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The Careers Group at University of London – website contains information and advice written by those in the field.
Human Rights Jobs - Membership organisation which has worldwide vacancies. Members must pay a seasonal or annual subscription.
To find about about lots of different organisations, a useful resource is the Human Rights Databank - a database of human rights organisations provided by HRI (Human Rights Internet).
Some of the larger human rights organisations which are likely to have job vacancies are listed below.
The European Union - It is worth checking the EU web page
regularly for internships and entry level vacancies that are related to human rights
The European Union Institute for Security Studies(EUISS) - aims to help
create a common European security culture, to enrich the strategic debate, and systematically to promote the interests of the Union. Internships are available (see internships section for more details).
Court of Justice of the European Communities - constitutes a number of components, including; The Court of Justice, The Court of First Instance and The Civil Service Tribunal. There are two traineeships on offer, of five months in duration, running from March and October respectively. Applicants must have a degree in either law or political sciences and a good working knowledge of French is necessary.
Global Policy Forum - aims to monitor policy making at the United Nations, promote accountability of global decisions, educate and mobilize for global citizen participation, and advocate on vital issues of international peace and justice. Global Policy Forum welcomes applications for internships (see internships section for more details).
United Nations - several UN agencies work to protect human rights, for example UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), UN High Commission for Human Rights (OHCHR), and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). Many of these offices offer internship programmes which are ideal for entry level candidates because they offer a vital and valuable first step towards a career of human rights work.
Aide à Toute Détresse (ATD) Fourth World - engages with individuals and institutions to acknowledge and support the daily efforts of people in extreme poverty. ATD Fourth World see the condition of extreme poverty as a denial of basic human rights. When there are paid vacancies available, these are advertised on the ATD website. There are a number of interesting volunteering opportunities; the NGO hold a quota of full-time volunteers running to approximately 350 men and women around the world who commit themselves on a long-term basis to working with those in extreme poverty. Whatever
their responsibilities or skills, full-time volunteers live on a basic living wage according to the countries in which they live. To become a volunteer you need to first take part in a three month summer camp (accommodation and food provided plus a basic wage for the second and third months). From there you can either continue to work in your own country or you may be posted to the French offices and then given the opportunity to work abroad in any one the
ATD Fourth World’s countries.
Amnesty International – often list interesting vacancies on their website.
Article 19: Global Campaign for Free Expression - offers internships (see internships section for more details).
Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT) - based in Geneva, Switzerland. Offers internships (see internships section for more details).
CAFOD - believes that all human beings have a right to dignity and respect, and that the world's resources are a gift to be shared equally by all men and women, whatever their race, nationality or religion. They do not run an internship scheme but do have a regularly updated vacancies page which offers work both in UK offices and overseas. CAFOD does offer entry level vacancies. There are numerous volunteering opportunities, also located on the website, which can be pursued as full time or part time posts.
Centre for Justice and International Law (CEJIL) - Offer internships (see internships section for more details).
Human Rights Internet (HRI) - works for social justice through "human rights informed policy formation, knowledge transfer and development, promotion of dialogue, training, and information distribution. Vacancies are listed under 'jobs'. Internships are offered only to Canadian nationals.
Human Rights Watch – an organisation which focuses international attention on human rights violations. Offers internships to undergraduate and graduate students in their New York, London, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Brussels and Berlin offices.
International Alert - a leading peacebuilding organisation working in over 20 countries and territories around the world. Offers internships (see internships section for more details). Vacancies are also accessible on the website when they are available.
International Crisis Group - an NGO with over 110 staff members on five continents, working through field-based analysis and high-level advocacy to prevent and resolve deadly conflict. You can either make an open application to the ICG, apply to available vacancies on the jobs page of the website, or apply for an internship, which are available in either the Brussels, Washington D.C, New York, Columbia or Pretoria offices. There are often a variety of posts open at one time, pertaining mainly to law, media, policy writing and administration.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - the world's largest humanitarian organization, providing assistance without discrimination as to nationality, race, religious beliefs, class or political opinions. There are two types of vacancy available, Field vacancies and Secretariat vacancies. You must be at least 25 years old to apply to either. Vacancies are published on the web page and are varied in specification and requirements.
You can also volunteer in your home country or abroad for the one of the Societies.
The International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT) - an independent, international health professional organisation that promotes and supports the rehabilitation of torture victims and works for the prevention of torture worldwide. Vacancies are posted on the website, or you can make an open application by sending your CV and a covering letter to the Liaisons Office (see website for address). Offer internships(see internships section for more details).
Justice - jobs are advertised in the Guardian or The Times. They are also posted on the In The News section of their website.
Peace Brigades International (PBI) - protects human rights and promotes nonviolent transformation of conflicts. When invited, they send teams of volunteers into areas of repression and conflict. The volunteers accompany human rights defenders, their organizations and others threatened by political violence. There are no internships and few job opportunities, those that there are are posted on the website and are worth checking, although entry level vacancies are few.
World Vision - a Christian relief and development organisation working for the
well being of all people, especially children. There are a wide range of vacancies available at different times and requirements/experience vary. It is worth checking the vacancies page of the World Vision site regularly to keep up to date with what is available.
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