With 30 years of experience in human rights law through a fascinating period of history the LRC was of great interest to someone such as myself who is interested in conflict and post-conflict development. There is a great sense of history working in an organisation that includes prominent anti-apartheid lawyers and strugglists as its former and current employees. Having read about the history of South Africa I was particularly keen to learn more about the LRC's connections with Bram Fischer, the deeply admirable revolutionary. I was therefore pleased not only to partly work from the Bram Fischer Library in the LRC's Johannesburg office but also help to organise a lecture in his memory.

I was tasked with overseeing this event, which showcases a current prominent figure discussing key legal human rights issues for South Africa today. Aimed particularly at members of the judiciary, academics, members of the government and legislature, this event can impact on the thinking of key decision makers in South African civil society. I spent much of my time researching these figures and contacting them about the event.

While working on this I was asked to also focus on a separate project jointly initiated by the LRC and the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS), which is part of the University of Pretoria. This is a programme aimed at teaching young people about their local municipality; enthusing schools about a new course aimed at provoking discussion about how best to engage with and change one's local environment. Having read about service delivery protests in South Africa and seen them myself from the windows of the LRC's building I was really pleased to work on a project addressing such a pertinent issue in South Africa.

Spending half my time at GIBS in Illovo I also got to see a completely different side to the city and an emerging part of South Africa: a new and innovative business school training future leaders, while working on social problems. It's an image of Africa that few Europeans consider and I was fortunate to see it from the inside. The daily bus rides across Johannesburg to Illovo were weirdly enjoyable too - a chance to view the city and overhear day-to-day Joburg lives.

Off now to Mozambique and Rwanda, this has been an enlightening first leg of my travels around the continent. I learnt not only of the infamous past of this country, but also the current issues and problems it is facing. It was particularly gratifying to be part of an organisation questioning these issues and working on solutions.

- By Rachel Cummings (September 2009)