Project Type: Legal Research and Writing
Fields of Law: Immigration and refugee law, criminal law, municipal by-law.
Positions Available: 2 students
About Butterfly (Asian and Migrant Sex Workers Support Network)
Butterfly was formed by sex workers, social workers, legal and health professionals. It provides support to, and advocates for, the rights of Asian and migrant sex workers. The organization is founded upon the belief that sex workers are entitled to respect and basic human rights. Butterfly asserts that, regardless of their immigration status, Asian and migrant sex workers should be treated like all other workers.
Project Details
Butterfly is working in partnership with Chinese Canadian National Council for Social Justice (CCNC) to create a public legal education series on the immigration and refugee application process for precarious employed individuals – this includes but is not limited to sex workers. In particular, the project will focus on creating tools to answer questions related to immigration and refugee applications on humanitarian and compassionate grounds, and specific questions collected from precarious workers during community consultation on the application process.
The goal of this project is to empower the Chinese and Chinese-Canadian community and prevent precariously employed immigrants from exploitation (i.e. promise of immigration for monetary compensation).
Role of Student Volunteer(s)
Students will conduct research on the immigration and refugee process for precariously employed individuals from China. In particular, the research will focus on making an application on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. Students will reach out to immigration and refugee organizations and experts in the field to understand the unwritten complexities of the process for their research. Additionally, students will help and work alongside committee members to collect information to identify the legal needs of the community. Students will first conduct a general overview of the process and then will be provided more specific questions to research which will come from the community consultation conducted by Butterfly and CCNC.
The students’ research will be reviewed and used to assist the supervisor increasing an accessible, plain language and informative brochure, social media post, and/or workshop/presentation. If the opportunity arises, students will help support legal experts conduct legal information sessions for Butterfly and CCNC. Students may have the opportunity to sit in on lawyer supervised meetings to take notes and information from community members affected from recent immigration policy changes.
Is A Work Plan Required For This Position?
No.
If yes, the student(s) must reach out to the lawyer supervisor, draft a work plan, and submit it by email to the Program Coordinator and the lawyer supervisor by November 1st at the latest. Please note that workplans are required for all legal research and writing projects.
What Type Of Training Will the Organization Provide?
Note: All first year PBSC volunteers and all volunteers working on research projects must also attend a PBSC/Thomson Reuters legal research strategies workshop.
The students will receive an orientation session from the Supervisor and will be required to complete certain training videos on the mandate of both organizations, the communities they serve, and the issues they are likely to come across in their research.
Students will also receive the opportunity to attend on-going trainings and workshops throughout the year, which is strongly encouraged for students to attend.
How Many Hours Per Week Will the Student Volunteer(s) Be Expected to Volunteer?
3-5 hours per week.
Will The Student(s) Be Expected To Show Up For Regular Shifts Each Week?
Flexible, as the research and presentation-building can be done remotely.
Is Workspace Provided For the Student Volunteer(s)?
Yes, students can work in the office if it is necessary, however, they are expected to work mostly from home.
Requirements and Expectations
Language proficiency (written or orally) in Asian and South Asian languages is an asset (ex. Korean, Mandarin, Cantonese, Hindi, etc.)
Students should cultivate an attitude of mindfulness and respect towards sex work and sex workers, free from any form of judgement.
Experience working in the sex industry or with sex workers is an asset.