Intern or Volunteer with a Grassroots Human Rights Organization in Uganda

  Uganda

• Other Cities in Uganda: 
Jinja

Term: Academic Year, Fall, Spring, Summer, Throughout the year, Trimester, Winter 
Durations of Program: 1-2 weeks, 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks, 9-12 weeks, 3-6 months and 7-12 months
Typical Duration of Program: 9-12 weeks
Dates: See FSD Website

Description: Examples of how you can support Human Rights initiatives in Uganda:

* Assist conflict resolution/peace building measures between displaced Karamoja peoples and natives of Mbale through traditional and tribal leaders, and community members. Assist in reducing conflict between tribal leaders/elders and local state-based politicians.

* Support advocacy campaigns on local, national, and international levels to enable people with HIV/AIDS and society, as a whole, to understand the rights and responsibilities of those infected. Mobilize resources for people living with HIV/AIDS by collaborating with governments, world bodies, and nongovernmental organizations working to improve the lives of victims and their families.

* Conduct workshops and trainings to educate community members about their rights and assist those wrongly accused of crimes.

* Work with a program that addresses the elimination of child labor in commercial agriculture, especifically coffee.

* Help create a youth conflict resolution program - identify reasons for conflict in primary and secondary schools in Mbale and Namatula slums, and design programs to reduce youth violence and conflict.

For more opportunities in human rights in Uganda, visit our website or contact us directly.

About FSD

The Foundation for Sustainable Development (FSD) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1995 to support underserved, international communities in a collaborative and sustainable manner. Our model incorporates three overlapping programs:

1. Sustainable Development Training Programs for Interns and Volunteers
FSD provides comprehensive training and immersion programs for interns and volunteers seeking hands-on experience in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Program participants come from countless professions and more than 300 universities worldwide to collaborate with our partner organizations on community-driven projects that reflect sustainable practices.

2. Grantmaking to Projects and Initiatives Led By Our Partner Organizations
Donations and grants given to FSD are used to support projects and initiatives implemented by our partner organizations, site teams, interns, and volunteers.

3. Sustainable Development of Community-Based Organizations
Our professional field staff, consultants, and program participants provide on-site technical training and capacity building to more than 200 community-based organizations.

Highlights: Community Issues Addressed by FSD in Uganda
Respect for human rights in Uganda has been advanced significantly since the mid-1980s. There are, however, numerous areas which continue to attract concern. Since 1986, Uganda has experienced several internal conflicts. The most prolonged and severe of these were in the northern districts of Kitgum and Gulu and western district of Karamoja. Conflict in the northern parts of the country continues to generate reports of abuses by both the rebel Lords Resistance Army and the Ugandan Army. Torture is still a widespread practice amongst security organizations. Attacks on political freedom in the country, including the arrest and beating of opposition members of Parliament, has led to international criticism, culminating in May 2005 with a decision by the British government to withhold part of its aid to the country. The arrest of the main opposition leader, Kizza Besigye, and the besiegement of the High Court during a hearing of Besigye's case by a heavily armed security force led to condemnation.

Grassroots issues specific to the region often focus on the rights of marginalized peoples. FSD works with organizations that support and educate socioeconomically excluded members of society through conflict resolution, advocacy, and direct training. Interning or volunteering in our human rights program allows you to witness divisions between differing peoples and offer solutions that bring greater equality to a severe and complex social hierarchy.

Minimum Education: High School

Cost in US$: Depends on Program Selected; See FSD Website

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: FSD supports participants who boldly wish to initiate the change they believe is necessary in the developing world. Interns are passionate about sharing their practical knowledge, heart-felt enthusiasm, and economic resources with communities abroad that suffer unnecessary hardship. They wish to gain hands-on, grassroots development experience because they believe change is most powerfully cultivated on a community level. The aim is to experientially learn how their work can empower the community toward applying sustainable development solutions, rather than increasing reliance on foreign aid. Participants choose FSD because the program structure enables them to design and implement their own sustainable projects in collaboration with their host organization and the FSD Site Team. They are able to test their ideas and theories in the most direct way possible, giving them the experience and knowledge they seek. The flexibility of the host organizations allows for participants at all stages and levels of experience in international development to participate, thus opening the programs to a diverse group of capable applicants.

Age Range: 18-75

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Uganda Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently or in Groups of 3-10

Application Process Involves:

• Letters of Reference
• Phone Interview
• Resume
• Written Application

Post-Program Services Include:

• Alumni Network

Foundation for Sustainable Development's Mission Statement: FSD supports the efforts of grassroots organizations in the developing world that are working to better their communities, environments, and the economic opportunities around them. We believe community development is only sustainable if it empowers the people to effectively use and cultivate their own resources in a conscious manner. Through our programs, we aim to raise international awareness of the economic challenges in developing countries and to support cross-cultural communities in finding more effective solutions to development issues.

Year Founded: 1995