First rung on the ladder

The incomparable Bill Durch at Stimson is looking for unpaid interns.  I know that’s not what you want or deserve, but these days that’s how almost everyone is starting out.

Those interested should send a cover note indicating any particular area of interest (peace operations, rule of law, and/or civilians in conflict), together with a CV and short writing sample, jointly to Michelle Ker (mker@stimson.org) and Aditi Gorur (agorur@stimson.org).

Here’s the announcement:

Future of Peace Operations Internship

The Future of Peace Operations (FOPO) program at Stimson is offering unpaid internships for fall semester 2012. Stimson is a nonprofit, nonpartisan institution devoted to enhancing international peace and security. FOPO addresses challenging analytical questions on peace operations, considers their relationship to current policy issues, and tries to build a broader dialogue on what peace operations can and should do.

A FOPO internship is an excellent opportunity for individuals seeking to build upon prior experience relevant to peace operations and conflict mitigation as well as for those with little experience but who can articulate a strong interest in the field. Interns are a vital part of FOPO, working closely with the program’s four member staff. They also engage in the life of Stimson overall, interacting with staff from other Stimson programs and participating in the Center’s events. An internship with FOPO advances participants’ knowledge and skill base and strengthens their understanding of peace operations, conflict resolution, and broader foreign policy issues.

FOPO interns should be prepared to assume administrative and organizing duties as well as research, writing, and editing.

Specific responsibilities can include:

• Providing research support to program staff.
• Creating fact sheets and assisting in the drafting of various documents.
• Proofreading, editing, and assisting in the distribution of FOPO publications.
• Representing FOPO at events around DC and writing meeting summaries.
• Helping to maintain the FOPO project website.

FOPO interns will assist FOPO with its work on:

• Developing a computational model for peacekeeping and peacebuilding
• Engaging community perspectives on security and protection actors
• Measures of effectiveness for peace operations.
• Building the rule of law in post-conflict states.
• Protecting civilians from mass atrocities.
• Tracking US policy toward the UN (particularly US contributions to peace operations and related activities).

Requirements:

• Demonstrated interest in conflict resolution/prevention, international affairs, foreign policy, defense/security policy, humanitarian issues, and/or human rights.
• Research abilities and the ability to communicate clearly and effectively both in writing and speaking.
• The ability to follow multi-step directions and take initiative in doing complex research.
• Attention to research methodology and ability to organize materials logically.
• Attention to detail and commitment to high-quality work.
• Flexibility to work effectively both as part of a team and independently.
• Initiative, maturity, and professionalism.
• Computer skills relevant to an office setting.

Preferred:

• Familiarity with peace operations and their activities.
• Previous research and work experience.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Excel, Access, computer programming, and/or web design.
• Proficiency in French, with the ability to quickly and accurately conduct French-language research.
• International experience.

We welcome applications from undergraduate, graduate, and professional candidates.

Applicants must be able to commit to a minimum of 20 hours per week. Preference is often given to those available 30+ hours per week.