Columbia Law School

Columbia Law School’s dedication to social justice is manifested in its ‘Social Justice Initiatives’ (SJI) program.

The belief that public interest experience should be a part of every Columbia student’s professional life underscores this program which advises students on career choices, summer opportunities and curricular options. The program also implements and oversees the ‘Pro-Bono Program’ which connects students to public good projects. Columbia’s SJI works closely with an extensive network of social justice organizations and actors in an effort to continue and promote social justice activities of the university.

Northeastern University School of Law

The NUSL has a focus on practical training which equips students with experience practicing in the field of public interest law. Engagement with social justice issues is at the core of the NUSL’s teaching philosophy, encouraging students to deal with the legal, intellectual and emotional demands of creating a just society. The school offers a Public Interest Advocacy program but emphasizes that social justice – and the related legal and ethical considerations – is a focus within every course offered at the school. In addition, the Center for Public Interest Advocacy and Collaboration works to ensure that public interest and social justice issues form part of the everyday experiences of students at NUSL.

Berkeley Law – University of California

Berkeley Law prides itself on having a strong tradition of supporting students who seek to put their law training to use in the public interest. In this regard, the school offers a wide network of academic and professional actors with whom students are encouraged to engage and find mentorship. The school also boasts the Thelton E. Henderson Center for Social Justice which promotes social justice engagement, as well as a Pro Bono Program which encourages practical engagement with social justice and public interest issues.

Stanford Law School

The public interest mission at Stanford Law School is represented by the John and Terry Levin Center for Public Service and and Public Interest Law. The center provides a resource for students who are interested in exploring and committing to advancing the public good and achieving social justice through law. The school offers a variety of classes and clinics that provide students with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills to support the pursuit of careers in public interest.

Vanderbilt Law School

The Vanderbilt Law School offers students the George Barrett Social Justice Program which aims to keep social justice at the heart of law. The program offers a variety of courses and clinics with different focuses, all of which explore issues of equality, access and service openly and regularly. Among other activities, the program offers a Social Justice Reading Group which encourages students to explore a range of substantive issues addressed by public interest lawyers as well as the challenges and rewards of representing marginalized clients and communities.

Loyola Law School, Los Angeles

Loyola Law School has a history of public interest commitment and was the first school in California to institute a pro-bono service requirement into its programs. The school offers a number of social justice focused programs including the Loyola Immigrant Justice Clinic and the Loyola Center for Conflict Resolution. In addition, the school funds public interest scholarships, grants and fellowships in its effort to train committed social justice lawyers.

Lewis and Clark Law School, Portland

The Lewis and Clark Law School offers students a speciality program in Public Interest Law. This program allows students to engage with public interest and social justice issues from an academic perspective, but also through practical clinics, externships and pro-bono programs. There are a number of funding support options offered within this program. Additionally, Lewis and Clark Law School offers a Social Justice Tour which highlights instances of student activism and social justice throughout the history of the college in order to inspire new students with social justice aspirations.

American University Washington College of Law (AUWCL)

AUWCL positions its teaching as ‘law with impact’. It offers students numerous initiatives and programs including the Human Rights and Humanitarian Law Center, Lawyering Peace Program and National Immigrant Women’s Advocacy Project to name a few. The school’s commitment to social justice issues is thus evident in the types of courses and programs that students can take and the numerous impact stories that students have been involved with can be read on their website.

University of Maryland MLaw Programs

Through the MLaw Programs at the University of Maryland, students interested in law and justice can participate in MLaw’s Justice and Legal Thought Program during their freshman and sophomore years and/or MLaw’s Law and Society Minor as upperclass students. The school also offers practical training through its Mock Trial Terp Young Scholars Program as well as other mentoring opportunities.

City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law

At CUNY School of Law, students are encouraged to get involved in the numerous pro-bono opportunities available through student organisations and the Career Planning Office. These programs support a number of justice initiatives that engage students, graduates and faculty in serving immigrants, citizen and non-citizen workers and assisting and empowering historically underserved communities. These programs are carried out through the Community Legal Resource Network (CLRN) and the Economic Justice Project at the University.

Check out our article on the best human rights law schools!

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Also consider our directory of the best masters in human rights

Master of Arts in Human Rights, Central European University

This human rights masters programme targets an international cohort of students from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds. The aim of the programme is to train students in the theoretical and policy implications of defending human rights and to provide students with the skills for successful human rights protection and advocacy. The programme has an interdisciplinary approach, combining social science, policy-based approaches and legal science, exposing student to new fields of study and ways of thinking about human rights. Teaching is designed so as to engage students with the theoretical perspectives pertaining to human rights as well as to explore empirical analyses and practical applications of human rights interventions.

The programme combines course work with a written thesis and should be completed within ten months.

MSc Human Rights, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)

The MSc in Human Rights at LSE is uniquely structured to provide students with a multidisciplinary engagement around key human rights issues and the foundational aspects of human rights study. The programme recognises the need to tackle the broader questions of policy, intervention and practice and not just focus on the theoretical aspects of the field. Students will obtain knowledge in the key legal, sociological, political and philosophical issues relevant to human rights and should be able to approach these issues with a level of rigorous analysis. The programme is run by the Centre for the Study of Human Rights at the university and thus encourages active participation from students in the various events hosted by the centre. A core course looking at ‘Approaches to Human Rights’ is combined with elective courses and a written dissertation to make up the one-year academic programme.

MSc in Human Rights and International Politics, University of Glasgow

This programme aims to address the question of how individual human rights fit into a system of international relations in which states’ rights have traditionally been paramount. Designed as an interdisciplinary degree, students will encounter both the legal and political perspectives and can choose where to focus their interests. Course themes focus on issues of security, international institutions, gender, political philosophy, theories of rights, ethics and normative theory. Students will also have the opportunity to participate in a five-day field-trip to Geneva where they will visit the UN headquarters and other non-governmental human rights organisations. The programme is one-year, full-time and is comprised of four core courses and two electives, as well as a written dissertation.

MA in Human Rights Law, SOAS, University of London

The MA in Human Rights Law at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London provides students with an introduction to the general fields of law and how these legal structures operate in both Western and non-Western social and cultural settings. The programme is designed so as to engage students in issues around human rights law and its application and relevance to a broad range of areas and legal issues. The curriculum therefore explores Islamic and Chinese law, gender issues, labour law and how these all relate to an international legal context. The modules are led by experts in these fields who have experience working in international organisations and non-governmental organisations, as well as legal practitioners and governmental advisors. Students are expected to attend a two-week ‘Preliminary Law, Legal Reasoning and Legal Methods’ course to facilitate an inter-disciplinary intake of students in the study of law. The course is then structured according to elective modules and a written dissertation to be completed within the year.

Master of Human Rights, University of Sydney

This Master’s programme aims to provide students with an understanding of how human rights apply in various political, social, economic and environmental contexts. Students will be equipped with the critical skills and tools needed to effectively engage with the practical implementation of a human rights agenda and to create workable solutions to human rights issues. As an interdisciplinary programme a variety of fields are covered, including: sociology; social policy; political science and political economy; philosophy; history and human geography. The degree has a global outlook and explores the domestic Australian policy and legal perspective within an international framework. The degree can be completed within a one-year, full-time structure and consists of coursework combined with either an internship or a dissertation component.

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LL.M. Concentration in Human Rights, The Human Rights Programme at Harvard Law School

The Human Rights Programme at Harvard Law offers an academic programme centred around international human rights learning, scholarship and research. The ‘Concentration in Human Rights’ is offered by the Human Rights Programme as one of four concentrations for LL.M. students at the university. The LL.M. is a one-year degree and students are expected to take classes in ‘International Human Rights’ and ‘Human Rights in the UN Treaty Bodies’ amongst other electives as well as to submit a long paper on a subject related to human rights.

The programme also offers reading groups for students which focus on specific human rights topics and are led by experts in the concerned field. The Harvard Human Rights Programme aims to create a community of scholars and practitioners engaged in critical reflection and discussion around international human rights issues. This environment provides excellent exposure and opportunity for LL.M. students to network with a broad array of human rights thinkers.

LL.M. In Human Rights and Social Justice, University of Connecticut (UCONN)

As a relatively new programme, this LL.M offered by the UConn School of Law allows students the opportunity to pursue study that integrates the international and domestic dimensions of human rights and social justice lawyering. The programme will provide students with an in-depth study of the international human rights legal frameworks as well as the U.S civil rights movements. In this way, students will engage with how both domestic and international human rights blend within the business, non-profit and public policy sectors. The programme aims to equip students with a rigorous understanding of the norms and methods of the human rights and civil rights movements. The university prides itself on small and intimate class settings and allowing flexibility for students to design their course of study according to a full or part-time programme.

Human Rights Law as an Area of Interest at Yale Law School

The LL.M. programme at Yale Law School allows students to tailor their legal education towards their specialised area of interest. One such ‘area of interest’ is the Human Rights Law stream. As a one-year, full-time degree, students are encouraged to use the resources from the Law School to design a programme of study that will best fit their interests. The study of human rights law at Yale is centred around the Orville H. Schell. Jr. Center for International Human Rights which coordinates a diverse range of human rights programmes and activities for students, scholars and the broader community of human rights practitioners. Additionally, the Allard K. Lowenstein International Human Rights Clinic is a Law School course which allows students to engage practically with on-going projects and gain first-hand experience dealing with and on behalf of practicing human rights organisations. The structure of the LL.M. degree at Yale, and the various resources available, allow students to develop their own academic programme around International Human Rights Law.

Human Rights LL.M. Fellowship at Columbia University

The Columbia Law School has introduced a ‘Human Rights LL.M. Fellowship’ for the class of 2018-2019. This programme is targeted at individuals who have a keen interest and show great potential in the field of international human rights. The Fellowship will provide students with a tailored and rigorous programme of practical skills training, academic scholarship and career mentoring in order to produce a class of innovative and dedicated human rights leaders. Jointly coordinated by the Columbia Law School’s Human Rights Institute, this fellowship encourages students to engage with practitioners, lawyers and academics alike. Applicants are expected to demonstrate a strong commitment to the field of international human rights and previous experience in some form is advantageous. The university offers plenty of opportunity for students to engage with human rights issues and become active participants in the protection of human rights.

LL.M in International Human Rights Law, University of Notre Dame

The International Human Rights programme at Notre Dame Law School offers students the technical skills and theoretical grounding required for strategic human rights lawyering. Students will be trained in the substantive and procedural aspects of international human rights law with the aim of developing skills that can be applied practically in their professional pursuits. The programme is one year and requires the completion of 24 course credits which can be structured according to student’s specific interests. The university prides itself on nurturing compassionate individuals who wish to pursue a career fighting for human rights and against social injustice.

Find more masters programs in human rights on our dedicated site.

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Melbourne is known for its diverse and dynamic atmosphere and is touted as one of Australia’s trendiest cities. Named the ‘world’s most liveable city’, Melbourne recently however, came under fire for a controversial piece of legislation which attempted to ban homeless camping in the city. The United Nations condemned this law claiming that the criminalisation of homelessness went against international human rights law and was thus hugely problematic. The rights accorded to homeless people is but one of the many human rights concerns that need addressing in the city as well as in the wider national and international communities. The following article lists a few of the local, Melbourne based organisations with the protection and promotion of human rights at the core of their mission. For each of the organisations opportunities for employment or involvement in another form is outlined.

Sacred Heart Mission

The Sacred Heart Mission is an NGO active in Melbourne with the aim of assisting people access their basic human rights of food and shelter and overcome situations of homelessness. While the organisation provides these basic services, it has the further mission of supporting and working with the homeless in order to build people’s capacity to participate more fully in social life and overcome the levels of social exclusion which lead to homelessness. The organisation currently has a number of vacancies for a variety of different positions. These positions range from general managerial posts to case specific social work. Sacred Heart Mission also relies heavily on volunteers and there are always opportunities to provide assistance.

Oaktree

Oaktree’s mission is ‘young people leading a movement to end poverty’. The organisation recognises the power of youth to undertake this mission and make a significant impact in the drive to poverty eradication. The three key aims of the organisation are: to raise awareness about poverty and inequality in the region; to partner with other grassroots organisations and to initiate education and leadership campaigns and; to advocate for social change through policy development. With a strong focus on youth involvement, this organisation encourages volunteers from the ages of 16-26 to get involved in the various campaigns and thereby gain valuable activism experience. The Oaktree ‘team’ itself posts vacancies on a rolling basis and requires candidates with a youthful spirit and commitment to the organisation’s mission.

iEmpower

This organisation has a focus on refugee youth and provides tailored rehabilitation, education, training and employment services. Established in 2006, the organisation recognised the need for services that provided assistance and protection for refugee and humanitarian entrant youths in the country who were at risk. The organisation works alongside community partners and government to implement solutions to the risks faced by young people from refugee backgrounds. The organisation has a number of options for getting involved, including volunteering, mentoring and assisting with youth programmes. Career opportunities are advertised when available.

Asylum Seekers Resource Centre (ASRC)

The ASRC envisions an Australia that is welcoming and compassionate to people seeking asylum in the country. Based in Melbourne, the organisation is committed to obtaining fair and humane treatment of asylum seekers throughout the country. The ASRC works to achieve these goals through a variety of activities including through legal, advocacy and education campaigns as well as through more practical activities such as food and health support. There are multiple opportunities to get involved with this organisation from volunteering for the different programmes to becoming an active advocate. The organisation advertises current employment and intern opportunities on their website as they become available.

Federation of Community Legal Centres

Based in Melbourne, this body is a collection of 50 community legal centres throughout the Victoria region with the aim of providing free legal advice to clients facing economic and social disadvantage. In its mission to achieve advances in social justice, the Federation provides direct legal assistance, conducts systemic law reform and policy work to improve the justice system, works to strengthen the community legal sector and provides service and support as well as representation of community legal centres. The work of the Federation is collaborative and encourages the sharing of ideas through networks and working groups. The Federation itself has an organisational role to fulfil and much of the work undertaken by staff involves facilitating and coordinating the members of the federation in carrying out the various organisational goals. Permanent positions at the Federation are advertised when available. The website also posts opportunities for careers with member community legal centres in Victoria and in the whole of Australia when they arise. Graduate, volunteer and intern positions are available throughout the year and encouraged by the organisation.

Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA)

This family welfare organisation has a specific mandate for the protection and promotion of the human rights of Aboriginal children and young people. VACCA provides services and programmes aimed at preserving and reinforcing the Aboriginal culture and simultaneously protecting against child abuse and neglect. These services vary from direct intervention strategies and facilitating foster care, to policy research, to training and development programmes. VACCA is committed to creating and supporting culturally safe spaces where cultural identities can be freely explored and maintained. The organisation lists career postings on their website on a rolling basis but there are also many other ways to get involved.

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Australia was one of the founding members of the United Nations (UN) and an initial signatory to its Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. The country is also a signatory to a host of other international treaties and conventions which require a commitment to the protection of human rights. While Australia is the only democratic country that does not have its own ‘Bill of Rights’, other legislative sources exist which distinctly set out the protection of specific rights.

The current human rights context in Australia however, has reflected the less than desirable treatment of a few specific groups of people. The Human Rights Watch report for 2016 has highlighted concerns around the treatment of refugee and asylum seekers attempting to gain entry into the country. Since 2013 there have been reports of the interception of passenger-bearing vessels where refugee and asylum seeking individuals found on board have been sent to detention centres on offshore islands where they are to undergo the processes of asylum application and await the government’s decision.  While this detention process in itself is problematic, further reports have revealed that conditions in these detention centres are poor, including insufficient access to medical treatment as well as reports of harassment and violence against detained individuals.

Another major and longstanding human rights concern in Australia is the treatment and protection of indigenous communities. Human Rights Watch signals the overrepresentation of Aboriginal people in the criminal justice system as a significant problem that needs to be addressed by government.

This article will provide an overview of a number of prominent human rights organisations that are working within Australia to advance the protection of all human rights. It will also identify the possibilities for involvement in said organisations whether it is in a volunteer, intern or full employment capacity.

Action Aid Australia

Established in Australia in 1967, Austcare was originally the national organisation associated with the global ActionAid network. The organisation started out with a focus on refugee rights and awareness campaigns which aimed to educate Australian communities about the plight of refugees and other displaced people worldwide. After formally joining the ActionAid family in 2009, ActionAid Australia now has a far greater mandate for promoting and protecting the human rights of poor people throughout the world. Their mission is to work towards a world without poverty and to combat injustice. The organisation has career opportunities for a range of expertise and also offers volunteer positions – both of which are advertised on the website on a rolling basis.

Endeavour Foundation

The Endeavour Foundation is an independent ‘for purpose’ organisation with a specific focus on disability rights. Advocacy and research around disability rights forms a core part of the functioning of the organisation. However, the Endeavour Foundation primarily works to provide a host of services ranging from In-home support, to specialist behaviour support, to mentoring programmes. With this diverse range of services, the organisation has many different career options and offers fully supported employment opportunities. Flexible volunteering opportunities are also available and provide on-the-job training.

Refugee Council of Australia

As an umbrella body, the Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) supports over 200 refugee related organisations throughout Australia. The three key functions of the organisation include: research and policy analysis; advocacy and representation and; community education and awareness-raising. The organisation has played an important role in raising awareness and campaigning against the poor treatment of refugees and asylum seekers by the Australian government. The Refugee Council posts job positions on their website when available as well as advertising employment opportunities at linked member organisations. There are also plenty of opportunities for volunteering both with the Council and member organisations.

Australian Council for Human Rights Education (ACHRE)

As the name suggests, the ACHRE is primarily focused on actively pursuing human rights education throughout Australia. The organisation is committed to promoting and supporting Australian and international human rights initiatives. It hosts advice and training sessions and provides educational resources to human rights practitioners. The organisation relies heavily on its volunteer base and thus offers plenty of opportunities for individuals to get involved in supporting human rights education.

Amnesty International Australia

Amnesty International is one of the largest global human rights organisations and therefore performs important work around monitoring, exposing and protecting against human rights violations throughout the world. The organisation’s work in Australia seeks to address current human rights abuses identified in the country and has campaigns focusing on indigenous rights, refugee rights, gender and sexuality and marriage equality. There are opportunities for internships and volunteering positions within the Australian division of the organisation and job openings are listed on the website on a rolling basis.

Human Rights Law Centre

Through a combination of legal action, advocacy and research, the Human Rights Law Centre aims to protect and promote human rights within Australia as well as internationally. Working alongside its partners, the Centre strives to improve the access to basic human rights of all citizens and advocates on behalf of those who do not have sufficient access. While the organisation does not currently have any open employment opportunities, these – as well as volunteer and intern positions – are advertised on their website when available.

Asylum Seekers Resource Centre (ASRC)

The ASRC envisions an Australia that is welcoming and compassionate to people seeking asylum in the country. The organisation is therefore committed to obtaining fair and humane treatment of asylum seekers and making sure that their human rights are protected and respected according to the international human rights laws. The ASRC works to achieve these goals through a variety of activities including through legal, advocacy and education campaigns as well as through more practical activities such as food and health support. There are multiple opportunities to get involved with this organisation from volunteering for the different programmes to becoming an active advocate. The organisation advertises current employment and intern opportunities on their website as they become available.

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When studying human rights, it is indeed important to have a solid grasp of the theoretical and conceptual content that underlies the subject. However, gaining practical experience in the field can do much to enhance ones understanding of the day-to-day challenges that are faced by human rights practitioners. The following article lists 5 human rights Master’s programs that include in their course structure either a class field trip or a compulsory field work placement component. The purpose of such field experience is to expose students to the real-life conditions under which a career pursuing human rights will take place.

Master of Arts in Human Rights – Vienna University

This Master of Arts at Vienna University aims to equip students with the practical and theoretical knowledge and skills around Human Rights which will enable them to enter and significantly contribute to the professional human rights environment. The program is designed in such a way as to provide students with a range of core courses which allow a proper engagement with an interdisciplinary approach to the subject of human rights. As part of the completion of the course, students will undertake a field trip to Kosovo where they will get to experience, observe and engage with the post-conflict society, NGOs and international organisations. This unique situation, where the UN, the OSCE, the EU and other international organisations are coordinating a human-rights-based international administration, provides learners with an exceptional opportunity to explore the meaning of human rights in practice. There is a strong emphasis on how to go about translating research and theory into practical action for the betterment of the human rights situation worldwide.

Master of Arts in Applied Human Rights –University of York

As an interdisciplinary program, this master’s course focuses on how human rights discourse and tools are used in various different fields. With an emphasis on the application of human rights, the course is aimed at training practitioners in the field of human rights. There are three compulsory modules dealing directly with human rights activism including legal advocacy and the practice of human rights from a social science perspective. The other two elective modules allow students to engage with a variety of different topics related to human rights, thereby broadening their interdisciplinary exposure. A key component of this course is the fieldwork experience. This takes place in Cape Town, South Africa where students are placed in small groups with a local organisation over a period of two weeks. Students are expected to develop a relationship with their placement organisation which is to be maintained and inform their research projects throughout the rest of the year. Student’s reports have hailed the fieldwork component as an excellent opportunity to engage with a foreign setting and learn practical tools for working in the field of human rights.

European Master’s Programme in Human Rights and Democratisation (E.MA) – European Inter-University Centre for Human Rights and Democratisation (EIUC)

This unique learning opportunity offers students the chance to become part of an integrated, trans-European experiment in human rights education. The collaboration between 41 leading Universities and a variety of disciplines means that students are exposed to a truly interdisciplinary and global experience. There is a strong focus on equipping students with the practical skills that will form the foundation of their career pursuing human rights goals. The first semester takes place at the Venice School of Human Rights where students will undertake their first set of module courses. This semester is followed by a field trip to Kosovo. The purpose of the field trip is to provide student with a deeper insight into the human rights challenges and opportunities faced in a real-life, post-conflict society. The practical training gained on the field trip should inform the rest of the academic year and prepare students for what they should expect when embarking in careers in the human rights field. The final semester takes place at one of the participating universities where students will be supervised through the process of planning and writing their Masters dissertation.

Master of Arts in International Human Rights – University of Denver, Josef Korbel School of International Studies

This two-year, full time Master’s program aims to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of human rights and humanitarianism through an interdisciplinary curriculum approach. Students are required to take core courses which engage with human rights law, foreign policy and the role of international organisations. As part of the course completion requirements, students are expected to engage in field work, particularly in the form of an internship either locally or internationally. This aspect of the degree allows students to experience working within a human rights based organisation, where they can observe and engage with the practical challenges of day-to-day human rights work.

Master of Arts in Conflict Studies and Human Rights – Utrecht University

The Master of Arts in Conflict Studies and Human Rights seeks to engage students in an academic environment that is based both within a theoretical analytical approach, as well as within grounded research. As such, there is a strong focus on analysing case studies and critically evaluating how the theory translates to the cases. As a one year program the course is structured with two semesters. In the second semester, students have the option to undertake an internship with the aim of gaining experience in the human rights field. This internship forms part of the course grade and on completion, students are expected provide a reflective report on their experience working within a human rights environment. This field work should inform the thesis that will be submitted by the end of the program.

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Ontario is the Canadian province with the longest history of human rights engagement in the country. Progress in human rights legislation is a reflection of the commitment towards the intrinsic value of recognising basic human rights and protecting against violations of said rights. These values emerged in the post-World War 2 climate where it was becoming increasingly expected that the state should play a role in preventing discrimination and providing social rights in order to maintain an environment of equality. This was a marked shift from the civil liberties discourse which dominated Canadian society before the Second World War. This conception of rights saw individuals as having fundamental freedoms – such as speech, association, religion, due process etc. – but considerations of how these freedoms may affect others were not of central concern.

In 1944, Ontario passed the first piece of Canadian human rights legislation, banning the display of discriminatory signs in public. In 1962, the province established a Human Rights Commission which was responsible for the administration and enforcement of the legislation outlined in the ‘Human Rights Code’.

Given Ontario’s long history of engagement in human rights issues, Toronto – as the capital of the province and the largest city in the country – is home to many active human rights organisations. In what follows, this article will outline a number of these organisations as well as identifying the possibilities for involvement in said organisations whether it is in a volunteer, intern or full employment capacity.

Human Rights Watch

Human Rights Watch is an international, independent organisation that seeks to monitor and protect human rights worldwide. The organisation is committed to producing accurate investigative reports on the human rights conditions in countries around the world and enacts a combination of media and advocacy campaigns to target and bring attention to those areas where human rights violations are rife. The organisation provides an interactive search option on their website where one can filter ‘employment level’, ‘location’ and ‘department’ in order to find a position within the organisation that is a suitable fit for any given individual. The organisation hosts an annual Human Rights Film Festival in Toronto with the mission of bringing film makers and audiences together to engage around the issues of human rights and the violations that exist currently in our world.

Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion

This social organisation has a mission to bring diversity and inclusion into the workplace and into the greater social community. It works alongside the corporate world, conducting research and providing advice on inclusivity strategies and policy. The organisation also conducts educational programmes in schools which challenge staff and learners to re-think ‘diversity’ and envision new ways of overcoming prejudice and discrimination. The organisation advertises career opportunities on their website on a rolling basis as well as offering a ‘learning/work programme’ for university and college students who can demonstrate how issues of diversity and inclusion are relevant to their studies.

Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA)

The CCLA is a non-governmental organisation which aims to “fight for the civil liberties, human rights and democratic freedoms of all people across Canada”. By performing primarily legal and educational functions, the CCLA seeks to uphold the civil rights enshrined in the Canadian constitution. Focus areas include issues of equality, fundamental civil freedoms, national security and policing and public safety. The organisation offers opportunities for legal volunteers and fellows as well as a host of other general and educational volunteer opportunities. In terms of careers, staff and articling positions are offered on a rolling basis.

Harmony Movement

Another organisation committed to addressing concerns around diversity and equity, the Harmony Movement primarily engages with society through the use of educational programmes. Encouraging conversations around these issues, the organisation seeks to target youth, educators and those working in the social services sector in order to develop leaders committed to social change. The Harmony Movement encourages involvement from individuals committed to human rights issues and ‘social change makers’ and offers employment opportunities on a rolling basis.

The Law Foundation of Ontario

The Law Foundation of Ontario has a mandate to improve access to justice for the people of Ontario. A priority objective in this regard is enabling greater access to justice for disadvantaged groups in Canadian society. The Foundation therefore provides support through grants, fellowships and other financial assistance to parties undertaking class action lawsuits that lie within the public interest. A variety of fellowships are offered by the Foundation with the aim of developing professionals who are committed to issues around access to justice.

PEN Canada

This organisation’s primary focus is on promoting the freedom of opinion and expression as a basic human right. With this mission at the heart of its work, PEN does work around the promotion of literature, fighting censorship and advocating for the freedom of persecuted and imprisoned writers. PEN offers membership opportunities for the writing community to join and support its cause. The organisation also relies on the support of volunteers and offers internship opportunities for a variety of projects related to its aims. These are offered on a rolling basis.

RefugeAid

As a humanitarian aid provider, RefugeAid has a focus on concerns related to refugees, migrants and asylum seekers. Primarily functioning as a fundraising initiative which distributes aid to communities affected by human rights violations, the organisation also works towards raising awareness around these issues. The organisation’s current project focus is aimed towards assisting Syrian refugees fleeing war and it works closely with international bodies such as MSF Canada and UNHCR Canada to achieve these goals. The organisation is associated with York University and runs its operations from the campus in Toronto.

The above is a selection of human rights focused organisations – with international and local objectives – operating from Toronto, Canada. All of the above organisations seek to continue the long tradition of promoting human rights in Ontario and beyond.

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Canada has played an active role in the promotion and development of human rights norms since the 20^th century. As an original member of the United Nations (UN), founded in 1945 as a response to the end of the Second World War, Canada asserted its commitment to recognising and combating human rights violations from early on. Since signing the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, a series of legislative enactments have demonstrated this continued commitment to progressing the rights of previously discriminated groups. Such legislation addresses concerns such as political rights, rights in the workplace and rights protecting against discrimination for various groups including women, aboriginal or indigenous people, people of colour, homosexuals, foreign nationals and people with disabilities.

Current Canadian human rights concerns highlighted by ‘Human Rights Watch’ for 2016 include issues around the rights of indigenous people in Canada and more specifically, violence against indigenous women and children. Reports note high levels of female homicide in indigenous groups and critique the inadequate institutional responses to these figures, including allegations of neglecting to conduct appropriate police investigations into these cases. The report also reveals that indigenous groups, particularly in rural parts of the country, have poor access to basic resources such as clean drinking water. This has resulted in a threat to the public health of these communities.

Another concern highlighted by the Human Rights Watch report is the detention of immigrant children in facilities “that resemble medium-security prisons”. While this type of detention is not prohibited in Canadian law, there are serious human rights concerns given that there is no limit set on how long these children can be held in these centres. Human rights groups have therefore called for review of these practices and alternatives to detention to be explored.

In what follows, this article will provide a brief overview of the most prominent human rights organisations acting within Canada.

Canadian Human Rights International Organisation (CHRIO)

Founded by a variety of inter-disciplinary professionals, this not-for-profit organisation works alongside civil society to promote the defence of human rights. Monitoring human rights abuses forms one of its major activities as well as promoting aims to eliminate human rights violations by targeting individuals and groups through education programmes. The general objectives of the CHRIO, as stipulated by the organisation, are to “contribute to the defence, promotion, education, protection and realisation of human rights, including civil and political rights.” The organisation has both volunteering and student placement opportunities.

Equitas – International Centre for Human Rights Education

Equitas, formerly known as the Canadian Human Rights Foundation, is Canada’s oldest human rights education organisation. The vision of Equitas therefore, refers explicitly to the use of participatory education activities as a means to addressing concerns around human rights. Another key mission of the organisation is to establish and maintain global networks of human rights workers in order to facilitate mutual education around human rights issues. The organisation believes that through education, greater global social justice can be achieved. Equitas works across the globe and thus offers placements in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East as well as in Canada itself.

Amnesty International Canada

Amnesty International is one of the largest global human rights organisations and therefore performs important work around monitoring, exposing and protecting against human rights violations throughout the world. The organisation’s work in Canada therefore, looks specifically at where actions from the Canadian government and people can have the greatest impact. Amnesty International in Canada has highlighted a host of ‘priority countries’ within which a huge spectrum of human rights issues are being addressed. There are opportunities for internships and volunteering positions within the Canadian division of the organisation and job openings, whilst rare, are listed on the website on a rolling basis.

Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC)

The OHRC is an organisation which seeks to address the “roots of discrimination” through policy development, litigation and raising awareness through education campaigns. Primarily working through legal interventions, the OHRC works on human rights issues at all levels of the court. The organisation therefore actively assists and supports individuals who have experienced discrimination or violations of their human rights by providing legal advice and assistance. It also plays a role in lobbying government and different sector and groups in order to promote organisational change and further progress towards equality.

Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies (MIGS)

Based at Concordia University in Montreal, MIGS is the leading research and advocacy institute for genocide and mass atrocity crimes prevention. The work of the institute ranges from monitoring activity to memorialising human rights abuses and it is currently engaged in a number of different projects with these aims. Apart from research fellowships, the institute also offers internships and volunteer opportunities.

Journalists for Human Rights (JHR)

The title claim of this organisation is “Help put human rights on the front page.” Through the use of media, JHR aims to put a spotlight on human rights and related abuses that take place. The organisation further aims to create government accountability by initiating and maintaining debate across human rights issues. JHR works primarily in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Middle East, North Africa, South Sudan, Syria and Canada. The organisation offers volunteer and internship opportunities, as well as jobs in a variety of media-oriented and other positions. The Student Chapter initiative of JHR runs awareness and education campaigns across campuses in North America.

The above organisations represent some of the most prominent and active human rights organisations from a variety of different fields, operating at a national level within Canada. There are however, many regional and local initiatives which strive to promote the progression of a culture of human rights and defend against discrimination in the country and in the broader global community.

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In 2014, I undertook a six month internship with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) at their field office in Cape Town. The following outlines the various responsibilities and experiences that I had in my role as ‘Protection Intern’.

Throughout my internship I was primarily responsible for the co-ordination and organization of refugee reception sessions held weekly at the Scalabrini Centre.  During these ‘intakes’ I conducted short interviews with the aim of assessing the protection needs of clients and appropriately advising them. This involved referring clients on to partner organization such as the Cape Town Refugee Centre (CTRC) – when the client presented social or financial needs, or to the University of Cape Town (UCT) Law Clinic – when the client presented legal challenges. Where serious protection needs were identified, I scheduled and conducted further Protection Needs Assessment interviews in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of both the client’s refugee claim as well as their protection challenges in South Africa. In May, I joined the UNHCR Cape Town staff on a refugee reception field mission to Strand in order to gain a broader assessment of refugee protection needs outside of the Cape Town metropolitan. I was also responsible for updating the refugee reception database which included tracking and recording any follow-up action that needed to be taken following the weekly sessions.

Through these refugee reception interviews I identified a number of cases that met the criteria for resettlement. As such, I have gained experience writing comprehensive resettlement referrals and witnessing the progress of such cases through the resettlement process.

At the beginning of my internship, I assisted with conducting interviews at the Cape Town Refugee Centre to assess whether individual clients with asylum seeker permits were eligible for financial social assistance offered by the centre. The purpose of these interviews was to establish whether the individual clients had legitimate refugee claims according to the 1951 Refugee Convention and therefore, whether or not they were persons of concern to the UNHCR and qualified for assistance.

Another key area of responsibility was my activity relating to the monitoring and tracking of xenophobic-related incidents in the Western Cape. Along with my protection colleagues, we conducted a number of field missions where we interviewed affected individuals and on some occasions visited the sites of conflict. This required close liaison with community leaders and other community members who alerted us to specific incidents of xenophobic attacks. I was then responsible for updating the xenophobic database that is run from the Cape Town office with the information that was collected on site.

During my internship I acted as the parliamentary liaison representative for the UNHCR Cape Town Office on a number of occasions. This involved attending and observing meetings of the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs and thereby monitoring governmental discussions on refugee affairs.

Throughout my time spent at the UNHCR I was involved with the organization of a number of different events, training sessions and workshops. In June, I assisted with the organisation of the Cape Town ‘World Refugee Day’ celebrations – an internationally recognized event dedicated to raising awareness of the situation of refugees throughout the world. In July, I was involved with the planning and coordinating of an ‘Interpreters Training Workshop’ and in August I assisted with the organization of a ‘Resettlement Case Identification Workshop’ for implementing partners, both hosted by the UNHCR. In August and September I was responsible for managing the budget for the RSC Africa circuit ride mission to Cape Town.

Furthermore, I attended and helped to coordinate various meetings held by Cape Town refugee organizations as well as the UNHCR throughout my internship. Some highlights include: the World Humanitarian Summit preparation meeting; a meeting with delegates from the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (BPRM) in the United States; and regular meetings with the Western Cape Refugee and Migrant Forum (WCRMF) and the UNHCR Implementing Partners (IPs). These meetings allowed me to gain knowledge and understanding of what is happening and what type of work is being done in the greater refugee community. I was also able to gain access to a wide network of refugee-related individuals and organisations.

In July I attended the ‘Sustained Advocacy for Empowered Refugees’ (SAFER) training course, hosted by the University of Cape Town’s Refugee Rights Unit. This provided me with a thorough training in Refugee Rights and the various mechanisms available for refugees to access these rights in the Western Cape. In August I also attended a ‘Trafficking in Persons’ seminar hosted by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). This seminar gave me a brief background of the South African Trafficking in Persons Act (2013) as well as information on how to identify and respond to victims of trafficking.

On reflection, this internship provided me with a host of experiences which challenged me in many ways. Highlights included the exposure gained during one-on-one interviews with refugee clients and the broadening of my networks in the field, within the greater Cape Town region. Working with refugees and refugee issues ultimately informed my decision to undertake a masters degree focusing on ‘Migration and Displacement’ and I look forward to continuing my work in this field as I embark upon my career.

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