Law School...in Bali - by Samantha Clements

 I won’t lie I was nervous to visit a Balinese law school. To a certain extent, I felt

unqualified to tour the school and interact with their law students. I was learning about children’s

education rights in Bali, surely they knew better than me. But what started as a nerve-wracking

interaction turned into one of my favorite conversations of the entire trip.

Professor Buske was presenting a lecture on the American perspective of children’s

educational rights, and we law students were to participate in a panel afterwards. While most of

Professor Buske’s lecture was a general overview comparing international standards, America’s

compliance, and competing cultural beliefs, the conversation with the law students took an

unexpected turn.

Same sex marriage is illegal in Indonesia, primarily because religion and law frequently

intersect. The law students had thoughtful but difficult questions about what rights children have

in learning about LGBTQIA+ identities. Some of them saw sex education in general to be

wrong. Others thought that only same sex education should not be taught in schools. But all their

opinions were framed through the lens of the rights of the child. Does a child have the right to

learn about gender identities that may go against the law? Does a government have an obligation

to educate about marriages it does not allow?

It was no surprise that the American law students had starkly contrasting views from the

Indonesian law students, but the conversation was not tense. Everyone listened openly and spoke

honestly about their views on the rights of the child. I think everyone left feeling refreshed by

such a compelling conversation. After the panel, I befriended many of the law students on social

media, allowing for this conversation to continue long after this class ends. Cross cultural

understanding happened in their classroom, and it will continue to occur through the

conversations they have with each other as well as the conversations they have with others. My

perspective was changed, and I hope that they found value in what we had to say too.

Ultimately this is experience is what the December class was all about – understanding

the rights of children throughout the world, even if those rights may differ depending on where

you are. I firmly believe having these difficult conversations is the best way protect children and

ensure their rights. If all children are to have rights, then all perspectives must be shared.