This semester, fifth-year students from the International Studies program at the University of Santiago de Chile (Usach) fulfilled their professional internship requirements at Casa Memoria José Domingo Cañas. This placement was facilitated through the Internship and Thesis Program in the Territory, organized by the Vice-Rector’s Office for Outreach and Public Engagement (VIME).
The experience has led to unprecedented collaboration in human rights shadow reports and historical research. This initiative empowers students in critically monitoring Chilean public policies and offers them invaluable academic, professional, and personal growth.
Students have contributed to shadow reports, crucial civil society documents that offer a counter-narrative to official government versions presented to international organizations such as the United Nations. Their work has covered various topics, including human rights education, the right to health, social protests, youth criminalization, and historical processes of political asylum. Casa Memoria, a historically significant contributor to parallel reporting in Chile, brings extensive experience that greatly benefits Usach’s future professionals.
“A key aspect of this initiative is that seven students are being trained in shadow reporting by Casa Memoria, one of Chile’s leading expert organizations in the field,” stated Juanita Gallardo, VIME’s liaison for social organizations. “This presents a tremendous learning opportunity for the students and is highly valuable for the country to have more individuals skilled in this area.”
Describing her experience as transformative, intern Isadora Araya, who is contributing to the shadow reports, highlighted Casa Memoria as more than just a professional learning space. For her, it’s a place where history, ethics, and political action seamlessly intertwine.
The student’s research focuses on writing shadow reports concerning structural deficiencies in Chile’s health system and potential human rights violations. “Casa Memoria has opened up the possibility of viewing history through different eyes and relating it to my career in a deeply human way,” she stated. “I truly value my connection with Casa Memoria, as it allows me to reveal the more human side of politics and the public sphere.”
Another student intern, Catalina Villagra, is focused on researching human rights violations from the 2011 student protests. She explained that her link with Casa Memoria has offered a valuable opportunity for profound knowledge “regarding the preservation of memory and other human rights issues I am keen to investigate.”
Casa Memoria Director Marta Cisterna expressed profound appreciation for the freshness, commitment, and diverse perspectives students have contributed to the organization’s work. She underscored intergenerational interaction as a particularly enriching element, stating that “memory is built collectively and therefore cannot be built by a single generation.”
“The students’ contribution constitutes genuine and tangible support for endeavors we cannot pursue due to insufficient equipment or resources. Indeed, the group has operated with exceptional professionalism.”
The partnership between Usach and Casa Memoria José Domingo Cañas is expected to extend through the second semester of 2025. This ongoing collaboration seeks to enable students from Visual Communication Design and Applied Linguistics for Translation to apply their disciplinary expertise to the memory site, while also acquiring invaluable experience for their professional development.