Syria Intern: Winter 2015 / Spring 2016

About Physicians for Human Rights

For nearly 30 years, Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) has used science and medicine to document and call attention to mass atrocities and severe human rights violations.

A Nobel Peace Prize co-laureate, PHR is a global organization founded on the idea that health professionals, with their specialized skills, ethical duties, and credible voices, are uniquely positioned to stop human rights violations. PHR’s investigations and expertise are used to advocate for the protection of persecuted health workers and medical facilities under attack, prevent torture, document mass atrocities, and hold those who violate human rights accountable.

For more information about PHR, please see our website at www.physiciansforhumanrights.org.

Internship Summary

The Program department is seeking two interns to assist with Arabic research for PHR’s online, interactive map of attacks on health care in Syria. This is an opportunity to develop research and analytical skills on a topical and important human rights issue, and improve language skills from our hands-on work.

PHR tracks the deliberate targeting of medical workers, as well as systematic attacks against facilities providing treatment to the sick and wounded, on an online, interactive map (http://www.phr.org/syria-map) and to date has documented the deaths of +670 medical personnel and +307 attacks on hospitals, nearly 90% by Syrian government forces. Through this documentation, PHR seeks to better inform the media, motivate governments and the UN to denounce such violations of international law, and reinforce that attacks on medical workers, hospitals, and health care infrastructure must stop.

Responsibilities

• Researching and analyzing data related to attacks on health care in Syria, and contributing to other Syria-related research.
• Keeping abreast of daily developments and violations of medical neutrality in Syria.
• Conducting research on attacks against medical facilities and healthcare workers.
• Providing preliminary analysis and/or organizing the research for analysis
• Organizing the research and entering it into the PHR database
• Analyzing video and other media and extracting the relevant data.
• Providing translations of articles and videos.

Qualifications and Experience

• Current enrollment in an undergraduate or graduate degree, or a recent graduate in a related field
• Arabic fluency (written and verbal) in MSA and/or Levantine dialect preferred but applicants who are heritage speakers or are enrolled in an upper level Arabic class (undergrad or grad) will be considered
• Demonstrated interest in and commitment to human rights
• Exceptional analytical, writing, and verbal communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively, effectively, and professionally
• Mature judgement, strong sense of integrity, initiative, and a self-starter
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and follow-through
• Excellent communication, strategic thinking, and interpersonal skills
• Ability to maintain confidentiality

Location and Hours

• The Syria intern will be based in PHR’s New York City Office.
• This is an unpaid internship and will require a minimum of 20 hours/week during the semester. PHR staff will assist with any paperwork required for institutional credit or external scholarships/fellowships.
• The position will require at least a 3-month commitment, with longer commitments preferred.

Physicians for Human Rights is an equal opportunity employer committed to inclusive hiring and dedicated to diversity in its work and staff.

HOW TO APPLY:

Please send a cover letter and resume to resumes@phrusa.org. Include “Syria Intern Winter 2015/Spring 2016” in the subject line.