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Internships at PHR

PHR Intern hard at work

Interns are critical to the work we do at PHR. In these volunteer positions, interns provide support to staff in various ways, including in their research of human rights violations and in organizing campaigns on select human rights issues. Internship opportunities are available year-round, including the summer.

Applicants should possess excellent writing skills and have previous exposure to international human rights issues. No medical knowledge is necessary, but essential is a working knowledge of MS Office, Internet research skills, and strong general computer skills.

To apply, email a résumé and cover letter to internship [at] phrusa [dot] org. Be sure to include the internship[s] in which you are interested in your subject line. (You may be interested in more than one.)

You may also mail these items to:

Internship Coordinator
Physicians for Human Rights
2 Arrow Street, Suite 301
Cambridge, MA 02138

Please indicate the dates from/to you are available, as well as the number of days and hours per week, in your cover letter. The more specific you can be, the better.

You will receive an auto-response to your email indicating that PHR has received your application. Please do not call us; PHR receives many resumes and cannot reply individually to every applicant. If your skills and interests match an open position, PHR will contact you. Thank you for considering PHR for a possible internship; we wish you well in your quest for a fulfilling experience.

Current Internships

 

Intern — Communications

The PHR Communications Department is in need of an Intern to sort, organize, label, and digitize slides and photos to add to our internal-facing website. In addition the intern will work in our existing Digital Library to review, sort, and organize digital images from investigations, events, and programs, incorporating the images into our internal-facing website.

Qualifications

  • Library Sciences major/graduate desired.
  • Superior organizational skills, attention to detail, and follow-through.
  • Good written and verbal communication skills.
  • Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively, effectively, and professionally in a multi-faceted organization.
  • Mature judgment, strong sense of integrity, confidentiality, and capacity to work with minimal supervision.
  • Experience with Digital Asset Management systems or software a plus.

Location/Hours

  • The Communications Department Intern will be based in PHR’s Cambridge office (2 Arrow St.).
  • This internship will require 10-15 hours/week (more may be available based upon intern’s schedule).
  • The position will commence as soon as possible and run through May 31, 2013.

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Intern — Massachusetts Campaign Against Torture

Reporting to the Director of our Anti-Torture Program, the Intern for the Massachusetts Campaign Against Torture (MACAT) will assist with the development and implementation of a legislative strategy in support of a Massachusetts state bill that would address the role of health professionals in the abuse and torture of prisoners and prohibit their participation in interrogations.

Responsibilities

  • Identify potential allies and help to coordinate outreach.
  • Build a team of physicians and medical students who will participate in lobbying and testify at public hearings.
  • Draft sign-on letters and other educational/promotional tools.
  • Seek and track endorsements by other organizations and prominent individuals.
  • Coordinate logistics for meetings of advocacy team/coalition.
  • Coordinate outreach to key legislative offices, identifying appropriate staff members and helping to set up meetings with volunteers.
  • Maintain communication with legislative staff of bill sponsors to track bill progress and coordinate advocacy team response, including e-mails and phone calls, as well as testimony for public hearings.
  • Identify PHR members/volunteers living in key legislative districts and assist them in conducting in-district advocacy (either face-to-face meetings or other forms of communication) and possibly educational events, e.g. film screenings.
  • Coordinate logistics for a lobby day at the State Capitol during Spring 2013.

Qualifications

  • Excellent written and verbal communication.
  • Attention to detail.
  • Self-motivation and persistence.
  • Patience and good sense of humor (the legislative process can be very frustrating, not to mention coordinating a diverse group of volunteers).

Location/Hours

  • The MACAT Intern will be based in PHR’s Cambridge office (2 Arrow St.).
  • Some work can be done remotely; may require local travel within Cambridge/Boston area.
  • Hours flexible and negotiable, but seeking 10-15 hours/week.
  • Preference is for intern to work both Fall 2012 and Spring 2013 semesters, but not required.
  • This is an unpaid internship.

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Research Intern — Program on Sexual Violence in Conflict Zones

Reporting to the Program Associate, the Research Intern for the Program on Sexual Violence in Conflict Zones will assist with new and forthcoming investigations, as well as work on and elaborate on existing projects. The intern will be responsible for conducting in-depth background investigations on relevant topics, including, but not limited to, preparing for international field investigations, conducting in-depth background legal and policy research on sexual violence in our target countries.

Responsibilities

  • Researching and analyzing relevant legal and public health policy materials on sexual violence in the five target countries.
  • Drafting and editing reports on legal and policy issues concerning sexual violence in conflict zones.
  • Creating well-cited investigative notes and annotated outlines.
  • Collaborating with organizational staff and leaders on related projects and investigations.
  • Assisting with emergency investigations and reports in a high energy, fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

  • Ability to communicate in French is an asset.

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Asylum Network Intern — Asylum Program

The Asylum Network is seeking an intern for a minimum of 20 hours/week to work with the Asylum Program Associate. The intern will assist in maintaining a network of over 450 health professionals, as well as providing administrative and clerical assistance to the Asylum Program Associate. The intern will be responsible for obtaining case outcomes of past clients and managing case details of current clients, as well as assisting with in-depth background research on investigations conducted by the Asylum Program.

Responsibilities

  • Work with sensitive human rights data organization and maintenance.
  • Handling all intake forms for new clients and summarizing case descriptions.
  • Entering all sensitive case material into a database.
  • Obtaining case outcomes for all past clients of the asylum network.
  • Contacting the Immigration Court, formally known as the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), to obtain case results.
  • Locating attorneys who have changed positions or firms since working with PHR and updating contact information.
  • Administrative tasks such as filing and archiving case information.
  • Editorial tasks such as proofreading and footnotes.
  • Background research on key areas of interest to the Asylum Program, such as US immigration laws, detention centers, and medical care available to those in detention.
  • Keeping up-to-date on current news and hot topics relating to immigration.

Qualifications

  • Strong interest in and commitment to human rights.
  • Exceptional analytical, writing, and verbal skills; superior research skills.
  • Extremely detail oriented.
  • Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively, effectively, and professionally in a multi-faceted organization.
  • Mature judgment, strong sense of integrity, and capacity to work with minimal supervision.
  • Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and follow-through.
  • Strategic thinker with excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
  • Openness to working with individuals from all different backgrounds.
  • Ability to maintain strict confidentiality.

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Research Interns — Armed Conflict; Health and Human Rights

Two to three interns are needed to assist with new and forthcoming investigations and human rights research projects related to mass atrocities and armed conflict, as well as working on and elaborating on existing projects.

The interns will be responsible for conducting in-depth background investigations on relevant international topics, including, but not limited to, creating weekly digests of current events, preparing for international field investigations, conducting background research, and contributing to international human rights publications. 

Responsibilities

  • In-depth background research on international human rights violations, armed conflict, and public health.
  • Creating well-cited investigative notes and annotated outlines.
  • Keeping expert notice of current events and global politics.
  • Locating and analyzing current and relevant material.
  • Organization and maintenance of international contact lists.
  • Collaboration with organizational staff and leaders on new projects and investigations.
  • Sensitive human rights data organization and maintenance.
  • Being prepared to handle emergency investigations and reports in a high energy, fast-paced environment.

Past Investigations

  • Zimbabwe — Investigating the man-made disaster of public health systems: researching the chain between President Mugabe’s economic policies to Zimbabwe’s economic collapse, resulting in food insecurities, malnutrition, and outbreaks of infectious disease.
  • Bangladesh — An emergency report examining the abominable health conditions of Rohingya refugees from Burma living as unregistered refugees in Bangladesh, unrecognized by their home country, their country of asylum, and the international community. 
  • Thailand — An emergency report documenting the effects of the political protests on the public health system in Bangkok, including violations of humanitarian principals at a major Bangkok hospital.
  • Burma — PHR’s groundbreaking application of epidemiological household clustering sampling to human rights research across Chin State examines massive human rights violations in Junta-controlled Burma.

Qualifications

  • Strong interest in and commitment to human rights.
  • Exceptional analytical, writing, and verbal skills; superior research skills.
  • Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively, effectively, and professionally in a multi-faceted organization.
  • Mature judgment, strong sense of integrity, and capacity to work with minimal supervision.
  • Superior organizational skills, attention to detail and follow-through.
  • Strategic thinker with excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
  • Openness to working with individuals from all different backgrounds.
  • Ability to maintain strict confidentiality.
  • Flexibility and willingness to work on a wide variety of projects as needed.

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Research Intern — Armed Conflict; Health and Human Rights (MENA)

One intern is needed to assist with new and forthcoming investigations and human rights research projects related to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) mass atrocities and armed conflict, as well as working on and elaborating on existing projects.

In addition to the same qualifications as listed for the Research Internship above, the MENA Research Intern should have fluency in spoken and written Arabic.

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Intern — Institutional Development

Development interns support fundraising activities including prospect research, grant tracking, event planning, and direct mail solicitations. Interns also assist with data management, having the opportunity to learn two of the foremost non-profit constituent management systems: Blackbaud's Raiser's Edge and Convio Luminate CRM.

Interns will provide essential support to the department and learn what it takes to keep a nonprofit running from the ground-up while being involved in all facets of a busy team.

This internship requires a minimum of 15 hours per week. Knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel is necessary, and a desire to learn is required. 

Responsibilities

  • Researching and analyzing relevant current funders and potential new avenues for support.
  • Drafting and editing reports on PHR programmatic areas.
  • Collaborating with organizational staff and leaders on related proposals and stewardship reports.
  • Assisting the team in a high energy, fast-paced environment.

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Research Intern — Major Gifts

Reporting to our Major Gifts and Special Events Officer, the intern will support all fundraising activities including prospect research and assistance with special events, as well as assisting with data management, using Blackbaud’s Raiser’s Edge and Convio Luminate CRM.

Interns will provide essential support to the department and learn what it takes to keep a nonprofit running from the ground-up while being involved in all facets of a busy team.

This internship requires a minimum of 15 hours per week. Knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel is necessary and a desire to learn is required.

Responsibilities

  • Under the direction and guidance of the Major Gifts Officer, research and analyze relevant current major donors and potential new major donors.
  • Help implement new donor initiatives.
  • Provide editorial support for major gift donor communications.
  • Assist in production of quarterly solicitation mailing.
  • Help coordinate face to face visits with local major gift donor.
  • Make updates to donor database as requested and assist in other database project.
  • Produce information packets for major donors.
  • Assist with special event activities.

Qualifications

  • Superb written and oral communications skills.
  • Familiarity with Microsoft Office 2010 including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
  • Solid judgment; critical thinking skills.
  • Attentive to detail.
  • Team player.
  • Ability to handle multiple tasks.
  • Highly organized.
  • Good sense of humor a plus.

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