Human Rights & Development Intern

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Organization : Manushya Foundation

Human Rights & Development Intern

Job description

Internship – Manushya Foundation

Full time

Who We Are

The Manushya Foundation: Empowering Communities; Advancing Social Justice. “Manushya” is a Sanskrit term being understood by many communities across Asia and in the world, meaning “humans”, “human being”, or even “human rights” (such as manusia in Bahasa or Malay).

The Manushya Foundation is an Asian regional organisation aiming at empowering local communities to advance Social Justice, Human Rights & Peace. The Manushya Foundation aims at connecting Humans across Asia to build capacities, share experiences, strengthen solidarity and become agents of change.

Since 2017, we have been implementing our three step 'bottom-up' empowerment approach to 'Engage - Mobilise - Empower' Agents of Change. As a women-led organisation, we apply a 'gender lens' to all our work and decided to invest our energy and develop innovative strategies to tackle the most alarming human rights challenges faced by women and marginalised communities in Asia, by working on these four thematic areas: 1. Business & Human Rights - to ensure governments put People over Profit; 2. UN Human Rights Mechanisms - to guarantee meaningful engagement of communities in International Accountability Mechanisms; 3. Women’s Empowerment - to promote women's leadership and ensure women lead human rights movements across Asia; and 4. Digital Rights - to uphold online freedom and push back on censorship in authoritarian regimes. We hope to enable change in those areas by supporting: (1) Capacity Development of local communities; (2) Community-led participatory Research & Advocacy; (3) Coalition Building of intersectional networks; and (4) Sub-granting to ensure communities have the means to fight for their rights.

Manushya Foundation’s strategy lies on three pillars:

ENGAGE communities by building their capacities on all UN human rights mechanisms to ensure their effective participation, and by providing them with the tools to efficiently build credible evidence and monitor the human rights situation on the ground (human rights documentation) to hold their government accountable on their human rights obligations.

MOBILISE communities around human rights movements, by building CSOs coalitions comprising all human rights issues, where communities are treated equally and can build solidarity and where all human rights are equal (civil and political rights as well as economic, social and cultural rights).

EMPOWER communities by ensuring they are at the center of the human rights response in their countries, engaging constructively and providing solutions to their government to improve the human rights on the ground. By applying a bottom-up approach, communities will own their issues, provide solutions and become the agents of change in their countries. Communities will bring back solutions at the local level to further empower their peers, ensuring no one is left behind.

The Manushya Foundation is a small NGO, with the advantages and constraints attached. Every staff member plays an important role and carries responsibilities. Dedication is key as it greatly impacts the work of the organisation. It is therefore necessary to embrace the vision and goals of the organisation and fully commit to its success.

Our Internship Programme

The Manushya Foundation offers an opportunity for interns to develop a unique experience in supporting local communities and in improving the human rights situation on the ground.

Description of Duties & Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Executive Director and the Research & Advocacy Team members, the intern would primarily support and be responsible for implementing the objectives of Manushya Foundation:

Conduct research and analysis on the human rights situation in Asia, including: research and writing on human rights and development issues of marginalized groups in Myanmar, Laos, Nepal, and Thailand;
Prepare case studies for advocacy purposes at the national and international level;
Support the development of concept notes, policy papers, and contribute to knowledge products on Asia;
Support awareness raising on human rights issues, including: updates to Manushya Foundation's social media; development of blog posts and website stories;
Assist in providing administrative support;
Contribute to any additional tasks, as required by the supervisor.

Profile needed

Degree in human rights, international relations, international law or international development; with an interest in human rights and development;
Knowledge of human rights mechanisms;
Strong interest in supporting local communities;
Interest in advocacy at the international level;
Strong analytical skills and dedication;
Attention to detail and willingness to learn;
Excellent oral and written English;
Knowledge of Thai is an asset.

Internship conditions

The internship can be an online or in person internship, and it is full time for a period of three to six months between January 2021 and June 2021. The intern is expected to start the internship early January 2021. The internship is not paid.

Interns will get first-hand experience working with communities on the ground, to gather data and information. All costs incurred during these field visits will be covered by Manushya Foundation for the duration of the internship.