Internships at the European Roma Rights Centre, Budapest‏

ERRC Seeks Interns

18 October 2011

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. The ERRC is currently accepting applications from persons wishing to intern at the ERRC for 3-6 months between March-August 2012.

In line with its Equal Opportunity Policy, ERRC offers a limited number of stipends for full-time internships to Romani individuals only.

Task description

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;

·         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.

Applicant profile

Applicants should have:

·         Proven record of involvement in Roma Rights field; experience living and working in Romani communities desired;

·         Good command of English, both written and spoken. 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, Turkish and Ukrainian;

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

·         The ability to work in 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; and

·         Knowledge of Microsoft Office.

Applicants must 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 jointly to implement 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.  Interested applicants may supplement their application with a one page description of a community-based initiative they may wish to undertake.

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.

How to Apply

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

1.    A fully completed application form;

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

3.    For those interested in the in-country follow up component, a one page, community-based project description.

Only complete application packages will be considered; please submit all 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 11 December 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, but feel free to apply again. A new call for internships will be issued in March 2012; 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