Human Rights, Social Justice Program Development and Advocacy Intern in Nicaragua
Location: Nicaragua: Ciudad Sandino, Jinotepe, Masaya
Term: Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter, Trimester, Academic Year, Throughout the year
Program Duration: 1-2 weeks, 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks, 9-12 weeks, 3-6 months (includes high school academic semester abroad), 7-12 months (includes high school academic year abroad), 1-2 years
Typical Duration of Program: 9-12 weeks
Dates: See FSD Website
http://www.fsdinternational.org
1000 Brannan St, Suite 207 San Francisco, CA 94103 United States
Call Us
Phone: (415) 283-4873
Fax: (415) 255 9598
Description
As a human rights intern, you will work to support and educate the people of local communities. The work you do will change their lives, as well as your own. Examples of how you can support Human Rights initiatives in Nicaragua:
* Support marginalized women by educating them to better understand their basic human rights and how to assert these rights. The program aims to promote self-efficacy and empower these women so that they may effectively combat intra-familial violence.
* Support the rights of children against mistreatment, abandonment, molestation, abuse, drug dependence and child labor through various education programs.
* Educate local women through a series of workshops about the Nicaraguan Constitution and the laws that benefit and protect women and their families. Provide legal and/or psychological support for victims of intra-familial violence who decide to take legal action.
* Support the lobby of government and legislative authorities about issues and solutions regarding violence against women.
* Assist a social promotion program that addresses communication techniques for the prevention of intra-familial violence and supports the healing of families who've suffered such hardship.
For more human rights opportunities in Nicaragua, visit our website or contact us directly.
About FSD
The Foundation for Sustainable Development (FSD) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1995 to support underserved, international communities in a collaborative and sustainable manner. Our model incorporates three overlapping programs:
1. Sustainable Development Training Programs for Interns and Volunteers
FSD provides comprehensive training and immersion programs for interns and volunteers seeking hands-on experience in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Program participants come from countless professions and more than 300 universities worldwide to collaborate with our partner organizations on community-driven projects that reflect sustainable practices.
2. Grantmaking to Projects and Initiatives Led By Our Partner Organizations
Donations and grants given to FSD are used to support projects and initiatives implemented by our partner organizations, site teams, interns, and volunteers.
3. Sustainable Development of Community-Based Organizations
Our professional field staff, consultants, and program participants provide on-site technical training and capacity building to more than 200 community-based organizations.
Highlights
Development Issues Addressed by FSD in Nicaragua
The history of human rights in Nicaragua is mostly one of mass graves stemming from the legacy of conquest and years of colonialism, tyrannical governments, dictatorships, and civil war. More recently, Nicaragua's guerilla war of the 1980s was and continues to be one of the most pressing human rights issues for the country. In addition to the 50,000 lives that were lost during the actual period of fighting, there are still approximately 76,000 landmines that are left over and continue to kill and maim hundreds. It is of no surprise that current human rights abuses stem largely from the aftermath of war. With few employment opportunities, little land for the returning soldiers, many were driven to desperation.
Besides the effects of war, another one of the most pressing human rights issues in Nicaragua today is that of the discrimination against indigenous peoples, mainly regarding land rights. In addition, there is severe intra-familial violence; abuse against women remains a daily, and potentially deadly, problem. Sweatshop and child labor remain prevalent as Nicaragua contains the second cheapest labor in the western hemisphere.
Education of basic rights needs to be more widespread within the country, as does advocacy and enforcement. FSD emphasizes the need to support and sustain human rights in all areas. By supporting work on projects that local communities determine to be critical, interns and volunteer learn about human rights issues from the perspective of those who are affected. Solutions are applied that legally address rights violations and educate vulnerable populations toward direct action and empowerment.
Minimum Education
High School
Intern Types
- Accounting
- Admin (Health Services)
- Admin (Hospitality, Sports)
- Admin (Recreation, Parks)
- Agricultural Economics
- Agricultural Sciences
- Agronomy
- Animal Sciences
- Anthropology
- Archaeology
- Architecture
- Art/Fine Arts
- Botany
- Business Admin, Management
- Camp Counselor / Trip Leader
- Chemistry
- Media (Radio, TV, & Film)
- Comm. Sci & Disorders
- Communications
- Computer Science
- Counseling
- Development
- Ecology
- Economics
- Education
- Engineering (Civil)
- Engineering (Mechanical)
- Engineering (Electrical)
- English as a Second Language
- Entomology
- Environmental Management
- Environmental Studies
- Family and Home Studies
- Field-Study
- Finance
- Food Science and Nutrition
- Forestry
- Geology
- Graphic Design
- Health Sciences
- History
- Horticulture
- Human Resources
- Humanities
- Industrial Psychology
- Information Systems
- Interdisciplinary
- International Relations
- Journalism
- Kinesiology/Exercise Science
- Labor & Industrial Relations
- Landscape Architecture
- Law
- Liberal Arts
- Library & Info Science
- Linguistics
- Marine Science
- Marketing, Ad, PR
- Mathematics
- Medicine
- Music
- Nursing
- Occupational, Envir. Health
- Pharmaceuticals
- Physical Therapy
- Physics
- Political Science/Politics
- Psychology
- Public Admin, Public Pol, Govt
- Social Sciences
- Social Work
- Sociology
- Sports
- Statistics
- Technology
- Theater, Drama, Dance
- Tourism
- Urban & Regional Planning
- Women's Studies
- Zoology & Wildlife Sciences
Languages
- English
- Spanish
Cost in US$:
Depends on Program Selected; See FSD Website
Cost Include Description:
Your contribution fee covers all program costs (excluding airfare) and is 100% tax deductible for U.S. residents. Included in the fee is: a one-week orientation; family homestay will all meals provided; language lessons (not available in Latin America); development trainings and workshops; group sessions; midterm retreat (9+ weeks only); final debriefing session; on-going in-country support from FSD site team and U.S. staff; USD 200 mini-grant; eligibility for additional project funding up to USD 500, medical evacuation and limited health insurance; and pick-up from the airport.
Credit Available
no
Volunteer Types
- Academic Reinforcement
- Adult Education
- Agriculture
- AIDS
- Animal Welfare
- Anthropology
- Appropriate Technology
- Archaeology
- Arts
- Athletics
- Banking
- Biological Research
- Building Maintenance
- Building/construction Projects
- Business
- Childcare/children
- Clerical And Office Work
- Community Centers
- Community Development
- Community Health
- Community Organizing
- Computer Training
- Conflict Resolution
- Consciousness-raising
- Conservation
- Cooking
- Counseling
- Culture
- Curriculum Planning
- Cutting Wood
- Democracy Training
- Digging
- Disability Issues
- Drama
- Driving
- Drug Or Alcohol Recovery
- Eco-tourism
- Economic Development
- Education
- Elderly
- Elections
- Energy
- English Teaching
- Environment
- Family Planning
- Feasibility Studies
- Festivals
- Fixing Fences
- Food
- Gardening
- Gender Issues
- Geology
- Grassroots Organization
- Ground Patrol
- Handicapped
- Health
- Health Care
- Health Education
- Historic Preservation
- Home Visit
- Homelessness
- Hospital
- Housing
- Human Rights
- Income-generation
- Indigenous Issues
- Infrastructure Planning
- Intervention
- Journalism
- Labor Issues
- Law
- Legal Aide
- Literacy
- Managerial Consulting
- Marketing
- Media Work
- Medicine
- Micro-enterprise
- Microcredit
- Minority Groups
- Natural Resources
- Nursing
- Nutrition
- Office Work
- Organic Farming
- Organizational Development
- Orphans
- Painting
- Parks
- Peace
- Planting
- Playgrounds
- Popular Education
- Population Issues
- Primary Education
- Professional Services
- Public Education
- Public Policy
- Public Speaking Coordination
- Reception
- Recreation
- Reforestation
- Relief
- Renovation
- Repairs
- Reporting
- Research
- Restoration
- Sanitation
- Secondary Education
- Secretarial
- Self Help
- Seniors
- Small Business Development
- Social Services, Social Work
- Solar & Hydro Projects
- Sports
- Strategic Planning
- Street Kids
- Teaching
- Teaching Accounting
- Technical Assistance
- Tourism
- Trail Building
- Translation
- Transportation
- Tree Planting
- Tutor
- Veterinary
- Volunteer Management
- Volunteering
- Water
- Wildlife Surveying
- Women
- Writing
- Youth
- Youth Development
Typical Volunteer
FSD supports participants who boldly wish to initiate the change they believe is necessary in the developing world. Interns are passionate about sharing their practical knowledge, heart-felt enthusiasm, and economic resources with communities abroad that suffer unnecessary hardship. They wish to gain hands-on, grassroots development experience because they believe change is most powerfully cultivated on a community level. The aim is to experientially learn how their work can empower the community toward applying sustainable development solutions, rather than increasing reliance on foreign aid. Participants choose FSD because the program structure enables them to design and implement their own sustainable projects in collaboration with their host organization and the FSD Site Team. They are able to test their ideas and theories in the most direct way possible, giving them the experience and knowledge they seek. The flexibility of the host organizations allows for participants at all stages and levels of experience in international development to participate, thus opening the programs to a diverse group of capable applicants.Age Range
18-75This Program is open to
Worldwide Participant. This Program is also open to Couples and Individuals.
Typical Living Arrangements
- Home-stays
Participants Travel to Nicaragua
Independently
Application Process Involves
- Letters of Reference
- Phone/Video Interview
- Resume
- Written Application
Typically The Application Process Time is
1 monthsPost Services Include
- Alumni Network
Foundation for Sustainable Development's Mission Statement
Founded in 1995, the Foundation for Sustainable Development (FSD) supports the efforts of more than 300 grassroots, community-based partner organizations throughout Africa, Asia, and Latin America. FSD's programs provide multi-faceted support that relies on active community participation to mobilize lasting solutions. FSD programs include:
- Capacity Building: Our professional field staff provides on-site training and networking opportunities to more than 300 community-based organizations worldwide.
- Training Programs Abroad: FSD provides comprehensive training and immersion programs for interns and volunteers who seek hands-on development experience.
- Grantmaking: Donations and grants given to FSD are used to support sustainable projects led by our partner organizations.
- Engaged Philanthropy: FSD Giving Circles organize groups of donors who pool their time, talent, and resources to make international grants to our partner organizations.