Current Internship Opportunities
Oslo Scholars Program 2023
Internships
All those interested are required to apply by Friday, February 24, 2023 11:59pm with the following materials submitted to michaela.harrington@tufts.edu in one folder/zip file per internship you are applying for labeled [LASTNAME] [INTERNSHIP]. e.g. SMITH CANVAS
- Completed Application Form
- Cover Letter addressed to the Human Rights Activist (1-2 pages)
- Current Resume
- 2-3 pages specifying 1) your demonstrated interest in human rights, 2) the internship you are applying for, 3) why you are interested in that particular internship, and 4) why you would be a good candidate for the internship
- Writing Sample (3-5 pages, can be several 1-2 page samples)
Application materials will be reviewed at the IGL and then forwarded to the human rights activist(s) to whom you applied, who will make the final selections. You may apply for more than one internship but each must be a full application unto itself in its own folder.
You can find the program in PDF form here.
If you have any questions, please email heather.barry@tufts.edu.
Opportunities
INTERNSHIPS for the SUMMER of 2023
ALBERT EINSTEIN INSTITUTION | Jamila Raqib
The Albert Einstein Institution is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the worldwide study and use of strategic nonviolent action in conflict. To learn more about the institution, please visit our website at www.aeinstein.org.
This is a period of transition for the institution as we are in the process of developing a new educational program. We are looking for an intern who is excited to join us in this time of transition and willing to operate within a flexible environment. Our intern will work closely with Jamila Raqib and additional members of the team on a range of tasks. We are committed to making the summer an educational experience that meets the learning goals of our intern.
Responsibilities and duties for interns will likely vary widely during this time of transition and may include but are not limited to:
● Following world news events related to nonviolent action and preparing roundups
● Helping plan and run an educational workshop on nonviolent resistance for young children
● Conducting research to support the development of resources for the Institution’s new educational program
● Editing funding proposals and building slide decks for presentations
● Creating e-books for existing publications
● Assisting with plans for a revamp of the Institution’s social media accounts
● Attending and taking notes on meetings with activists and other partners
● Providing assistance to Institution staff on general administrative tasks
Qualifications:
● Fluency in English, including excellent writing and editing skills
● Preference is for interns who can work the whole summer, June-August
Number of Internships Open: 3
Location: Boston (may consider remote)
CENTER FOR APPLIED NONVIOLENT ACTIONS AND STRATEGIES (CANVAS) | Srdja Popovic
The Center for Applied Nonviolent Actions and Strategies (CANVAS) was founded in 2005 in Belgrade, Serbia, by a team that organized a successful nonviolent movement Otpor! which led to the overthrow of Slobodan Milosevic. Sixteen years later, CANVAS now operates a network of international trainers and consultants with expertise in building and running successful nonviolent movements around the world. Our trainers have broad experience in working with activists from more than 50 countries. They also regularly teach courses on nonviolent strategy to a range of international educational institutions.
Our organization disseminates knowledge through a variety of sources including, social media, books, videos, and specialized courses. CANVAS has produced several publications on nonviolent resistance based on intensive research and our members’ decades of experience in the field.
The CANVAS Analytical Research intern will primarily conduct case studies, situational analyses and assist with ongoing academic research projects with our university partners.
The duties of our interns are dependent on the needs and projects of the organization at the time of their internship.
Intern responsibilities include:
● Research Support (Region-specific analyses, case studies, academic research in cooperation with partner organizations and universities): Often, our trainers need to know about new developments in a particular region of the world, or they need background information about a specific issue before participating in a conference or panel. CANVAS interns research the issues at hand and draft a document with necessary information to keep our network of trainers informed. In addition, there is opportunity for CANVAS interns to participate in ongoing academic research about political transitions. Tasks may include: literature review and interviewing activists.
● Country Analyses: Interns can be tasked with writing country analysis with a complete run-down of information about a specific country and its current situation. CANVAS country analyses usually contain the following information:
○ An introduction and a brief background/history of the country
○ The current political situation
○ The current socio-economic situation
○ The state of civil society and human rights in the country
○ The country’s relationship with the international community
○ Analysis of the pillars of support in the country
○ Possible future outcomes
● Weekly Reports: Interns are responsible for writing and mailing out CANVAS’s Weekly Report every Friday. The Weekly Report consists of a list of countries that are researched and updated with new developments. The sections are evenly split amongst CANVAS interns. The newsletter is emailed through CANVAS’s MailChimp account.
● Drafting Articles: When a particular topic is hot-and-happening, we write articles to offer clarity to the situation from CANVAS's perspective. Your ideas and creativity are always appreciated.
● Content Development: Every year, we update CANVAS’ modules and curriculum for our university courses and other programs, so that we are disseminating the most recent and accurate information. CANVAS interns participate in the research process and in drafting different case studies.
● Social Media Management: CANVAS interns are tasked with updating CANVAS’s social media (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook) with important news about ongoing nonviolent struggles, raising awareness of important issues, and CANVAS or affiliate workshops and events. Interns usually create visuals and captions for such posts.
● Learning: As a CANVAS intern, you will expand your knowledge about activism, movements, and nonviolent struggle through various research opportunities and projects. From people nonviolently fighting for human rights under oppressive regimes, to environmental activists organizing powerful global campaigns – you’ll have plenty of opportunities to get to know the essence of activism during your time with CANVAS!
Qualifications:
● Strong research and writing skills
● Proficient using Microsoft Office Suite
● Passion for the betterment of humanity and the planet, such as in areas of human and civil rights, education, climate justice and transitional justice
● Preferred academic and/or professional background in political science, international relations or security, conflict or peace studies
Number of Internships Open: 2
Location: Belgrade or remote
SHUDDHASHAR | Ahmedur “Tutul" Chowdhury
Shuddhashar FreeVoice is an online magazine, platform, and non-profit organization dedicated to freedom of expression, human rights, exiled and at-risk writers, equality, climate action, and literature. Founded by Ahmedur Chowdhury in Bangladesh in 1990, in 2017, Shuddhashar moved online after censorship and violence forced the publishing house to close its successful operations in Bangladesh. Shuddhashar is operated by Mr. Chowdhury in Norway and an international editorial board. Shuddhashar FreeVoice publishes a quarterly theme-based magazine on topics such as Authoritarianism, Public Art, Racism, and Cultural Genocide as well as books and e-books. It also has a mentorship program for students in the Global South and an annual program event called Radical Joy.
Shuddhashar invites applications for internships. We especially welcome applicants with experience or interest in fundraising and grant writing. Other assignments include editing, writing, outreach, and publicity. We seek highly motivated students who have experience in one or more of these areas. Interns will learn about grant writing; gain experience in editing and soliciting articles to media; and familiarize themselves with international cases of restrictions on free speech and human rights, refugees, and exiled writers journalists.
Responsibilities:
● Research grant opportunities, and assist the application process
● Research and propose alternative funding sources (crowdsourcing, etc.)
● Research potential writers for theme-based magazine issues, assist in soliciting writers, and/or conduct interview of relevant activist or scholar
● Edit and proofread articles to be published on Shuddhashar FreeVoice
● Promote and increase readership by, for example, creating and disseminating diverse content on social media platforms - Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook and on Wikipedia
● Report weekly to Editor and meet every 2-3 weeks via Zoom/email to discuss plans and projects
● Time commitment: Average 15 hours/week (varying with publication)
Qualifications:
● Strong writing skills with attention to detail
● High level of competence in using Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook
● Highly motivated, self-starter, and able to work independently and meet deadlines
● Responsible, reliable, and detail-oriented
● Curious and eager to learn about other societies and people
● Willingness to take work seriously and be mindful that some writers of Shuddhashar are or have been at severe risk because of censorship or persecution
● Interest in diversity and inclusion, literature, social justice, human rights, and climate action
Number of Internships Open: 3
Location: Remote
STUDENTS FOR A FREE TIBET | Pema Doma
Students for a Free Tibet (SFT) is an international chapter based grassroots organization that uses education, advocacy, and nonviolent direct action to campaign for the Tibetan peoples’ fundamental right to political freedom. SFT works to empower and train youth as leaders in the Tibetan movement and beyond. We stand in solidarity with Tibetans inside Tibet and work to amplify their voices. A key part of our work involves supporting former and current Tibetan political prisoners. We rely on these human rights defenders for guidance, grounding, and inspiration. SFT also plays a key role in organizing cross movement collaboration among those oppressed by the Chinese government, such as Tibetans, Uyghurs, and Hong Kongers.
The Campaigns Internship with Students for a Free Tibet allows current undergraduate students and recent graduates to work closely with SFT’s Campaigns Team to execute international grassroots campaigns in solidarity with Tibetans inside Tibet and around the world. Interns will work closely with Tibetan activists around the world, as well as cross-movement activists from the Uyghur, Hong Kong, and Taiwanese communities. Applicants for the internship will have the opportunity to learn about advocacy, lobbying, campaign strategizing, and key issues impacting the Tibetan community.
Qualifications:
● Ideal candidates for this internship possess a strong interest in and passion for human rights, activism, and grassroots organizing.
● Students working towards an undergraduate degree in Political Science, Government, International Studies, or any relevant field are highly encouraged to apply.
● Candidates are required to have a positive attitude, strong attention to detail, effective time management, ability to work well with others, and a growth mindset to learn.
● Applicants with strong research skills, writing skills, knowledge on Tibet or China, and fluency in Tibetan or Chinese will also be given preference.
Responsibilities:
● The SFT campaigns intern will monitor news on Tibet, research opportunities for Tibet engagement at the United Nations, update campaign materials and resources, manage campaign information on the website, help launch SFT’s Summer
Canvassing Program, and support urgent response actions as needed.
● The SFT Intern is typically required to commit a minimum of 180 internship hours within a 12-week period.
Details:
The SFT internship experience is primarily an on-site internship at our headquarters in New York City (602 East 14th Street, 2nd Floor, New York NY 10009). Applicants that are remote can be given consideration based on qualifications and specific skill sets. In the past, SFT has also provided immersive opportunities for Campaigns Interns to dive into the work through projects that take them outside the office, such as attending COP (UN Climate Conference), lobbying for Tibet on Capitol Hill, organizing cross-movement rallies, or attending week-long training camps with Tibetan youth activists, among other projects. We currently have capacity to take on up to two interns on our Campaigns team through the Oslo Scholars Program. If given the opportunity, the OSP Interns would also be part of a larger team of 6-8 Interns at SFT during the Summer 2023 Internship Cycle.
Number of Internships Open: 2
Location: New York City (preferred) or remote
SYRIAN EMERGENCY TASK FORCE | Omar Alshogre
The Syrian Emergency Task Force was formed in March 2011 to respond to the Syrian dictatorship and its allies waging war on innocent civilians. As a 501(c)(3) headquartered in Washington, D.C., SETF works tirelessly to bring an end to the killing in Syria through advocacy, humanitarian initiatives, and the pursuit of justice and accountability for war crimes. Visit SETF.ngo for more info. Students in the third year of their degree are preferred.
Responsibilities:
● Coordinate events and speaking engagements, including but not limited to: communication with the host institution on the topic of the engagement, any specific requirements and/or requests, travel arrangements, and preparation for the event.
● Produce monthly reports on the situation on the ground in Syria, including analysis of recent events and policy recommendations.
● Contribute to research in building a database of media outlets, personalities, and influencers with a focus on their stance on human rights, so as to allow the organization to quickly identify potential collaborations.
● Participate in research to keep building an existing database of Syrian detention centers (identify prisons, locate them, collect information on them and their leadership, and map them).
Number of Internships Open: 2
Location: Interns work hybridly (impacted by where they are located - the office in DC is always accessible).
ECOHOME | Marina Dubina
Ecohome is one of the oldest non-profit environmental organizations in Belarus, founded in 1996 — until it was forcibly liquidated by the Lukashenko government in 2021. The team was forced to leave the country to continue their work in-exile for environmental democracy in Belarus. Ecohome helps citizens claim their rights to a healthy environment, and promotes best practices. Learn more at ecohome.ngo.
Responsibilities:
● Option 1: Creating a roadmap for interacting with EU and UN structures, scoping best practices and legal instruments for the protection of environmental rights.
○ Required Qualifications: Legislation and jurisprudence research, comparative analysis, strategic assessment skills)
○ Remote with possible on-site meetings in EU countries
● Option 2: Organizing interdisciplinary laboratories and plein airs for environmental activists, artists, and experts.
○ Preference for in-person interns in Lithuania
● Option 3: Collaborating with the Ukraine War Environmental Consequences Work Group (uwecworkgroup.info) to analyze leading media resources in the US and Europe on the coverage of environmental consequences of the war in Ukraine.
○ Remote
Number of Internships Open: 3-6
Locations: Lithuania and remote
DEFIENDE VENEZUELA | Genesis Davila
Defiende Venezuela is a pro-bono non-governmental organization that advocates for the promotion and protection of human rights through strategic international litigation of cases of human rights violations. Defiende Venezuela represents more than 500 victims before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, different United Nations mechanisms, and the International Criminal Court. Defiende Venezuela has developed a working methodology that has proven to be effective with a 100% rate of admissibility before the IACHR, and direct impact on reports, communications, resolutions, and investigations of different teams of the United Nations and the Offices of the Prosecutor and Victims of the International Criminal Court. Moreover, Defiende Venezuela has also trained over 4,000 human rights advocates all over the world.
Responsibilities:
Students interning with Defiende Venezuela may work on strategic international litigation of human rights cases, grant preparation, and partner identification or on any of the projects that the organization is implementing at the time of their internship, depending on their interest.
Qualifications:
We welcome students who speak English, and preferably Spanish, have exceptional writing and interpersonal skills, and are interested in human rights and international law.
Number of Internships Open: 3-6
Location: Remote or in-person at the student’s convenience. If the student would like to do the internship in Venezuela, he/she/they will have to do a security assessment and obtain visa permits if required.
UFOLO CENTER FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE | Rafael Marques de Morais
There is a pressing need for an independent civil society organization focused on state-building to drive meaningful and long-lasting institutional change in Angola. This critically inspired the launch of the Ufolo Center for Good Governance in 2020. So far, Ufolo has undertaken three major projects in partnership with both private and state institutions. In the wake of the police’s violent and repressive conduct against protesters across the nation, we held meetings and workshops for the national police on citizenry, public security, and human rights. To date, we have provided training to more than 500 officers on how to respect citizens’ human rights and on the appropriate use of non-lethal force.
The Ufolo Center for Good Governance is looking to recruit two interns who can help the organization with research and communications (writing and editing in English). As part of this internship, Oslo Scholars will gain invaluable insight working alongside the Ufolo Center for Good Governance to develop human rights training and educational development programs.
Number of Internships Open: 2
Location: remote
ONE DAY SEYOUM | Vanessa Tsehaye
One Day Seyoum is an organization working to end human rights abuses against Eritreans and support Eritrean refugees restarting their lives. We run campaigns, produce media, and run support services. We are a membership organization with over 450 members. We have been operating since 2013. One Day Seyoum is currently transitioning from being volunteer-run to hiring staff and securing program budgets.
We are looking for interns to assist us with:
- Fundraising
- Organize our 10 year anniversary event in September
- Administrative tasks
Number of Internships Open: 2
Internship location: Preferably online, but can discuss coming to London closer to the date.