Spring and Summer 2016
GLOBAL REFUGEE RIGHTS INTERNS SOUGHT
Asylum Access is an innovative nonprofit dedicated to realizing refugee rights in Africa, Asia and Latin America through legal services, policy advocacy and public education. We seek interns at our headquarters location in Oakland, CA to support our global refugee work. Interns will develop and drive their own projects, work in a relaxed and supportive working environment, and receive mentoring by leading refugee rights lawyers and advocates.
Our offices, located in Ecuador, Panama, Mexico, Thailand, Malaysia and Tanzania, advocate and represent refugees so that they can navigate local legal systems and make social change. At HQ, we offer guidance and support for our overseas offices. We engage in global advocacy spaces and promote refugee leadership. We also provide leadership to emerging advocates through our Refugee Rights Toolkit.
Note: No direct legal services are offered at the Oakland office.
Learning Opportunities
Explore the refugee legal and social context
Research and develop models for community refugee protection and development
Develop research and writing on international human rights and refugee law Understand the inner-workings of an international human rights organization
Interact with international staff through Skype meetings and email correspondence
Develop leadership skills by developing workshops and tools and training overseas staff
Access to mentorship from international human rights advocates
Develop cultural competency skills of working with diverse international team
Intern Responsibilities
Conduct legal and policy research and writing on international refugee and human rights law, with a possible specific focus on the rights of the child and women
Identify U.S.-based and international resources and partnerships to strengthen our legal and community services
Research and develop workshops and tools to respond to legal needs of particularly vulnerable refugees, including children, elderly, SGBV, and persons with mental health and other disabilities
Support global offices and partners in the development of ethical review practices
Propose responses to challenges in our overseas offices to ensure all of our client-focused services appropriately support refugees to effectively assert their human rights
Develop practical legal and policy training tools for working with refugee clients and relevant stakeholders in their contexts
Specific Projects
Research and write memos on immigration, refugee, and human rights policies and laws that impact refugees in our next countries of operation.
Research international ethics codes and provide comparative legal analysis
Develop guidelines and proposals for monitoring ethical compliance in international refugee legal services
Research best practices on gender mainstreaming, child protection, and mental health services in legal services project management and develop training module for overseas offices; sit in on meetings and co-lead training workshops to implement best practices in gender mainstreaming.
Research trends in global migration specific to regions of Asylum Access operation including Central America and South Asia, identify specific push and pull factors, and develop proposals for legal strategies in asylum applications.
Research strategies for providing legal services to particularly vulnerable populations; write and disseminate training materials to overseas offices.
Develop tools for refugees to engage in social change and expand access to rights
Organizational mapping of social action and community development organizations that are potentials for supporting refugee communities
Consult teams in all overseas offices to understand the policies and context that provide openings for promoting the rights of refugees through community and organizational engagement. This includes:
Sitting in on meetings with overseas offices
Researching local and international policies and laws
Developing and presenting training presentations and memos
Providing feedback to team
Preferred Qualifications
Current enrollment or graduation from law school or relevant masters programs
Experience working in international contexts or domestic context with underrepresented populations
Genuine interest in international human rights, immigration or refugee law
Strong research and writing skills
Strong initiative and ability to take ownership of projects, manage multiple deadlines, and work effectively with a high attention to detail
Knowledge of written and verbal Spanish language is a plus
Experience working with community-based or direct action organizations is a plus
Experience providing individualized legal assistance to refugees or other vulnerable populations is a plus
Hours and Location of Work
Interns are expected to work 10-20 hours per week. Internship is based out of Oakland, CA Headquarters office, with the occasional opportunity to work remotely.
Compensation
Unpaid internship.
How to apply:
Please send a cover letter, résumé, and a concise writing sample Amalia Greenberg Delgado at apply@asylumaccess.org with the subject line “Global Refugee Rights Intern”.
Please describe your qualifications for the position and how you learned about the position, and specify your earliest available start date.
Applicants will be considered on a roll-in basis until internship position is filled. No calls or visits, please.
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