14 October, 2016
About IHRDA:
The Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA) is a pan-African NGO in Banjul, The Gambia, working to promote awareness of human rights in Africa and improve the effectiveness of the African human rights system. The IHRDA was granted observer status before the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in 1999. HRDA envisions an African continent where all have access to justice via national, African and international human rights mechanisms. Our work can be summarized in three words: defend, educate, inform. In recognition for its continuous hard work and commitment in defending, educating and informing about Human Rights in Africa, the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights granted the IHRDA its Human Rights Award during the 52nd Ordinary Session of ACHPR held in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire in 2012.
- Defend: IHRDA has litigated in over thirty-five cases in more than sixteen countries throughout Africa, pro bono. The institute diversifies the scope of its efforts to ensure the effective implementation of decisions and recommendations.
- Educate: IHRDA is involved in a number of capacity building programs which seek to sensitize litigators and civil society actors on the importance of human rights and the various means by which redress can be obtained following their violation. As part of its capacity building programs, IHRDA also provides work opportunities for fellows and interns from all over the world with a genuine interest in human rights. To date, IHRDA has employed over seventy interns worldwide. In so doing, it has attracted fresh and innovative initiatives from ambitious and dedicated young minds.
- Inform: IHRDA helps to disseminate information on the African human rights system, so as to facilitate access to such information for actors and stakeholders in the promotion and protection of human rights in Africa. We do this through the production of legal resources/publications (print and online), and the circulation of other relevant information via our online platforms.
IHRDA is seeking to recruit legal fellows from the region to support its human rights litigation work in Africa. The objective of IHRDA’s legal fellowship programme is to build capacity of junior legal professionals from Africa in the area of human rights litigation with an emphasis on skills building to litigate before the African human rights system.
The fellow will reinforce IHRDA’s legal team and be involved in any of the following activities of the Institute:
- Investigating and preparing cases for litigation, this may include legal research, drafting of briefs and research of documents and information on the cases;
- Conducting research on country or thematic situations for legal advocacy and litigation;
- Assisting in preparing for the Institute’s training workshops, this includes collecting and compiling relevant documentation for the workshop, assisting with research and preparation of presentations with the guidance of the legal officers, and communicating with participants, etc;
- Writing and editing studies and other publications of the Institute, including contributing to articles for the Institute’s website;
- Working with the Institute’s partners on joint projects;
- Attendance at seminars, conferences and workshops;
Ideal candidates will have:
- Completed LLB/JD studies and a Masters of Law (LLM) in Public International Law, Human Rights Law or related subject;
- Completed coursework in public international law and human rights law;
- One to two years of work experience;
- Excellent research and writing skills;
- Fluency in English or French, with good comprehension of the other
- Interest or experience in gender and the law, children’s rights and other vulnerable groups
- Commitment to social justice
*To qualify for the fellowship, candidates must be residing in one of the AU member states.
Terms: The fellowship is for a six-month period. Successful applicants receive a stipend for the duration of their engagement and return air ticket from their home-country.
Applications: Interested applicants from the region should down load the application from http://www.ihrda.org/fellowships/. Send completed application form, together with motivation letter, curriculum vitae, writing sample, copy of degrees and list of references or recommendation letters to internship@ihrda.org. Applications received on a rolling basis.
