territory, and I’m in 3rd year of law school. I entered law school in the hopes of gaining some tangible skills to be able to challenge laws that uphold unequal systems of power in society.
Doing a work term focused on harm reduction in Lithuania
In Fall 2023, I worked as a Drug Law Researcher for the Eurasian Harm Reduction Association (EHRA) located in Vilnius, Lithuania.
My job included researching drug laws for 30 countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, presenting the information for a publicly accessible online database, and preparing a report about drug laws for presentation to a forum of judges from the region in advocating for drug policies rooted in human rights and decriminalization.
I was interested in pursuing an international co-op because I know that the work of human rights and trying to end the war on drugs is larger than just BC or Canada, and that I could gain a lot by learning an international perspective.
I also wanted to open possible future employment opportunities abroad. My work with the EHRA team was fun, supported and flexible in a busy office with many languages flying around. One highlight was meeting with local drug checking organizers from Vilnius to consider how to build capacity for increased drug checking services in the country.
Embracing the culture
When I first arrived in Vilnius, it was the city’s 700th anniversary festival celebration. My apartment was steps away from streets of food and art vendors, leading up to the beautiful architecture of old town Vilnius.
There were free concerts everywhere and amazing foods to try. While it was possible to get by with English, I was able to learn some Lithuanian to make the stay a bit more comfortable.
While language was always a challenge, it was fun and felt good to be outside of my comfort zone. I knew very little about Lithuania before going there, and now I feel like it is almost a second home. One of my favourite activities was to visit Europos Parkas, an outdoor sculpture park located at the centre of the continent, and hiking by the Baltic Sea
The benefits of an international work term
I would advise all students to pursue an international co-op if they are able, as it opens your mind to other ways of thinking and living. I even suggest to approach organizations on your own to see if they are interested in partnering.
I emailed my organization out of the blue, and with support from the UVic co-op staff, it ended up being a great opportunity for both myself and the organization.
My biggest takeaway is that there are people all over the world working to make the world a more equitable, compassionate place by challenging unjust laws, and that there is lots I can learn about their ways of approaching complex problems.”