Clothilde Soenen

My name is Clothilde Soenen, a 23-year-old French law student currently pursuing an LL.M. in Globalisation and Law, specialising in Human Rights, at Maastricht University. My academic interests focus on international human rights law, international humanitarian law and the protection of vulnerable persons in conflict and post-conflict contexts. My thesis examines the legal qualification of Agent Orange under international humanitarian law, with particular attention to customary international law, intergenerational harm and disability. Alongside my studies, I have volunteered with persons with disabilities through L’Arche Paris and Le Petit Train Rose de l’Amitié. These experiences have taught me the importance of inclusion, dignity, listening and adapting to each person’s needs. They have also made me more aware of the gap between the formal recognition of rights and their effective enjoyment in daily life. The opportunity to go to Vietnam is therefore especially meaningful to me. It would allow me to connect legal research with lived realities by meeting affected families, listening to their experiences and documenting how support influences their daily lives. I am also interested in researching the situation of the fourth generation for the NGO Advocacy Project, particularly the continuing health and disability-related effects and their connection with empowerment and inclusion. I hope this experience will strengthen both my academic work and my personal understanding by helping me approach intergenerational harm, disability and human dignity with greater humility and attention. I am very grateful to join the project and hope to contribute, even modestly, to advocacy efforts promoting visibility, inclusion and empowerment.