Internships with Charities and Non-profits

Actionaid - offer paid internships sporadically.

Amicus - a charity based in London which aims to provide representation for those awaiting the death penalty in the USA. Employs staff in the UK to research particular areas of law. Runs an internship scheme for postgraduate law students and experienced lawyers to go and work in the office of a US death penalty attorney for 3-6 months.

Amnesty International - interships are sometimes listed in the 'jobs' section of their website.

Article 19 (Global Campaign for Free Expression) – advertise internships, but also accept rolling applications throughout the year. Internships are available in the Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, Middle East & North Africa and Law programmes. Occasional opportunities arise for internships in communications and fundraising. Individuals looking to gain experience in administration are also welcome to apply. Internships are unpaid apart from lunch expenses and travel within London. As places are limited - especially over the summer period - it is advisable to apply at least three months in advance of when you hope to start your placement.

Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT) - based in Geneva, Switzerland. The APT Internship Programme aims to attract suitably qualified graduates
to assist the APT secretariat in its activities. The intern is normally a young jurist or an advanced student in human rights law, political sciences or international relations. They must have a manifest interest in furthering the work on the prevention of torture, ill-treatment, conditions of detention, or administration of justice. To ensure their integration into the daily work of the organisation
and for ease of contact with colleagues, the intern should be fluent in either French or English and have a working knowledge of the other language.

Barnardo’s runs a variety of voluntary internships in a number of departments. Most last for three months.

BioRegional Development Group - an environmental organisation bringing local sustainability into the mainstream of the economy. Located in Surrey. Occasionally offer internships, work experience placements or study projects for people who wish to pursue their interest in sustainability. Unpaid, but expenses are covered. CVs are accepted on a rolling basis.

The British Red Cross runs a selection of voluntary internships in a variety of locations around the UK.

Cancer Research UK runs graduate training schemes in science and research, corporate services, and fundraising and marketing. They also run an internship scheme, details of which can be found on their website.

The Centre for Democracy and Development  - a non-governmental organisation which aims to promote the values of democracy, peace & human rights in Africa and especially in the West African sub-region. Working through advocacy, training and research in the areas of Governance, Human Rights, Peace & Security, Environment, Gender, Social & Economic Development, there are internships sporadically available and vacancies which are suitable
for entry level candidates also. Please check the website regularly for details of these positions.

Centre for Justice and International Law (CEJIL) - There are two sorts of internships available from the CEJIL, these are Administrative and Legal Administrative internships are aimed at college students who are interested in human rights in Latin America. Applicants must have solid Spanish language skills and a knowledge of Portuguese and/or English is valuable, depending upon the office where the internship is held. Students must also possess excellent writing skills and a willingness and ability to handle a wide variety of
tasks. Previous experience working in NGOs is a plus. Applicants must be available to work for at least three months (proposals for shorter terms may also be considered). Legal internships are principally for law students or law graduates interested in a career in international human rights law, with particular interest in Latin America. Students or graduates with careers oriented towards human rights work are also admitted.

Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation - welcomes applications from people wishing to do an internship from South Africa and the rest of the world. All applications for internships are reviewed on 15 October each year.
Applicants need to specify their area of interest/in which department they would like to be based in order that they may be placed appropriately.

Charities Advisory Trust – employ about 50-60 graduates in their Graduate Internship Program for 3-4 months before Christmas, to work on Card Aid and the Good Gift Catalogue.

Children in Crisis – look for volunteers in the Fundraising department at various times during the year. “Opportunities would suit a new graduate interested in education, overseas development, or wanting to gain experience within the NGO/voluntary sector”. Reimburse travel expenses.

Council on Foreign Relations - run an Internship Program for college and
graduate students focusing on international relations who are considering a career in foreign policy or a related field. Interns are recruited year-round on a semester basis for both the New York and Washington, DC, offices. The autumn and spring semesters require a minimum commitment of sixteen hours per week. The summer semester requires a full-time commitment. The internships are unpaid but provide a small stipend upon successful completion to offset transportation expenses.

Earthwatch - internships are sometimes listed on the 'jobs' page. Their european office is based in Oxford.

The Ecologist - a non profit environmental magazine. Offer internships.

Fair Trials Abroad - works to ensure that EU citizens accused of a
crime in a country other than their own receive a just and fair trial. Fair Trials Abroad welcomes volunteer applications from those who wish to gain valuable experience working in a small international legal rights environment. As a volunteer the work you do will vary depending on the requirements of FTA and your level of experience. To be considered as a volunteer you must have some relevant experience of criminal law, human rights, interpreting, translation or office administration. FTA requires a commitment lasting a minimum of 8 weeks during which time volunteers work at least 1 full day per week. To apply email your CV and a covering letter to the address on the website.

Forum for the Future – regularly offer internships throughout the Forum, for a minimum of 6 weeks, giving people the opportunity to acquire experience working in the sustainable development field.

Freedom House -  functions as a catalyst for freedom through its analysis, advocacy and action. Freedom House periodically looks for Interns for its
New York office. They recruit unpaid administrative/research interns for all or part of the school year for approximately 20 hours per week. The intern provides research and administrative assistance for projects and publications in the Freedom House office located in New York.  Interns must be able to demonstrate an interest in international affairs and human rights.

Gemin-i – offer a structured and tailored graduate scheme for a minimum of six weeks. Expenses are paid. Website has profiles of previous interns.

Global Rights - offers internships to undergraduate, legal and other graduate. Each fall and spring, Global Rights’ program, development and communications departments offer part time internships (16-20 hours per week). Summer internships are full-time and run for 10 weeks; internships are unpaid. Students with a demonstrated commitment to human rights and international law are preferred.

Green Alliance – run an internship programme providing work experience in a number of areas, including membership, policy assistance, fundraising, communications, event organisation and general administration. Unpaid.

Groundwork – supports communities in need, working with partners to help improve the quality of people’s lives, their prospects and potential. Have some graduate work experience opportunities in some of their groups.

Human Rights First - a leading human rights advocacy organization based in New York City and Washington, DC. In addition to a vacancy website which lists current positions vacant, there are a number of internships available. These are based in Washington, D.C, and New York and vary in content and experience required – please see the website for a comprehensive summary of each. Knowledge of a second language is desirable although not strictly necessary for each of these positions. There are also some office based, voluntary positions available but these are primarily designed for those who are living in the local vicinity of the offices.

Human Rights Watch – offers internships to undergraduate and graduate students in their New York, London, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Brussels and Berlin offices.

The Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa - a non-profit, non-governmental pan-African organization, based in The Gambia, West Africa. The Institute’s mandate is to increase the effectiveness and accessibility of the human rights protection mechanisms of the African Union. Internships are available and are usually offered to law students from across the globe seeking to expand their experience and can last from between three months to a year.

International Alert – has a number of graduate interns who spend a six months internship with one of their programme teams.

The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) - a non-governmental organisation dedicated to the legal promotion and protection of human rights and the rule of law. There are a number of internship programmes available, at the time of writing the ICJ was recruiting two interns for its Asia-Pacific Regional Programme, for example. Applicants for internships must be final year law students or graduates of law, fluent in English and preferably be fluent in another language. Check the website for internships, which become available throughout the year, usually for a period of six months.

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. Please check the website for individual intern vacancies. Internships are unpaid.

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. Internships are offered periodically, the usual period is six months starting in February and September and on a basis of a minimum of 32 hours a week. All interns receive a financial compensation for accommodation and other living costs. Interns are responsible for organising their own travel and accommodation. Selection is made on the basis of your CV in English and an interview.

Justice – human rights organisation – offers summer internships for law graduates. Expenses covered.

Macmillan Cancer Supportruns an internship scheme focusing on events, communications and fundraising.

Merlin – specialist UK charity which responds worldwide with vital health care and medical relief for people caught up in natural disasters, conflict, disease and health system collapse. Offer a structured internship programme in the following departments: Programmes, Logistics, Health & Policy, Marketing, Communications, Human Resources, and Finance. Expenses covered.

Minority Rights Group International – take place in the London office, not paid. Recruited for specific projects. Advertised on their website, but they also accept speculative applications.

The Omega Research Foundation - a small charity that researches the international trade in military, security and police equipment. For many human rights charities and policy makers they are the leading source of information on this trade. For more information and internship opportunities, please send an email enquiry to info@omegaresearchfoundation.org.

Oxfam - internships sometimes listed in the 'jobs' section of the website. Runs 3-6 month internships and longer 6-12 month internships.

People & Planet – every year they take on several interns for an eleven-months paid internship based in Oxford. Recruitment usually starts in April.

SCOPE's leadership recruitment scheme is for disabled graduates, who work in selected partner organisations for up to a year.