Internship Security and Human Rights

The Netherlands Helsinki Committee is currently looking for a motivated, well-organised student or near-graduate for the position of:

Intern, Security and Human Rights (24 hours p/w)

About the NHC

The Netherlands Helsinki Committee is a non-governmental organization that promotes human rights, the rule of law and justice in all countries of wider Europe, including Eastern Europe, Western Balkans, Caucasus and Central Asia as well as the European Union. Building on our track record of 35 years, we consider it to be our mission to inspire, engage and support catalysts of change in building just and rights-respecting societies.

We believe that everybody can be a catalyst of change, and we are ready to support them by strengthening their capacities and by amplifying their voices through advocacy and campaigns. Our networks reach out to civil society, governments as well as the justice chain. We are able to mobilise the right peer-to-peer expertise and build bridges to bring about the change we need. The NHC office is located in heart of The Hague at the vibrant Nutshuis and has an international staff (about 25 people) working on three programmes: Human Rights Defence, Integrity and Accountability and Rights-Based Justice.

The NHC also administers the Security and Human Rights Monitor (SHRM), a multifaceted online platform that provides analysis on the work of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), as well as on security and human rights challenges stemming from the OSCE region and beyond.

About the role

The Security and Human Rights Intern will assist the Communications Manager in managing external communication activities for Security and Human Rights Monitor (SHRM) and the Human Rights Defence (HRD) programme of the Netherlands Helsinki Committee. They will be involved in facilitating the publication of articles on the SHRM and NHC website and the self-managed Security and Human Rights academic journal. We are looking for an intern to join our team for a period of 4-6 months. Ideally, there will be a project-based component to this internship, the topic of which can be agreed upon together with your supervisor.

Responsibilities

• Assist our social media activities for shrmonitor.org and nhc.nl;
• Assist in the production of an academic journal for the Security and Human Rights Monitor through:
  • Initial assessments of submitted articles; and
  • Coordination with authors and reviewers to ensure steady progression towards publication of articles;
• Help coordinate the management of a fully self-published online Journal and continue the archiving process of the Journal. This involves communication with authors and peer-reviewers, publication through InDesign and Wordpress, and coordination with journal indexing bodies such as Crossref;
• Assist in the preparation and management of a re-launch event for the self-published journal at the end of May, featuring the Special Issue on Ukraine;
• Maintain information and edit texts on the SHRM and NHC websites;
• Communicate with partners and other relevant parties
• Take on coordination of monthly #DemocracyDrinks for NHC in collaboration with partners. This involves assistance with promotional tasks, light event logistics and post-event PR.
• Develop and work on internship project;
• Support the development of external networks; and
• Support general communication activities g. writing newsletters, assisting in organising (online) events, and administrative support.

Preferred Qualifications and skills:

• Currently enrolled in a Bachelor or Master degree in Journalism, Communications, Political Science, International Relations, Social Sciences, or related degree;
• Excellent social media skills;
• Great eye for detail and organisational skills;
• Excellent command of the English language (Dutch language an asset)
• Demonstrated affinity with civil society work or activism for social change (awareness of recent OSCE and human rights trends and developments an asset);
• Ability to adapt to a fast-paced environment and switch between tasks;
• Self-sufficiency, resourcefulness, initiative and hands-on mentality; and
• Strong communication skills and inter-cultural sensitivity.

The NHC is an equal opportunities employer and committed to building a culturally diverse staff. We promote diversity and belonging in everything we do and we invite in particular candidates with backgrounds that are currently under-represented in the human rights movement to apply.

The internship includes a small stipend of €350/ month, based on a 32 hours/week schedule. Please note there is a preference for applicants currently registered with an educational institution.

Apply

If you are interested, please send your resume and a short motivation letter to office@nhc.nl. Please mention “Security and Human Rights Intern” in the subject of your email. Candidates may apply until (and including) 05 September 2024. We will aim to conduct the (online) interviews in the week of 09 September. A short writing/skills assessment might be part of the interview, and would be discussed beforehand. The preferred start date is 17 September 2024.

Non-EU candidates need to have a valid work permit to be considered for this role. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we are unable to provide individual feedback to candidates that are not shortlisted.