Human Rights Delegations and Internships

MDC (Manpower Development Cooperation)

MDC (Manpower Development Cooperation) was established in 1967 by the North Carolina Fund, with the support of the state's civic and business leadership and the Ford Foundation, to help the state transition from a segregated, agricultural work force to an integrated, industrial work force. Since then, they have worked across lines of race and class to solve problems of poverty and promoted social and economic justices extensively in the American South. MDC currently offers the Autry Fellowship which provides an opportunity for recent college graduates to work one year as a full-time paid staff member at MDC. The fellowship's goal is to educate the South's future leaders in economic and social justice.

For more information or an application, please visit the website http://www.mdcinc.org/about/autry.aspx.
Applications for 2008 will be due on February 25, 2008

Humanity In Action (HIA)

In each European program, American students work with an equal number of university students in the host countries—Denmark, the Netherlands, Poland, France, Germany.

The European Programs focus on three interrelated areas of contemporary and historic importance:

• Current minority and human rights issues in the host countries;
• The development of international human rights institutions and doctrines in the aftermath of WWII and the Holocaust;
• Examples of resistance to the Holocaust

Fellows in the American Program in New York explore how Americans understand, practice, and manage diversity by studying:

• The legal, cultural, economic, religious, and political resources available to those who advocate a more tolerant, inclusive and participatory society
• Contemporary debates over race, immigration, religion, and the role of public and private sectors in addressing social problems

After completion of the summer program, fellows implement their own action plan projects. HIA seeks to further fellows' professional growth through the Senior Fellows Network and a variety of internships to which senior fellows have unique access (including positions at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, the War Crimes Tribunal for Sarajevo, the United Nations, the U.S. House of Representatives, the European Parliament, the Danish Institute for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, the Anne Frank Foundation, Interpol, and others).

Center for Justice and Accountability (CJA)

The Center for Justice & Accountability (CJA) is a San Francisco-based international human rights organization dedicated to ending torture and other severe human rights abuses around the world and advancing the rights of survivors to seek truth, justice and redress. CJA uses litigation to hold perpetrators individually accountable for human rights abuses, develop human rights law, and advance the rule of law in countries transitioning from periods of abuse. CJA was founded CJA in 1998 with support from Amnesty International and the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture to represent torture survivors in their pursuit of justice.

Information about internships is available here.

Amnesty International

AI has a varied network of members and supporters around the world. At the latest count, there were more than 1.8 million members, supporters and subscribers in over 150 countries and territories in every region of the world. Although they come from many different backgrounds and have widely different political and religious beliefs, they are united by a determination to work for a world where everyone enjoys human rights.

AI is a democratic, self-governing movement. Major policy decisions are taken by an International Council made up of representatives from all national sections.

AI's national sections and local volunteer groups are primarily responsible for funding the movement. No funds are sought or accepted from governments for AI's work investigating and campaigning against human rights violations.

AI is independent of any government, political ideology, economic interest or religion. It does not support or oppose any government or political system, nor does it support or oppose the views of the victims whose rights it seeks to protect. It is concerned solely with the impartial protection of human rights.

2007 Scholars at Risk Internships

About Scholars at Risk (SAR):
Scholars at Risk is an international network of universities and colleges working to promote academic freedom and defend the human rights of scholars worldwide. SAR provides direct assistance to threatened scholars, organizing public awareness and capacity-building activities, and undertakes research and advocacy to improve academic freedom conditions worldwide.

About SAR internships:
Internships will be based at Scholars at Risk's New York University office, and interns will report directly to the director and the senior program officer. SAR internships are unpaid. Scholars at Risk will work with interns to comply with the requirements of any stipend or internship-for-credit program at their institution. Application deadline for summer consideration: Monday, April 16, 2007.

General qualifications:
Candidates must be able to assume significant responsibility. Excellent communication, organization and writing skills required. Proficiency in Microsoft office programs required. Interest or experience in international affairs, human rights advocacy, NGO or non-profit organization/management preferred. Graduate students preferred but qualified undergraduates are welcome to apply. Foreign language skills preferred but not required. SAR prioritizes candidates from network member universities and colleges (Member list available at: http://scholarsatrisk.nyu.edu/Beta/Membership/Member_Directory.php).

How to apply?
Interested candidates are invited to send a copy of their resume and cover letter to scholarsatrisk@nyu.edu by April 16, 2007. Please describe why you are a strong candidate and what aspect of our work is most compelling to you (direct assistance to scholars, human rights research and advocacy, outreach and capacity-building, i.e. building partners with institutions abroad; legal/international standards building).

For more information, visit: http://scholarsatrisk.nyu.edu