Call for Applications: Disability Right Unit Internship Opportunity

Posted on January 20, 2021

The Disability Rights Unit at the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, seeks to appoint an appropriately qualified individual for its internship programme based in Hatfield, Pretoria, South Africa.

Download Call for Applications

Opportunity closing date: Friday 29 January 2021
Opportunity type: Internship
Organisation: Centre for Human Rights,
Job Title: Internship Opportunity for 2021  
Type of contract: Fixed-Term
Duty Station: Pretoria

The Disability Rights Unit is committed to finding evidence-based ways of addressing the rights of persons with disabilities on the African continent. This includes conducting research on international disability rights standards and instruments, building capacity among governments, national human rights institutions, academia, civil society and communities, and engaging with judicial, quasi-judicial and non-judicial redress mechanisms.The Disability Rights Unit aims to contribute to the international disability rights discourse by assisting and collaborating with international organisations, academic partners, and civil society across the globe in taking targeted measures to advance the rights of persons with disabilities.

Activities undertaken by the Disability Rights Unit include the:

(a) Annual Disability Rights Conference,
(b) One week intensive short course on disability rights in an African context,
(c) Publication of the African Disability Rights Yearbook,
(d) Monitoring the impact of COVID-19 on persons with disabilities in Southern Africa,
(e) Training workshops on the right to access to justice and political and public participation of persons with disabilities
(f) Master’s programme in Disability Rights in Africa.

The Disability Rights Unit seeks to appoint an appropriately qualified individual for its internship. programme based in Hatfield, Pretoria, South Africa.
Duration: 12 months (1 February 2021 – 31 December 2021) with the possibility of extension.
Weekly hours: 25 hours a week
The internship is paid according to the set University of Pretoria rates for student work. 

Responsibilities:

  • Participate actively in assigned programme work, ensuring that systems, processes and outputs are grounded in the Centre’s values;
  • Participate in internal communication and teamwork;
  • Work within the programme team to ensure the effective implementation of organisation’s objectives;
  • As and when required within reason, work beyond the scope of any job description.

Internship Objectives

  • Provide exposure to those interested and committed to working in disability rights issues;
  • Contribute to addressing the problems relating to skills shortage, by increasing the skills level of those entering the labour market;
  • Improve the chances of employment in the chosen field by enhancing the capacity of the interns
  • Contribute to the job-readiness of interns by exposing them to a practical working experience/environment;
  • Inculcate human rights values in interns and strive to ensure that such values become part of their work ethic;
  • Enhance the capacity of the Centre with an increased number of staff available to take on a range of administrative and programmatic functions.

Requirements:

  • Working knowledge of and commitment to human rights, particularly disability rights;
  • Studying towards a postgraduate degree in social sciences such as: Development Studies, Public Policy, Social Science, International Relations, Law and Sociology at the University of Pretoria
  • Excellent verbal and written communications skills;
  • Demonstrated ability to take initiative and responsibility for areas of work;
  • Fluency in English;
  • Additional language skills and project work experience are a plus.
  • Persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Application Process:

To apply, submit a one page CV along with academic transcript, one-page motivational letter and the details of two contactable referees (please provide both telephone numbers and email addresses) to [email protected]

Late and incomplete applications will not be considered for the position.

Only suitable qualified candidates studying at the University of Pretoria will be considered.

Important: The Centre for Human Rights reserves the right to cancel the position should the needs of the Centre change or should we regard the submissions not to be adequate based on its needs. 

For more about the Disability Rights Unit, please visit www.chr.up.ac.za/disability-rights-unit 

- Author Centre for Human Rights

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