Internship at the European Roma Rights Centre

The European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) invites applications for its full-time internship programme. The ERRC offers interns a dynamic, fast-paced, international human rights environment, based in Budapest, Hungary. Romani and non-Romani interns are chosen for this programme through a competitive bi-annual selection process. In line with its Equal Opportunity Policy, ERRC offers a limited number of stipends for full-time internships to Romani individuals. The ERRC is currently accepting applications from persons wishing to intern at the ERRC for 3-6 months between September 2011 and February 2012.

All interns will receive professional guidance and be directly supervised by the Human Rights Trainer. Interns will also work together with the other ERRC programmes, including research and advocacy, legal, media and communications, as well as finance, operations and executive management. Activities and tasks of interns shall include both theoretical learning and practical skills development components, including but not limited to:

- Researching Roma rights related topics;

- Monitoring of stakeholders, policy-makers, think tanks, etc.;

- Drafting reports on human rights abuse or legal documents;
- Detailed monitoring of news and information on Roma rights;

- Conducting legal research and assisting in preparing cases for strategic litigation in domestic courts and international tribunals;

- Attending meetings and events related to the mission of ERRC and producing briefing documents;

- Engaging in advocacy efforts and supporting human rights training courses;

- Assisting in ERRC activities and projects, including logistically/administratively;

- Updating and developing materials for the ERRC website;

- Helping maintain ERRC information databases;

- Editing and translating texts;

- Other tasks to be determined together with the Human Rights Trainer and the project-related supervisor.

Applicants should have:
- Extensive experience living and working in Romani communities;

- Good command of English, both written and spoken, is essential. Preference will be give to applicants who are able to work in the following languages: Romani, Romanian, Slovak, Czech, Serbian, Macedonian, Italian, French, Portuguese, Russian and Ukrainian;

- At minimum, completed secondary education; university level studies preferred;

- The ability to working a diverse, multicultural environment in a proper, timely fashion with supervision;

- Good organisational and communication skills, commitment and enthusiasm;

- Flexibility and the ability to work independently as well as in a team;

- A proven track of activism in the Romani movement or human rights movement;

- Knowledge of Microsoft Office; and
- Be a minimum of 20 years of age.

The ERRC encourages applications representing all segments of society (women, LGBT, disabled people, etc).

Romani individuals are strongly encouraged to apply for an internship stipend. For stipend recipients, the programme includes an in-country follow-up component. The ERRC and selected interns will work together to implement jointly community-based human rights initiatives (small research, advocacy or other related projects) in a Romani community as follow up to the time spent at the ERRC office. This component is optional but applicants expressing interest in the follow-up will be given priority in the programme.

The ERRC can provide relevant letters of support for prospective interns seeking to secure outside funding for the internship. Students may be able to arrange academic credit for their internship and should check with their academic institutions for requirements.

All interns are responsible for their own travel, subsistence and insurance arrangements; the ERRC can provide advice as necessary.

Interested persons should submit all of the following materials to be considered for placement:

- A fully completed application form, available at: http://www.errc.org/cikk.php?cikk=3862

- A brief, unedited writing sample, preferably human rights’ focused (maximum 2 A4 pages).

Only complete application packages will be considered; please submit both documents together. No telephone or email inquiries. Completed application packages should be submitted to Ms Dora Eke:

Subject heading: ERRC Intern Search
Email: dora.eke@errc.org
Fax: + 36.1.413.2201

The deadline for applications is 1 July at midnight CET time Applications received after this date will not be considered. Only short-listed applicants will be notified. If you have not been contacted within five weeks of the deadline, consider that your application was not successful in this round. A new call for internships will be issued in October 2011; please check our website regularly.

The ERRC is an equal opportunity organisation and does not discriminate on any ground. Romani candidates are particularly encouraged to apply.