Summer 2024 Internship at the Consortium for Gender, Security and Human Rights

Overview:

The Consortium on Gender, Security and Human Rights is an organization devoted to bringing feminist analysis to the quest to end armed conflicts and build peace that is sustainable for both people and the planet. Founded in 2002, and now based at the University of Massachusetts Boston, its work is a result of collaboration between scholars and researchers, as well as NGOs and international institutions such as the United Nations. Through knowledge-building workshops, conferences, publications, speaker events, and an internship program, the Consortium generates critical new thinking and engagement on gender, war and peacebuilding, providing a necessary bridge between research, activism and policymaking.

Because we are a small, non-profit organization, our interns are integral to the successful execution of all of our core activities, from research to the management of the Consortium itself. Additionally, we see our internship program is a key part of fulfilling our mission to educate emerging scholars and professionals, so we strive to provide interns with educational opportunities and mentorship.

Responsibilities

Intern responsibilities vary and are determined individually for each intern, though you can of course express interest in one or more of the following categories of intern positions in your application. Our staff meets with each incoming intern to come up with a mix of assignments that best matches the intern's learning goals and skills with the Consortium's current needs. This internship provides interns with the opportunity to see how a small-NGO functions on a day-to-day basis as well as develop their own leadership skills as an essential part of this organization.

Typical intern tasks include:

• Assisting in the management of the organization, including serving as an administrative liaison between staff and other interns as an intern team leader.
• Assisting in research for Consortium bibliographic resources.
• Supporting our presence and engagement with external networks.
• Maintaining and updating the Consortium's website.

Below we outline three different intern roles, along with the expectations and responsibilities for each; in your application, please indicate which one you are applying for. But also please be aware that throughout their time at the Consortium, interns will have the ability to work on a wide variety of projects and take on multiple roles if they choose.

Research and Administrative Intern: Research and Administrative Interns’ role includes responsibilities such as: supporting the expansion of the Consortium’s Research Hub; assisting in research for Consortium publications; providing support in planning Consortium events; transcribing recordings of interviews, speaker events and workshops; and conducting background research on topics relevant to the Feminist Roadmap for Sustainable Peace and Planet (FRSPP) project. Additionally, they will provide administrative support to the Consortium, helping to manage a variety of organizational functions and operations.

Social Media and Communications Intern: Social Media and Communications Interns will provide support in running the Consortium’s social media accounts, and in the execution of our communications strategy. They will manage our Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn; research and share relevant sources and events with our followers; publicize the organization’s publications and events; and do outreach to our key constituencies. They will also provide administrative support to the Consortium’s organizational functions and operations.

Graphic Design Intern: The Graphic Design Intern will be responsible for designing graphics for the Consortium’s website, publications, events, and social media posts. Ideally, the intern would also create infographics and assist in creating new project logos. They will also provide administrative support to the Consortium’s organizational functions and operations.

Requirements for all 3 Consortium Intern Roles:

• Excellent organizational, research, communications and interpersonal skills
• Positive and pro-active attitude
• A high level of initiative and sense of responsibility
• An expressed and/or demonstrated interest in gender and security
• Meticulous attention to detail
• The ability to work both independently and in team settings
• Computer literacy (familiarity with Microsoft Office and Google documents)
• Most interns are current students (undergraduate sophomores through PhD candidates) or recent graduates, though occasionally we accept exceptional undergraduate freshmen.

Internships at the Consortium operate on a semester cycle. We begin accepting applications for fall (September-December) at the beginning of May, for spring (January-May) in late September, and for summer (June-August) in mid-December. Specific start and end dates are flexible. All internships are unpaid. They can be remote, hybrid or in-person. They can be part-time (15-20 hrs/wk) or full-time (40 hrs/wk). However, strong preference is given to full-time candidates (especially during the summer) and those who can commit to multiple semesters.

How to Apply

• Complete the Google Form dedicated to your preferred initial internship period: Summer (Form), Fall (Form).
• In addition, please submit a resume, a cover letter, a 2-3 page writing sample, and two letters of recommendation, to “volunteer [@] genderandsecurity.org.”
  • Please be specific about: the time period for which you are seeking an internship; the weekly time commitment you are prepared to make; which intern role(s) you are most interested in; and whether you are applying for an in-person, hybrid or remote internship.
  • Letters of recommendation can come from either two professors or a professor and an employer. and must be sent emailed by the recommenders themselves. Letters should be addressed to the Consortium’s Director, Dr. Carol Cohn, and sent to “volunteer [@] genderandsecurity.org.”
• Please note that the Consortium does not accept applications through Handshake. If you are interested in applying for an internship, please follow the instructions above or on our website, which you can access here.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. For summer 2024 internships, preference will be given to applications received no later than March 31, 2024.

Some educational institutions require prior approval before the start of an internship. It is the responsibility of the student to check with their institution to be sure they meet any requirements before they accept a position.