WILPF Internships in Geneva

Disarmament | Human Rights | Volunteers | How to Apply | Alumnae | FAQ

The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom currently offers two annual programme internships for young women who wish to learn more about the work of our organization in the areas of disarmament, human rights and NGO management, in the context of the United Nations and International Organizations. Candidates should be self-motivated, able to work independently, creative, flexible, and not afraid to take initiative. A positive attitude and solid writing skills (in English) are also required.  

The internships are reserved for women in recognition of the fact that women remain largely excluded from positions concerned with questions of foreign policy, international relations and management, although their presence in these crucial areas is much needed. Priority is given to women between the ages of 20 and 30, and preference is given to WILPF members. Fluency in oral and written English is essential; Spanish and French speaking skills are an advantage for the work of the interns.

The interns reside in Geneva. The programme internships focus on work of the United Nations, WILPF, and the community of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), in disarmament/economic justice or human rights. WILPF sees these issues as inter-related and emphasizes the need for a gender perspective.

The interns prepare articles, reports and other materials in their respective subject areas for publication by WILPF and help in the preparation of WILPF meetings and events. Interns attend NGO and UN meetings on behalf of WILPF. They all participate in the management of the office and the organisation. They actively take part of the community life of the office and are involved in the administrative tasks of the International Secretariat such as maintaining the database, updating the website, proof-reading, preparing letters, mail outs and other office jobs.

If you need more information, please contact the WILPF International Secretariat Geneva.

Internship in Disarmament

Applications for 2010 - Closed

The Disarmament internship runs from mid-January to mid-December each year. The deadline for applications is June 30th, 2009. Applicants will receive notice by September 30th. Please be informed that WILPF is currently capable of hiring annual interns for 2010, but there might be a possiblity this could change due to the current financial crisis.

The internship is named after Inga Thorsson, a former Ambassador of Sweden to the UN at the Conference on Disarmament and a prominent WILPF member. She was the first and most vocal proponent of an approach that sought to recognize the connection between disarmament and economic justice.

In disarmament, WILPF works on nuclear disarmament, small arms and the militarization of space. WILPF also focuses on the relation of globalization with militarism and economic injustice. The programme focuses on the work of the UN and NGOs in their promoting and strengthening efforts for disarmament and the peaceful settlement of conflict, as well as their involvement in economic justice and North-South relations.

The intern’s main responsibilities are to: attend and report on sessional meetings of the Conference on Disarmament (CD), including scanning and posting documents to the Reaching Critical Will website; working with the NGO Committee on the Status of Women - Working group on Peace to organize and execute the annual 8 March Seminar; working with other NGOs in Geneva; and more.

The intern reports in those fields, alerts WILPF to events and new publications, and proposes actions for WILPF. She also takes part in and helps organize activities by WILPF and those organized jointly by non-governmental organizations. The disarmament intern divides her time between program work, administrative work, and office maintenance. Furthermore, in order to develop the intern's managerial skills and only if she is comfortable with it, the annual intern is invited to select, train and manage a short-term voluntary intern (2 months) during the course of her internship.

By the end of the year, the intern is required to submit a report on her experience with WILPF.

Click HERE for detailed Disarmament Internship Job Description

Internship in Human Rights

Applications for 2010 - Closed

The Human Rights internship runs from mid-January to mid-December each year. The deadline for applications is June 30th, 2009. Applicants will receive notice by September 30th. Please be informed that WILPF is currently capable of hiring annual interns for 2010, but there might be a possiblity this could change due to the current financial crisis.

WILPF aims to expand the parameters of what are usually considered “human rights” by promoting the concept that the violation of human rights stems from political, economic and social situations. WILPF does not focus on protesting or documenting individual violations, rather the core areas of WILPF’s work are: economic, social and cultural rights and the right to development; anti-racism, including migrants’ rights; human rights of women and gender-specific human rights violations; peace and disarmament as preconditions for the enjoyment of human rights.

The intern follows and reports on the sessions of the UN Human Rights Council, its working groups, the Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights and meetings of UN Agencies. She assists in preparing statements for the meetings and is expected to report on their outcomes.

The intern also participates in NGO meetings and helps organize activities by WILPF and/or the NGO community. She reports on developments, alerts WILPF to events and new publications, and proposes actions for WILPF. She further maintains relations with the WILPF sections and informs them on a regular basis, via e-mail and regular mailings, on UN or NGO activities in the human rights field. The Human Rights intern divides her time between program work, administrative work, and office maintenance. Furthermore, in order to develop the intern's managerial skills and only if she is comfortable with it, the annual intern is invited to select, train and manage a short-term voluntary intern (2 months) during the course of her internship. More details about the short-term human rights internship are listed in the Volunteer section below.

By the end of the year, the intern is required to submit a report on her experience with WILPF.

Click HERE for Detailed Human Rights Job Description

Volunteers

WILPF always welcomes local volunteers to assist the International Secretariat fulfill its mandate. Specifically, WILPF regularly needs assistance with website work and administrative tasks such as data entry, filing, and sending our monthly mailing. Knowledge of Dreamweaver and Microsoft Access are a plus.

Even if you can only donate a few hours of your time a week, a little extra help goes a long way to make the office run smoothly and is a much appreciated contribution! If you are interested, please send an e-mail to: inforequest(at)wilpf.ch

How to Apply

The internships in Disarmament and Human Rights begin in mid-January and end in mid-December.

All applications must be submitted in English and should state clearly for which internships the application is submitted. Selections will be made on the basis of:

Deadline for Applications

Applicants must send all documents, including references, in one envelope post marked by June 30th, 2009 for the Disarmament and Human Rights internships. Candidates whose application packages are received incomplete will not be considered.

All applications should be sent to:

WILPF
Case postale 28
1211 Geneva 20
Switzerland

Applicants in disarmament and human rights will be informed by late September whether or not they have been short-listed. The final selection will be made by 30 October of the year in which they apply.

Conditions

Disarmament and Human Rights Internships
WILPF pays for the intern’s round-trip travel from her home to Geneva and pays a small stipend which only covers basic living expenses in an expensive city. Accommodation shall also be funded by WILPF.

Health insurance and all other insurance, except accident insurance, are the intern’s own responsibility. Please note that health insurance is a requirement to working in Switzerland.

Contact the International Office in Geneva for more information.

About WILPF

The organization was established in 1915, in The Hague, when more than 1200 women from belligerent and neutral countries met to protest the war and to work for conditions in which permanent peace could be constructed.

WILPF aims to bring together women who are opposed to war, violence, exploitation, and all forms of discrimination and oppression, who wish to unite in establishing peace based on economic and social justice for all, without distinction of sex, race, class or creed.

It sees as its goal a world economic and social order founded on the absence of violence, the acceptance of a pluralistic human society, respect for fundamental human rights, and the recognition that unless the riches of our world are shared equitably there can be no peace or security for anyone.

To achieve this goal, WILPF works for the rights of women, equality for all, the integrity of the person and the community, general and complete disarmament, the prevention of war and the peaceful settlement of conflict, for world co-operation and solidarity, for economic and social development that meets the needs of all peoples and safeguards the natural environment on which all life depends.

The League works for the development of, and respect for international law and for the strengthening of the UN and its Specialized Agencies.

WILPF Internships in New York

WILPF'S UN Office in New York offers periodic internships for both the PeaceWomen and Reaching Critical Will projects. These unpaid short term internships are available on a rolling basis. For more information, please contact the WILPF UN Office.

WILPF Alumnae

We encourage previous interns and volunteers to join our Alumnae.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the usual short-term internship duration?

Short-term internships usually last around 2-3 months. We try to be flexible with our short-term internships, and it is not uncommon for them to last up to six months. Applicants need to be available for a minimum of two months.

What sort of duties might an intern undertake?

Specific tasks usually depend on the area of the internship (human rights, disarmament etc) as well as many office management tasks. 

Short-term interns assigned to share program work, either human rights or disarmament, will dedicate half of their work time to tasks related to following the issue at the UN, and the other half of the time doing administrative work.  WILPF program interns typically attend either the Conference on Disarmament or the Human Rights Council.  Economic Justice/Fundraising interns are selected according to an agreement with the Swedish Section office, and they sometimes attend meetings at the International Labour Ogranization (ILO). 

It is common for all interns’ tasks to include correspondence with WILPF membership, reporting on UN Conferences, writing input for the list-serve, website, and/or monthly mailing, maintenance of the WILPF member database, providing assistance with publications.  Most interns are required to do web work as well, and WILPF’s International Secretariat uses a program called Dreamweaver for this. Appropriate trainings are provided for Dreamweaver (our web management system) and Microsoft Access (our database management system).

Is there any accreditation from WILPF that could be noted on my CV afterwards?

Interns who complete their internships get a letter attesting that they interned with us and they can mention the internship on their CV or in future internship & job applications. If the internship is part of the intern’s education requirement, WILPF provides the school or university with an evaluation and the intern earns credit accordingly. WILPF staff members have been asked to fill out evaluation forms that contribute to the intern’s grade (if necessary).

Is there any stipend offered for short-term internships? Will my travel or housing costs be reimbursed?

Unfortunately WILPF is unable to provide any financial assistance for short-term interns.

How many hours a week is an intern expected to work?

Interns can work full-time (8 hours per day, 40 hours per week) or it may be possible to arrange a shorter work schedule (3-4 days a week), depending on availability and the requirements of the internship area (which are often dictated by schedules of the UN).

What are the office’s working hours?

Interns at the WILPF office are expected to work for the full office hours, from 9am to 18pm, with an hour lunch from 13pm to 14pm.

What are the preferred language skills for interns?

Fluency in English is essential and knowledge of French or Spanish is helpful.

How many short-term internship positions are offered?

The number of short-term intern positions varies and is dependent on the time of year, since much of WILPF’s work is based around the activities of the United Nations. Short-term internships are also dependent on the limited space available in the office. Generally there are two short-term interns at any given time, supporting long term interns and full time staff.

If WILPF does not provide housing, what can I do to find an inexpensive place in Geneva?

Finding an apartment in Geneva can be difficult and expensive, however, there are several less expensive options. You could start by looking at the Geneva tourism information website for their accommodation tips. If you are selected for a short-term internship, the Geneva office may be able to give you a few suggestions on this, but will not be able to be responsible for finding you a place to stay.

What is the office dress code? Whatever shall I wear??

The office maintains a business casual dress code, which is different from the UN, where formal business attire is necessary. If your internship duties require you to attend meetings at the UN, or meetings with other organisations, you should be prepared to wear business clothes (suits or skirts, dresses, etc). If your internship is predominently administrative, you can feel free to come to the office in clean jeans or other casual wear. Switzerland is COLD in the winter, so be prepared to dress according to the weather. The office is heated in winter, but we do not have air conditioning for the summer months, and it can get quite warm. Clothing in Switzerland is fairly expensive, so bring your wardrobe with you.

How do I apply for a short-term internship?

Send a formal letter of inquiry, a copy of your CV, and a cover letter specifying your interests in working with WILPF, your expectations from the internship, and how you believe you can contribute to WILPF’s program to inforequest@wilpf.ch. Someone will get back to you shortly, and we will be able to see if we are able to match the needs of the Geneva office with your availability and experience. Best of luck!

-last updated 10/12/2008