Social Good Internships, Part III: Humanitarian
“A humanitarian emergency is an event or series of events that represents a critical threat to the health, safety, security or wellbeing of a community or other large group of people, usually over a wide area.” Humanitarian Coalition
When you hear the phrase “humanitarian crisis”, what comes to mind? Thousands of flood victims, displaced with nowhere to sleep? An entire country devastated from the effects of a long drought? Perhaps a war that has left thousands of families without fathers?
Of course, you’d be right if you pictured any of those scenarios. Even today, with the many organizations that exist to help these victims, much more still needs to be done.
But humanitarian crises also occur much closer to home. The “well being of a community” is an ongoing crisis on our own soil. Families losing homes because of joblessness, racial injustices, children going hungry, and millions of Americans having no voice because they are low-income and marginalized.
And there’s another injustice that occurs, right on your own campuses: Unpaid internships.
Along with taking classes, millions of students are working two, three, or more jobs so they can live near campus to attend classes, feed themselves, and sometimes send money home to their families who are also struggling.
Many students see internships as privileges, and working without pay is par for the course to getting a degree and later obtaining a good job. But for lower-income students, the injustice is two-fold. First, such students have difficulty finding acceptable internships, because they must have one that pays — and pays enough — in order to keep a roof over their heads. Second, lower-income students are cut off from entire sectors of internships, such as government or journalism, because those industries continuously refuse to pay interns.
“‘It’s something that really makes me nuts,’’ said Cokie Roberts, an ABC News correspondent who spoke out about the problem on Capitol Hill several weeks ago at a gathering of Congressional interns. ‘By setting up unpaid internship programs, it seems to me that without completely recognizing it, it sets up a system where you are making it ever more difficult for people who don’t have economic advantages to catch up.’’’
That’s why Part III of our Social Good Internship is also two-fold. First, we share internship opportunities with humanitarian organizations that work to undo justice here and around the globe. Second, in keeping with being fair to all students, regardless of income, all internships featured are paid. (Sadly, paid internships with nonprofits were difficult to find. Even the United Nations doesn’t pay their interns!)
Humanitarian Organizations & Internships
Habitat for Humanity, Atlanta, Washington DC
“Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity began in 1976 as a grassroots effort on a community farm in southern Georgia. The Christian housing organization has since grown to become a leading global nonprofit working in nearly 1,400 communities throughout the U.S. and in more than 70 countries.
Families and individuals in need of a hand up partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage.”
Internship types:
- Auditing
- Innovation
- Advocacy Campaigning
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Human Rights Watch, New York, Washington DC
“Human Rights Watch is one of the world’s leading independent organizations dedicated to defending and protecting human rights. By focusing international attention where human rights are violated, we give voice to the oppressed and hold oppressors accountable for their crimes. Our rigorous, objective investigations and strategic, targeted advocacy build intense pressure for action and raise the cost of human rights abuse. For 30 years, Human Rights Watch has worked tenaciously to lay the legal and moral groundwork for deep-rooted change and has fought to bring greater justice and security to people around the world.”
Internship types:
- International Justice
- Arms Division
- International Opportunities
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Care, Atlanta, Washington DC
“CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. CARE places special focus on working alongside poor girls and women because, equipped with the proper resources, they have the power to lift whole families and entire communities out of poverty.”
Types of internships:
- Business Development
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American Friends Service Committee, New Jersey
“The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) is a Quaker organization that includes people of various faiths who are committed to social justice, peace and humanitarian service. Our work is based on the principles of the Religious Society of Friends, the belief in the worth of every person, and faith in the power of love to overcome violence and injustice.”
Types of internships:
- Organizing, Immigration Rights
- Communications, Healing Justice Program
- Legal Services
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Samaritan’s Purse, North Carolina or International
(Stipend, plus free housing)
“The story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30–37) gives a clear picture of God’s desire for us to help those in desperate need wherever we find them. After describing how the Samaritan rescued a hurting man whom others had passed by, Jesus told His hearers, “Go and do likewise.” For over 40 years, Samaritan’s Purse has done our utmost to follow Christ’s command by going to the aid of the world’s poor, sick, and suffering. We are an effective means of reaching hurting people in countries around the world with food, medicine, and other assistance in the Name of Jesus Christ. This, in turn, earns us a hearing for the Gospel, the Good News of eternal life through Jesus Christ.”
Internship types:
- Programs & Government Relations
- Communications
- Operation Christmas Child
- Research
- Disaster Assistance
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The Praxis Project, Oakland, California
“The Praxis Project is a values-driven national nonprofit organization that seeks to improve health justice through partnerships to build community power. Praxis believes strongly that organized communities are critical partners in the struggle to create healthy communities. Praxis works with over 200 diverse grassroots groups across the United States that influence local policy, mobilize communities, and strengthen programs and organizations to improve health justice. Praxis works in strong partnership to enable local efforts to build community power through training, technical assistance, and capacity building services, as well as comprehensive fiscal sponsorship. Our capacity-building programming is focused on partnerships that actively advance Praxis’ mission to build healthy communities by transforming the power relationships and structures that affect our lives.”
Internship types:
- Health Justice
- Health Justice Communication
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During my time in college I did two internships. One was a humanitarian trip, which I had to pay almost $600.00 to do. The experience, however, was very rewarding. The other was a nine-month, unpaid internship at a psychiatric hospital. I was already married, and fully supported. I had no clue some of my fellow students could be struggling to find internships of the same caliber as mine, but were unable to because they were unpaid.
Whether or not you are a struggling student, please do what you can to help end unpaid internships. Your generation has enormous influence, so please use your influence to stop injustices that are completely avoidable by simply paying interns while they learn.
Twitter: #paytheintern
Previous Social Good Internships, Part II: World Hunger
Previous Social Good Internships, Part I: Conservation
About the Author: Pamela La Gioia is creator of “The Ultimate Guide Series”. She is author of The Ultimate Guide to Making Money in College, which provides students over 200 flexible companies offering jobs they can do around their schedules. @TheUltimateGui4
