Welcome to Global Brigades!

Dear Brigaders,
It is my honor and privilege to welcome you to Global Brigades – the largest
international student-led community development movement. What you’re
about to embark upon is nothing less than a journey. A journey of inspiration,
hard work, connection, commitment and more than anything – an international
experience like you’ve never had before.
It may sound grand, it may sound lofty. But just ask a fellow brigader. What you
and your classmates have before you is an opportunity to make history. The
people’s lives you will change are real, including your own! The partner
organizations and communities you will work with will thrive because of your
leadership and dedication. The most important step now is the first step – to get
involved and to make a difference.
Global Brigades programs in Panama provide hands-on international community
development experiences. This is a unique opportunity to apply your education,
intellect, and creativity to help micro-entrepreneurs, indigenous communities, or
small farmers to realize their dream of escaping poverty and experiencing true
empowerment. We encourage students to use this experience to build skills,
networks, friendships, understanding, resumes, and a stronger connection to our
global community.
Thank you for your interest and leadership in Global Brigades. As a student-led
movement, your brigade experiences and your club achievements will be exactly
what you make them. Ask for more. Share new ideas. Keep the momentum alive.
Wherever this experience takes you and your team, we’re here supporting you,
every step of the way!
Welcome to the GB family,
Catherine Markman
Catherine Markman
CEO, Global Development Brigades
How to use this manual:
This is a guide for new leaders of Global Law Brigades (GLB)Clubs in universities
that describes the what-is and how-to of GLB programs. It is a manual meant to
guide the club leader through on-campus brigade club formation, project
execution abroad, and network expansion. Inside is a collection of GLB’s best
practices, examples, and tips to ensure a high-quality approach to our mission as
a student-led strategic development organization. Additional resources and
templates are also available in the form of “Manual Supplements,” which can be
obtained from the GLB Regional Advisor, or Law Brigades Director, Diane Dunn.
Section I: About Global Brigades and Law Brigades

Section II: How to start a club

Section III: Preparing for the Trip

Section IV: The Brigade: Logistics, Housing, Transportation, and Food

Section V: The Next Brigade: Project Assessment and Brigade Transition

Section VI: GLB policies on conduct and payment

Section VII: GB Panama Contacts

Some icons are repeated to catch your attention…

WebSource: Templates Important Deadlines: Read

and information are available Ahead and mark these dates
on the GLB web site on your calendar now!

Online Payment Due: Make your

100% tax deductible payments on
Conference Call: Participate the Brigades Fundraising Site (BFS)
in a free conference call
with regional advisors and
Email: Contact your Regional
country directors
Advisor or Law Brigades Director
with questions and periodic updates
Table of Contents
I. About Global Brigades and Law Brigades
About Legal Empowerment
What is a Law Brigade?
Why Panama?
How We Work in Panama
What can a Brigade do?
II. How to Start a Club
Achieve Official Club Recognition
Club Relationship and Responsibilities
Club Requirements and Performance
Club Recognition, Benefits of Club Leadership, and Opportunities
III. Preparing for the Trip
1. Receive your Project
2. Recruit Club Members
3. Airfare and Payments
4. Prepare the Project
5. Fundraise
6. Health & Legal Requirements
7.Ready for Take-Off
IV. The Brigade
Logistics and Housing
Transportation and Food
V. The Next Brigade
Project Assessment
Brigade Transition
VI. GB Policies
Conduct
Payment
VII. GB Panama
Key Contacts
Your Comments
I. About Global Brigades and
Law Brigades
Global Brigades Mission: To empower students, professionals, and partner organizations with
tools and resources to dramatically improve the health, economic, and environmental conditions
in the world’s most in need communities.

Accomplishments: Since 2005, more than 4,000 volunteers from 60 university clubs traveled
with GB to implement health and economic development solutions for more than 50,000
beneficiaries in Central America, Ghana, India, and Vietnam. Currently we are focused on
strengthening our multi-disciplinary brigade programs in Honduras and Panama.

Current Focus: In Panama, our Global Development Brigades programs focus on community
development projects within the categories of Law, Business, Architecture, and the Environment.

Program Missions:
Global Law Brigades (GLB) is a secular, international volunteer network of
students and law professionals who collaborate with local partner organizations
serving at-risk communities to improve quality of life by implementing legal
empowerment, human rights, environmental protection, and business law
strategies for community development.
Global Business Brigades (GBB) seeks to create sustainable economic development solutions to
improve impoverished communities and their individual inhabitants. We advance this goal by
empowering students to identify, improve and expand micro-enterprises in local communities.

Global Architecture Brigades (GAB) is dedicated to the design and construction of socially
responsible solutions to architectural problems in developing nations. University students utilize
extensive community dialogue and independent research to create efficient, appropriate, and
elegant structures to be embraced and utilized by those for whom they were built.

Global Environmental Brigades (GEB) seeks to mitigate ecological degradation and develop
sustainable environmental practices. The organization empowers university students with an
educational and hands-on experience abroad to develop strategic environmental solutions in
cooperation with local communities and organizations.
About Legal Empowerment
Some of the world´s leading international organizations are working on
legal empowerment to lift communities up out of poverty. Check out
what the World Bank and the UN are saying about legal empowerment…
The World Bank

“In developing and transitional countries around the world legal services organizations (LSOs)
are working with poor people to enable them to gain greater power over their own lives.

As lawyers for the poor, LSOs promote safety, security and access to justice and help poor
people solve problems and overcome administrative barriers. While LSOs' work is about justice
and making the rule of law a reality for the disadvantaged, it equally is about poverty
alleviation and poor people's empowerment. LSOs help improve the material circumstances of
the poor and empower them to improve their circumstances and participation in public life.”

The UN Commission on Legal Empowerment Legal Empowerment includes:

of the Poor (CLEP) •Access to Justice
“One of the staggering facts about poverty is that the
•Property Rights
vast majority of the world´s economy lives their daily
lives in what is often referred to as the informal or •Labor Rights
extralegal sector.”
•Business Rights
“When the majority of the world’s populations live their
lives in the informal sector, and the formal economy is
dwarfed by the informal, the result is lower growth, less
revenue and less room for investment in health,
education and infrastructure.”

Naresh C. Singh, Executive Director, UN Commission on Legal

Empowerment of the Poor, Making the Law Work for Everyone, p.
iii.

The CLEP´s full report is available free online in English, French,

Spanish, and Arabic at: www.undp.org/legalempowerment/ Law Brigades builds partnerships with
LSOs in Panama, and uses the UN CLEP
report as a program guide!
What is a Law Brigade?
A Law Brigade consists of pre-law and law students who collaborate
with legal professionals to work with disadvantaged communities to
develop and implement legal empowerment strategies. Law Brigades
are one-week experiences abroad that include hands-on work
alongside community members to promote legal empowerment. Law
Brigades currently operate in Panama with projects that complement
Business, Environmental, and Architecture Brigades to alleviate
poverty, foster human rights, and promote community development.

Law Brigades programs create first-hand opportunities for youth and

civil society to understand domestic and international legal issues in
developing regions including international humanitarian law; migration
and refugee issues; business licensing and organic and fair trade
certification procedures; micro-enterprise laws; and, environmental
and human rights concerns. We empower college students and law
students to build relationships with established local and international
legal, humanitarian, environmental, and development organizations.
Law Brigades creates opportunities for volunteers to work together
with communities served by these organizations.

Our Values Include:

• Fostering human rights

• Respecting local culture
• Preserving the environment
• Promoting legal empowerment
Why Panama?
Disparity and Needs:
Financial incentives attract foreign investment in Panama. Unfortunately,
the locals are often left out. Therefore the income gap is widening: while
Panama City is currently building 200 new skyscrapers, the rural areas
remain impoverished and underdeveloped
•Highest inequality level, 5% of population share 60% of income

• Average per capita income: US$4,400

• Population living below US$1.50 a day: 16.6%

• Poverty in rural areas: 60%

• Poverty among indigenous communities (nearly 10% of Panama´s

3.5 million people): 98%

Resources:
Excellent networking resources with Ciudad del Saber (City of
Knowledge). “The City of Knowledge is an international complex
for education, research, and innovation. It has been developed to
promote and facilitate synergy between universities, scientific
research centers, businesses, and international organizations. The
City of Knowledge is governed by a private, non-profit
organization, The City of Knowledge Foundation, which was
created in 1995.”

Accessibility, Infrastructure, and Safety:

Many of the disadvantaged communities in Panama are easily
accessibly with less than one day travel time

National infrastructure is conducive to Global Brigade´s projects,

and is one of the safest locations in the Latin American region for
this type of work.
How We Work in Panama
The GB Panama chapter is our newest Country Program!

• GB Development Brigades programs in Panama empower

local partner organizations to better serve under-resourced
developing communities.
Global Law Brigades volunteers contribute:
• consulting and research
• sweat equity
• capital investment
• success metrics
• With our in-country directors and logistics teams, and our US
Coordinators we have several brigade trips scheduled for
2009. Get ready to schedule your brigade!
• In order to implement sustainable student-led projects, we
collaborate with partner organizations including:
• US Peace Corps – Panama www.peacecorps.gov
• Earthtrain www.earthtrain.org
• Planting Empowerment www.plantingempowerment.com
• CREA Panama www.crea-panama.org
• Patronato de Nutrición www.patronatodenutricion.org
What can a Brigade do?
Examples of Projects Include:
•Access to Justice and Rule of Law: Collaborating with women´s organizations
like Mujeres Unidas en Salud y Desarrollo (MUSADE) Law Brigades can help
create pocket size Legal Resource Directories that will increase awareness of
and access to free and low cost legal services for women in need.
•Legal Discovery Process to Assess Community Needs: Consulting with local
communities and legal experts to assess legal regulations for micro-enterprises
and land use Law Brigades can help raise awareness of a range of viable options
for developing and implementing legal strategies.
•Alternative Dispute Resolution: Working with local partner organizations, Law
Brigades can help by conducting interactive capacity-building workshops for
alternative dispute resolution techniques including nonviolent communication
skills, developing codes of conduct, negotiation, and mediation.
•Land Use and Stewardship/Property Rights: Developing proposals and
securing local legal experts Law Brigades can help local partner organizations
working in communities to negotiate agreements and contracts for sustainable
land use, increasing options for livelihood and improving quality of life for
indigenous and small farming communities.
•Business Rights: Providing local legal expertise for micro-enterprises including
establishing legal personality or business licensing for organizations Law
Brigades can help local partner organizations working in communities to
navigate legal administrative procedures, and establish risk management and
ethical guidelines for small businesses.
•Labor Rights: Establishing and documenting good labor practices and business
processes for micro-enterprises Law Brigades can help with preparing and
submitting applictions for organic, fair trade, eco-tourism, and other
certifications.
II. How to Start a Club
Join an expanding network of university chapters by starting Law Brigades Club at
your university! Take a leadership role in this exciting student-led international
community development movement by becoming a club president or club officer.

The first step is to contact the Law Brigades Director, Diane Dunn, at Diane@globalbrigades.org
to request a Regional Advisor for your geographic region.

Regional Advisors are past club leaders or previous in-country directors/coordinators who have
volunteered to help you every step of the way to prepare for your brigade trip. Your Regional
Advisor is your source for sample materials, fundraising and recruitment strategies, trouble-
shooting, and expertise on all club matters. Once you are assigned a Regional Advisor, they will
continue to follow up with you, via phone and email, to remind you of upcoming deadlines and
provide any additional information you may need along the way.

As a Club Leader, you act as a representative of the Global Law Brigades program on your
campus. You are also your university’s ambassador to the national network of Global Brigades
clubs. In addition, you will represent GLB and your university internationally with developing
communities and partner organizations during your trip abroad. Your responsibility is to lead
your team throughout the process of setting up the club, preparing for the trip and
implementing the project. You will also help with project and leadership transition at the end of
the brigade. Remember, you’re not on your own, Global Brigades’ mission is to empower
students to form brigades and make a difference, and it is our responsibility to give you the tools
you need.

Resources available to you include:

· GLB Regional Advisor
· Previous club leaders at your university
· GB country directors
· GB national advisors
· GB founders
· GLB website: www.lawbrigades.org
· This manual and manual supplements
Note that on the GB management pyramid
above, we have Club Leaders at the base.
Global Brigades is student-led!
You are our best resource!
Achieve Club Recognition
A Global Law Brigades Club is official on two levels: it is recognized by your
university and by Global Brigades as an official chapter. The benefit of being
official on both levels is that you can take advantage of resources provided by
each institution to gain support and retain structure on your campus.
1. Achieve official club recognition on your university campus.
• Recruit a leadership team of friends and fellow students to join your club.
• Find a faculty advisor and customize a club constitution
• Submit an application to your school's Association of Students or other
governing body that approves club affiliation. Universities have different
requirements for club registration, check in advance!

2. Choose a week for your brigade

• Contact the GLB Director, Diane Dunn, and request a week for your brigade
• Select a Sunday-Sunday week and coordinate this week with your academic
calendar (i.e. during Winter, Spring or Fall break)

3. Register your club on the GLB website and Global Brigades Fundraising Site (BFS). Email
your Regional Advisor to:
• Get Listed on the GLB club page
• Add your institution to the Brigades Fundraising Site (BFS)
• Get a globalbrigades.org email address (yourname@globalbrigades.org )
• Receive an Info Session Powerpoint Presentation
• Secure your brigade dates
• Go over important policies and deadlines
• Ask questions and get answers!
• Remember, you only have to achieve club recognition from Global Brigades
once, but check your university’s policy on club continuation.

TIP: Forming the leadership team

When choosing 3-4 dedicated students to join your leadership team, it is helpful to choose
students from a variety of majors so that your club is multi-disciplinary in constituency and
perspective, and so that you have more access to student volunteers and contacts outside
your field of study. You may want to consider assigning roles according the tasks listed below.
•Treasury (manages funds)
•Travel Lead (collects deposits & books tickets)
•Fundraising (internal & external)
•Membership (Recruits new members and legal professionals for your brigade)
Club Relationship & Responsibilities
National and Club Relationship
GLB university clubs are separate groups that affiliate with GLB National. There is a distinction
between the Global Brigades, Inc. 501c3 status and that of GLB clubs. Clubs are led by student
volunteers who are GLB members and who adhere to GLB mission and vision by following
closely to the guidelines and regulations of GLB National. GLB National provides the guidance
and support to empower students who volunteer in direct service. There is consistent mutual
dialogue and learning between GLB university club student members and GLB National.

Club Responsibilities
Below is a breakdown of key responsibilities and duties of creating a successful club. It provides
an overall outline of GLB values and objectives.

Club Building
•Attract new members
•Retain existing members
•Provide a setting for the free exchange of ideas and information

Education
•Create internal listservs
•Inform members of GLB events and activities with weekly meetings and listserv
announcements
•Keep all levels of communication open and accessible to current members and
potential newcomers
•Collaborate with other clubs and GLB National to learn and refine best practices
•Expand knowledge of legal empowerment, human rights, and sustainable community
development principles and practices
•Promote activities that expand on legal empowerment, human rights, and sustainable
community development

Partnership and Networking

•Partner with other GLB clubs to increase impact of local clubs
•Partner with local organizations that focus on legal empowerment and human rights
•Provide ample opportunities for club members to engage with other like-minded
organizations and departments to create open dialogue within campus
Club Requirements & Performance
Club Requirements
In order to better prepare you to maintain a successful club, GLB has developed a list of Club
Requirements. Clubs that are unable to meet the minimum requirements are considered
Associate Clubs and will receive help from GLB National to become official clubs. If your club
faces challenges that inhibit you from fully complying with the minimum requirements, please
contact GLB on our official website.
In conjunction with Club Requirements, we have developed a system to encourage you become
a Gold GLB Club, the highest level of achievement. The benefits of becoming Gold GLB Club
include expansion of the scope and complexity of your projects. GLB National can showcase
your success, help you with strategic partnerships, and advise you on grant writing proposals.

Club Performance
GLB has three categories of clubs to reflect club minimal requirements and levels of
performance.

Associate GLB Clubs (1 year)

•Members must officially register online
•Sign official GLB club forms
•Seek at least 10 founding members
•Must conduct one brigade
•Hold one annual campus fundraising or awareness event
•Coordinate with GLB Advisors

Silver GLB Clubs (2-3 years)

•Official University organization
•A minimum of 20+ dues paying members (to be administrated and determined by each club)
•Conduct at least 2 brigades
•Successful transfer of leadership/power of club members
•Hold 2 annual campus fundraising and awareness events

Gold GLB Clubs (3+years)

•Established club
•At minimum 30+ dues paying members (entailing 40% non seniors)*
•Conduct at least 3 brigades
•Complete at least 2 legal empowerment projects
•Hold 2 annual fundraising and 2 annual awareness events
•Hold professional forum/conference to present legal empowerment project

In addition to the system above, we also evaluate each club’s professionalism, innovation, leadership,
and generated social impact.
Club Recognition, Benefits of Club
Leadership, and Opportunities
Club Recognition
GLB National annually publishes club performance (Gold GLB Club, Silver GLB Club, Associate
GLB Club) on our website at www.lawbrigades.org. This is a great opportunity to showcase your
club’s accomplishments to the network and friends. GLB relies on the innovation and passion
from its members to implement successful legal empowerment projects in collaboration with
our partner organizations in developing countries. As clubs successfully accomplish their
projects, they gain the opportunity to pursue more complex endeavors and lead GLB’s approach
to legal empowerment, human rights, and community development.

Exceptional clubs and individuals will be recognized during the Annual Award Show at the GLB
Annual Conference that features seven categories including: Outstanding Student, Outstanding
Club, Most Innovative, Greatest Community Impact, Most Influential on Campus, Most Credited
by In-Country Directors. The Annual Award Show allows you to be recognized by your peers and
GLB National.

Benefits of Leading a GLB Club

Club leadership provides personal and professional benefits to each person who becomes part
of GLB.
•Teaches you leadership skills
•Enables you to hone your academic skills and talents to real world issues
•Provides you with real world experience
•Helps you create a national network of likeminded individuals
•Helps you develop professional skills
•Make a real difference in the world by creating positive social change

Opportunities with GLB National:

•After graduation, GLB offers internship opportunities at the National level:
Regional Advisors: Advise and assist GLB clubs in assigned geographical regions. Advisors focus on club
and project operations and are the key contact between individual clubs and GLB National

To explore the possibility of getting involved at the national level contact the GLB Director, Diane
Dunn. Positions are generally restricted to individuals who have prior experience in GLB
operations domestically and abroad.
III. Preparing for the Trip
By now you have started a Law Brigades Club on your university campus and
secured a week for your brigade, and you’re ready to start preparing for the
brigade trip! You’ll need to start preparing about 2-3 months in advance, in order
to complete the seven pre-brigade tasks described on the next few pages.

There are basically seven pre-brigade tasks:

1. Receive your project

2. Recruit club members
3. Book Tickets (NOTE: you may need to apply for visas for non-US citizens!)
4. Prepare the project
5. Fundraise
6. Take care of health & legal requirements
7. Get ready for take off!

Time management is important, so you should create a timeline and set due dates to stay on
top of specific tasks. There are a few specific deadlines regarding booking tickets, making
payments, and getting vaccines. It’s a good idea to read ahead in this manual, look for deadline
icons, and mark them on your timeline.

There are three main conference calls you should plan to participate in. You will receive
invitations from your regional advisor with an appointment, a call-in number and a code for a
free conference call. Sometimes your Regional Advisor will also attach an agenda with action
items. It’s important to attend these calls, as it gives everyone a chance to check-in, address
issues, and answer questions as they arise.

1.Project Description 2. Project Check-in 3. Brigade Overview

1. Receive Your Project
Each brigade is assigned a legal empowerment project to implement in
collaboration with a local partner organization and/or community. The
project can be implemented with some preliminary preparation during the
brigade week. Your project assignment is based on Global Brigades criterion
for sustainability, community needs, skills of your team, as well as the
interests of your team.

Your regional advisor will set up a conference call with you

and the GLB Director. You can share the conference call
invitation with your leadership team, your faculty advisor,
and any one else you would like to participate. During this
call, you will determine your project assignment. The GLB
Director will be able to tell you about the legal needs and
issues you will address, the cultural context, the partner
organization and other relevant background information.

During or soon after the call, the GLB Director will email you a PowerPoint
presentation which will include your Project Description. The slides will
contain background information, a project title, partner organization contact
information and a breakdown of basic project goals, objectives, needs,
resources, proposed method and potential for sustainability. During the call,
you’ll want to be able to tell your advisor and GLB Director the following:
TIP:
•Status of your brigade club
As the GLB Director will be
•Status on securing a faculty advisor calling from Panama via Skype,
•Status of club leadership you could easily set up a laptop
•Special skills/interests of your brigade in a classroom and use the call
•Anticipated brigade size: 10, 15, 20 or 30 to conduct an information
participants? session for potential new
members, get new members
•Expected brigade dates: Winter, Spring,
involved in project preparation
Summer, Fall? from the start, or give sponsors
a good idea of the work your
club will be doing in Panama
2. Recruit Club Members
Using the project description, info session PowerPoint presentation, recruitment toolkit,
website content, and any other resources you wish to draw on, build your brigade team.
The minimum number of members for a brigade is 10 and the maximum is 20. The ideal
number is 15 members. If you have 30 members it may be possible to arrange two
brigades in separate communities during the same week.

Nine Key Recruiting Strategies:

1. Promote and publicize club events and brigade opportunities throughout the year using email
listservs, recruiting tables, posters, Facebook, class announcements, chalkboard/whiteboard
announcements, etc.
2. Participate in campus events including organization fairs, club days, freshmen orientation, and
similar events. Take advantage of departmental listservs to create visibility among large sections of
the campus population and specific interest groups. Target a diverse student population, and make
sure announcements are titled with key words (Legal Empowerment, Human Rights, Indigenous
Rights, Women´s Rights, Land Rights) rather than simply Global Law Brigades.
3. Hold several information sessions. Use PowerPoint presentations and supplementary materials
in the recruitment toolkit supplement. Tailor materials to your audience and try to convey the
importance and value of participating in a Law Brigade.
4. Provide clear next steps for potential members on how they can get involved. At end of every
recruiting event provide:
•General club meeting times and locations
•Trip payment deadlines and processes (see travel policy supplement)
•Contact information to receive more information about the club and upcoming brigade trip
5. Follow up with possible new members. Get full names, emails, and numbers of all interested
parties. Create a recruiting email listserv (Google groups tools are great for this!) to convey
information to interested parties.
6. Team effort! Make sure every current club member is responsible for actively seeking out future
club and project members.
7. Contact Information! Bulletin boards, flyers, posters, listserv announcements and all other
forms of publicity must have meeting times, locations, contact phone numbers and emails available
year-round. Plan early to secure consistent meeting locations and contact information.
8. Diversity! Make sure your recruitment is directed toward a diverse audience, including freshmen
and sophomores, Spanish speakers, and students with diverse fields of study. A diverse mix of club
members will ensure successful brigades and a sustainable club.
9. Be creative and have fun!
Once you have 10-15 club
members, email your
regional advisor, and go
on to booking tickets!
3. Airfare and Payments
The Global Brigades partner travel agency will help your brigade secure tickets as a group.
Payments for both the tickets and in-country costs are made through the online Brigades
Fundraising Site (BFS) according to the following procedure. Payment policy details can be found in
the Travel Supplement.
1. Reconfirm the brigade dates with your members and GLB Regional Advisor.

2. Email GB contact at STA Travel to request available flights and approximate prices to relay to group:

STA Contact: Brenda Dang

Agents: Georgia Michlig or Abby Hartman
Office: 972-538-8854 Fax: 972-315-9568 Email: bdang@statravel.com

* For questions over the weekend, please contact your Regional Advisor.

3. STA Travel Agent researches optimal group flight and relays a quote to the Travel Lead.

4. ONE WEEK after initial info session club leadership must submit a $200 deposit on BFS.
TWO WEEKS after initial info session all GLB participants must submit a
$200 deposit online using the BFS. The Travel Lead is responsible for
ensuring that all club members understand deposit due dates, payment
timelines and policies upfront.

5. When ALL $200 deposits are collected on the BFS, email APF Travel to relay the following information:

•Travel Dates and Preferred Times (we recommend Sunday-Sunday)

•Departure City (airport) and Destination City (airport)
•Number of Passengers
•Names of Passengers

7. The APF Travel Agent will email a travel contract to the Travel Lead and CC your Regional Advisor to
officially reserve flights for participants. Your Regional Advisor will update your university’s BFS page to
reflect the remaining payment due.

8. FOUR WEEKS before departure: Final payment for airfare is due!

The Travel Lead is responsible for reminding all participating club

members to submit online payments and/or checks made out to Global
Brigades to cover outstanding balance for airfare.

9. TWO WEEKS (14 business days) prior to departure: Total $850 payment for in-country costs due!

APF Travel will email a reminder travel itinerary to all confirmed passengers,
the Regional Advisor, and the GLB Director. Make sure each club member
prints a copy!
4. Preparing the Project
Every project will require different degrees of pre-departure preparation, and all projects benefit
from any research and resources that can be gathered at the University base. The Legal
Empowerment Action Plan (LEAP) is an exercise that will help you prepare the project as a group.
The LEAP integrates three essential elements: Capacity Building, Legal Investment Fund, and Hands-
On Work.

It’s fun to prepare the project as a group! Set-up regular project preparation meetings at a
designated on-campus site to get every one involved in researching, asking questions, collecting
resources and forming your plan.
For meetings, you may want to prepare an agenda, have some one take notes and set up a task list
for the next meeting. Remember that your visit to Panama is an introduction to the legal issue and
community involved, and you will necessarily be gathering a lot of information, assessing the
situation, and problem-solving on the spot. Advance planning and formulating the LEAP gets you
thinking, raises questions, inspires research, and helps you feel a little more prepared to engage on
the project. Remember, your brigade is student-led development, so your club will plan how to
execute the project!

Note: once you arrive in Panama, it is likely that your LEAP will change based on the new
information and perspectives that you will gain from your hands-on experience with the partner
organization, community, and the region. This is part of the fun and adventure of applying your
research and knowledge in real world situations! To be successful in professional situations you
must be able to adapt quickly to new information and perspectives, and your brigade will give you a
crash course in creativity and adaptation!

You can ask your GLB Director to review your plan with you at any point, contact the partner
organization for feedback and input, or run it by an expert at your university. Using your Project
Description, Brigade Itinerary, and your club´s independent research to formulate the LEAP.

Ok, so with 15 students, a Legal Investment Fund of $1500 and one week on site, HOW? By
integrating capacity building, investment and hands-on work, you can make a measurable, positive
and sustainable impact during your week on site.

To discuss your LEAP Email your brigade’s

with the Country LEAP to your
Director, or with a Regional Advisor at
contact at the partner least ONE WEEK
organization, ask your before departure!
Regional Advisor to set
up conference call.
5. Fundraising
Each brigade brings a Legal Investment Fund to Panama, which the team uses to invest in legal
services, capacity building, legal fees or other related expenses. The minimum input for this
fund is $100 per student, a sum that directly support s legal empowerment for the community
Remember: the minimum goal is $850 to cover the program costs and the legal investment
fund of $100 per brigader, but we encourage each club to fundraise more so there will be more
resources for positive community impact.

Why the required $100 donation? Each Brigade’s Legal Investment Fund is guaranteed to
contribute up to $1500 to ensure that the legal needs of the community are financially
sustainable. This fund can be utilized in a variety of ways.

•Payment for local legal services and expertise

•Capacity building to train community member(s) who will maintain follow up
and advocacy efforts on behalf of the community
•Payment for legal fees for business licensing, certification applications, etc.
•Scholarship fund for community member(s) who wish to pursue legal education
and/or professional training

Fundraising more than the minimum is strongly encouraged, and will allow your brigade to
invest in additional resources towards implementing your project, and making a greater impact.
Fundraising is most successful and efficient on an individual basis.

The Fundraising Toolkit is a collection of materials individuals can use to promote the GLB
program and garner support. Have your club members send out a customized Support Letter to
their friends and family asking for donations and warm wishes. Your brigade can also solicit
monetary donations or matching contributions on behalf of the club from local businesses, non-
profit, and nongovernmental organizations. The sample Sponsor Letter can help you get started
with approaching potential donors. Whenever possible, bring the sponsor letter and an
informational brochure with you and meet potential donors in-person to discuss your brigade.

The online Brigades Fundraising Site (BFS) makes it easy for individuals to solicit donations,
point donors to the automated payment system, and keep track of climbing funds. The
fundraising toolkit contains a manual with step-by-step instructions on how to set up the
website and use it to collect funds. Remind club members to keep a record of donors and
sponsors they have received donations from so they can send thank you letters/cards after the
trip.

All funds uploaded online onto your university’s fundraising webpage are 100% tax deductible!
6. Health and Legal Requirements
Your brigade must comply with a few health and legal requirements regarding vaccines,
passports, and insurance before departing the U.S. When your club members register online
with the secure BFS they will record their birthdate, citizenship, passport number, emergency
contact, health conditions, and other details necessary for international travel. Global Brigades
uses this info to compile reports for each brigade to assist your club with tracking travel and
addressing any concerns that may arise in connection with planning your brigade.

FOUR WEEKS prior to the Brigade: Vaccinations are usually given at the school health clinic, or
at any travel medicine clinic. Check for the latest health information with the U.S. Center for
Disease Control and Prevention at: www.cdc.gov or call: 1.877.394.8747
Confirm that all volunteers are current for:
•routine vaccinations
•mandatory vaccinations
•recommended vaccinations. Currently the only required vaccine for
Panama is Yellow Fever: this must be taken four weeks before departure.
Each brigader should share travel plans with all doctors they are currently seeing for medical
care. Make sure brigaders get any medicines they may need for: diarrhea, motion sickness, as
well as epi pens and benadryl for those with allergies, etc.

Passport & VISA: You must have a valid passport to travel to Panama – check the expiration
date! Before leaving the U.S., make two copies of the inside page of your passport. Leave one
copy with a trusted individual at your university (i.e. an advisor) so that it can be faxed to you in
case you lose the original. Stash one copy in your wallet or some where you will have it on you
at all times. When you enter Panama, you will be issued a 90-day tourist visa, keep this
document on you with your passport copy.

Information about visas can be found on the Panama Embassy website:

www.embassyofpanama.org/cms/immigration3.php

Country-specific information can be found at the Migration Department website:

www.migracion.gob.pa/eng/servicio.php?cont=paisvisa

For any questions, contact your Regional Advisor or Program Director!

Emergency Travel Insurance: All brigaders will purchase emergency SOS insurance, which is
included in the airfare purchase, and will show up on the invoice from STA Travel at a cost of
$35. If an emergency occurs while on the brigade the SOS insurance will cover medical and
evacuation needs. Students may also be covered through their current health provider or
through their University.
7. Ready for Take-off!
You’ve spent three months recruiting, fundraising, and preparing the
project. Don’t forget to pack your toothbrush!

ONE WEEK before departure:

You will receive an invitation to
participate in a Brigade
Overview conference call.
This call between you, your leadership team, your faculty advisors, your Regional Advisor, and
the GLB country director is meant to go over in detail what to expect during the brigade week.
This is your time for you to ask any last minute questions and alert us to any particular requests
or needs. During or after the call you will receive a Welcome Packet which contains your
itinerary, details on accommodations, food, and activities. You may want to organize a final
meeting with all club members, to make sure everyone is prepared for the upcoming trip.
Distribute the Welcome Packet and walk through it to answer questions and share travel tips.

What to Bring: How to Pack it:

•PASSPORT and TWO copies of passport
•yellow fever vaccination card
•other important documents (i.e. visas)
•flashlight/head lamp
•non–perishable snacks
•school supplies/bubbles (for local children)
•spending money ($250 should be plenty)
•bug spray (over 30% deet)
•prescription medication and travel medicine
•waterproof windbreaker/poncho
•lightweight long pants, light sweatshirt
•closed-toed shoes
•hat, sunglasses, sunblock
•camera/video camera
•water bottle
•shower sandals, towel
•Swim suit (hey, you never know….)
•travel-size toiletries (in checked luggage
due to new TSA regulations on liquids)
Panama is hot, humid, and wet. When on
community visits, whatever you wear may get
wet, muddy, and dirty, so don’t bring your
favorite jeans, etc! In the city you’ll want to
look presentable, but there is no need for high
heels, expensive jewelry, or formal clothes.
Leave hair dryers and most major electronics
(ipods are ok) at home. Try to pack light. A
large backpack or duffle bag should provide
plenty of room for everything that you need to
bring. We may moving back and forth daily
between your accommodations and the
community, so you may want to bring a small
back pack for day trips. Medicine: keep in
original prescription bottles, and always in
your carry-on luggage. Be sure to follow
security guidelines for liquid medicines. Bring
some plastic ziplock bags to keep your
camera, wallet, etc dry.
IV. The Brigade!
Law Brigades are one-week experiences abroad that include hands-on work in collaboration
with local partner organizations and alongside community members to promote legal
empowerment, human rights, and sustainable community development. The week is a mix of
educational workshops, cultural experiences, community engagement, project implementation,
and fun activities!

Frequently Asked Questions:

•Who will pick us up at the airport? Every brigade is met at the airport by Global Brigades in-
country coordinators wearing Global Brigades polo shirts. Your transportation will be waiting to
pick up your group and your luggage.

•Is Panama safe? Panama is very safe compared to other Central American countries. However,
safety is always a concern when travelling internationally. As in most large cities, brigade
members should take precautions against theft, stick to well-traveled areas and be alert to
pickpockets. Do not display unnecessary signs of affluence or carry large of sums of cash, and be
aware of your surroundings when using ATMs in public areas. Demonstrations and protest
marches over various social political issues occasionally occur in Panama City, especially near
the state university, and on main streets and highways. Brigaders will always stay with the group,
and will be accompanied by GB coordinators.

•What if someone gets lost? Every brigader will receive a wallet-sized ICE card (In Case of
Emergency) with our coordinators’ cell phone numbers and accommodations’ addresses to keep
on their person while in Panama.

•Can I drink the water? Water is potable in Panama City, and brigaders will always have access
to safe drinking water as needed.

•What if I get sick? GB in-country coordinators are equipped with emergency medical kits, and
always have an emergency plan to transport brigaders to medical facilities if emergency medical
attention is needed. All brigade participants must have emergency SOS travel insurance (see p.
22 for more info about emergency SOS insurance.

•How do I call home? Upon your arrival in Panama, an email will be sent out to your emergency
contact, notifying them of your safe landing. Some U.S. cellphones have coverage in Panama
City, and pre-programmed cell phones will be also be available to “rent”, should you want to call
home during the trip. Please note that in some communities, cell service is not available.

•Is there somewhere for me to store valuables? Your passport and any other necessary
valuables will be stored securely at the Global Brigades headquarters in Panama City.
Logistics and Housing
All in-country accommodations, all meals, and transportation are pre-arranged by Global
Brigades, and are included in the in-country costs. While conditions in the rural or poorer areas
of Panama are rustic, brigaders can be sure to have access to accommodations, food and
transportation that is clean, safe and comfortable.

Logistics Team in Panama: Global Brigades logistics services in Panama are provided by Wayra,
managed by Pablo M. Garrón, who has twelve years experience working with the U.S. Peace
Corps – Panama. Wayra carries accident insurance that covers GB volunteers, and develops
emergency contingency plans for all brigades. Wayra handles all transportation, lodging, meals,
and emergency services for our programs in Panama.

Wayra (Logistics Company)

Address: El Dorado, Av. Brostella. P.H. Don Manuel
Mr. Pablo Garrón , Manager
Phone: (507) 236 – 2789
Cel: (507) 6671 - 2545
Email: groupwayra@cwpanama.net

Accommodations: Brigades will utilize accommodations at the Centro Para el Desarrollo

Sostenible for all or part of the time in Panama. The Centro is a secure location with
accommodations that are regularly utilized by government organizations, and the U.S. Peace
Corps for conferences and training sessions. Brigades will stay here at the beginning and end of
their trips. Additionally, some brigades will spend three to four nights in communities that are
in more remote locations.

Centro Address:
Centro Para el Desarrollo Sostenible
Autoridad Nacional del Ambiente Panamá (ANAM)
Entrance to Farallon, Km. 115, Interamerican Highway
Cocle Province, Panama

Camping: Brigades that are housed in remote communities will

pitch tents, and will be provided with camping mats and
mosquito nets as needed. Please note that the camping
supplies are rustic, so if you prefer to use high-tech camping
equipment you may want to bring your own gear. You may also
want to bring along a lightweight nylon travel hammock that
you can hang up anywhere for a nice afternoon siesta!
Camping is fun!
Transportation and Food
Transportation: Brigades will travel within Panama in coasters (small buses), taking advantage of
Panama’s Interamericana highway. When required allterrain vehicles will be available. Some
locations (such as Emberá Purú) require transportation by boat.

Coaster!

Food: Meals at the Centro Para el Desarrollo Brigaders in a boat to Emberá Purú!
Sostenible will be “comida tipica” prepared by the
on-site kitchen staff. For brigades staying in
remote communities the food will be prepared by
local community members and supervised on-site.

Please let us know if you have any dietary

restrictions! Vegetarian options can be arranged
(advance notice please!). GB will also snacks,
peanut butter and jelly, and fresh fruit. Remember
you can also bring some of your favorite trail mix,
protein bars, and snacks to share! GB Community Director, Andrés Ramirez,
with a Kitchen Crew at Emberá Purú

Traditional meal at Emberá Purú Chicken noodle soup at Comida tipica…

fried fish and plantains Emberá Purú … Que Xopá! In Panama a typical dinner
served in a banana leaf dish As they say in Panama = What Soup! could include rice, chicken,
eat with your hands! (i.e. What´s up?) and beans or lentils.
V. The Next Brigade!
Global Brigades programs strive to support the long-term sustainability of projects
by partnering with local organizations, andcontributing consulting expertise,
capital investment, sweat equity, and success metrics. We develop and
implement week-long phases of long-term projects, and develop complementary
multi-disciplinary development programs across law, business, architecture, and
environmental brigades. The long-term success of your brigade, and positive
impact for developing communities in Panama rely on maintaining enthusiasm,
and transferring information and responsibility to brigaders who will follow your
footsteps in the next brigades!
Project Assessment:
Post-brigade Assessment Report: The ultimate success of our brigades depends on careful
preparation for the next brigade. The preparation begins with your Post-brigade Assessment
Report and knowledge transfer to incoming students and/or other GB clubs.

Post-brigade Presentation: The Post-brigade Presentation provides excellent opportunities to

thank donors, and recruit new members for your club. Students often return to a busy schedule
and quickly forget important details from the brigade, and it is important to encourage
reflection immediately when your return to your campus.

Celebrate! Make your Post-brigade Presentation a celebration! You can present awards to
outstanding members of your club and donors. This will help you to reflect on the successes
and lessons learned during your brigade experience, and collect knowledge that can be
transferred to the next brigade. Use your project description, your Legal Empowerment Action
Plan, pictures and notes from the brigade, and the project assessment report to create a
presentation about your brigade.

Media: The presentation can include any media you like - just remember to capture as much
detail as possible! Show videos and slideshows of your brigade set to music. If you have lots of
research and notes, write a case-study report or article for a newspaper, magazine, or online
publication. Consider creating an on-line photo album (via Google’s Picasa, PhotoBucket,
Shutterfly, etc.). Make a YouTube video and send out the link.

Publicity: Organize the presentation on campus, and invite everyone who has been involved in
your brigade or your club. Open the celebration to the entire campus community, and invite
sponsors, faculty members, family and potential recruits to attend.
Brigade Transition
Global Law Brigades intends to ignite the largest student-led legal empowerment
movement on the planet! As you help expand the GLB network, help us also
maintain the quality of the services we offer to our local partner organizations and
developing communities in Panama.

By being intentional in project and leadership transition, you ensure that future leaders and
incoming members are prepared to expand the GLB network in a manner that maintains a high-
quality approach to the Global Brigades mission. Remember, Global Brigades is a student-led
strategic development organization - in keeping with our values and philosophy, we want to
continue to recruit members who are committed and motivated to making an impact.

Project Transition: Project transition is the transfer of knowledge and strategy from one brigade
team to the next. The key goals are to maintain momentum, improve impact, and minimize re-
inventing the wheel. The main tools to transfer knowledge and strategy are the project
assessment report and the Post-brigade presentation. You may also want to help your partner
organization transfer the project to a new brigade by providing an email introduction and staying
in the loop during the first few exchanges.

Email Post-brigade Schedule a conference call with

Assessment Report to: your Regional Advisor and
1. Regional Advisors Program Director for check-in,
2. Program Director guidance, and assistance with
3. Partner Organization project transition.

Leadership Transition: Changing leadership can be a very precarious event for any club.
Minimize risk by having established systems and processes that new officers can easily manage.
Having achieved official club recognition is an important milestone. Make sure the next leader
knows how official club status is maintained on campus. Make sure to transfer all valuable best
practices like recruiting listservs, meeting places, a donor database, etc. The best place to start
looking for a new leader is among current brigade members!
VI. Policies
For your safety and security, there are a few GB policies in place regarding alcohol
consumption, conduct, and pricing. Please make sure all volunteers understand
and comply with the conditions of these policies, and sign any necessary waivers
before departure.
Conduct:
Alcohol Consumption: Global Brigades (GB) does not promote underage consumption of
alcoholic beverages; however, we are aware that under Honduran/Panamanian law, the legal
drinking age is 18 years. If the volunteer chooses to consume alcoholic beverages in Honduras or
Panama, they understand that they will do so responsibly and will accept restraint from the
supervising host organization.

In addition, alcohol consumption is strictly prohibited during the course of all professional
collaborations and activities in Panama.
Code of Conduct: All brigaders must sign the “Statement of Responsibility” agreement that
specifies a mutually agreeable code of conduct for GB volunteers, staff, and affiliates in Panama.

Pricing:
Pricing: Brigade prices are based on flat rate of USD $850 per person, plus airfare, regardless of
group size. The quoted trip price consists of the following two elements:

In-country Costs: USD $750 The In-country costs cover the cost of meals, accommodation,
airport pick-up and drop-off, in-country travel (but not airfare), security, volunteer coordination,
program development, country manager expenses, community team recruitment, logistical
support and project consultants.

Legal Investment Fund: USD $100 The Legal Investment Fund covers the capital investment that
a brigade applies towards legal empowerment and/or legal services for their project.
VII. GB Panama
Global Law Brigades Key Contacts
CEO Global Development Brigades: Catherine Markman is the CEO of Global
Development Brigades. She is a Global Brigades Co-Founder, and previously
held the role of Director of Global Business Brigades. She has spent the last ten
years working in both the private and non-profit sectors in the role of business in
sustainable community development.

As a Manager for Deloitte Consulting LLP, Catherine worked with Fortune 500
companies in international expansion efforts and helped build Deloitte’s Center
for Non-Profit Leadership. Additionally, her prior experience includes launching a
workforce development program for the U.S. Department of Labor, building
infrastructure development models for India’s Planning Commission and working
in a strategic capacity with a variety of international social enterprises and
national organizations including the United Way, Peace Child, Israel and Goodwill
Industries.

Catherine graduated magna cum laude from Boston University and received her
MBA from Oxford University, England.

Email: Catherine@globalbrigades.org

Executive Director, Global Law Brigades: Diane Dunn is the Director of Global
Law Brigades. She is based in Panama, where we are building collaborative
relationships with local organizations like the U.S. Peace Corps, Patronato de
Nutrición, Earthtrain, and Planting Empowerment. Law Brigades programs focus
on legal empowerment, human rights, and community development.

Diane´s professional and academic experience includes work with domestic and
international organizations on legal empowerment, violence prevention,
environmental justice, peacebuilding, disarmament, and migration. Diane also
worked with the International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms
(IALANA) under the direction of Dr. Carlos Vargas Pizarro, who presented Costa
Rica's case at the International Court of Justice in the Advisory Opinion on
“Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons” (1995).

Diane has a MA in International Law and Settlement of Disputes from the UN

Mandated University for Peace (UPEACE) in Costa Rica, a MS in Journalism from
University of Oregon, and a BA in Mathematics from UC Riverside.

Email: Diane@globalbrigades.org
Your Comments:
Your comments on this handbook will help us improve it! Please take a moment to
comment on the usefulness and accuracy of the information in this handbook, and
please share any suggestions or insight as to how to make the next brigade
experience better. You can email your feedback to your Regional Advisor or
Program Director.

I. About Global Brigades and Law Brigades

About Legal Empowerment

What is a Law Brigade?

Why Panama?

How We Work in Panama

What can a Brigade do?

II. How to Start a Club

Achieve Official Club Recognition

Club Relationship and Responsibilities

Club Requirements and Performance

Club Recognition, Benefits of Club Leadership, and Opportunities

Your Comments:
III. Preparing for the Trip

1. Receive your Project

2. Recruit Club Members

3. Airfare and Payments

4. Prepare the Project

5. Fundraise

6. Health & Legal Requirements

7.Ready for Take-Off

IV. The Brigade

Logistics and Housing

Transportation and Food

Your Comments:
V. The Next Brigade

Project Assessment

Brigade Transition

VI. GB Policies

Conduct

Payment

VII. GB Panama

Key Contacts