Search for Common Ground

Leadership Wisdom Initiative  

Search for Common Ground (SFCG) is an international non-profit organization that promotes peaceful resolution of conflict. With headquarters in Washington, DC and a European Office in Brussels, Belgium, SFCG’s mission is to transform how individuals, organizations and governments deal with conflict—away from adversarial approaches and toward cooperative solutions. SFCG seeks to help conflicting parties understand their differences and act on their commonalities. With over 350 staff worldwide, SFCG implements projects in 18 countries throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States.  

At Search for Common Ground (SFCG), we have seen the great impact, both positive and negative, that a leader can have. The Leadership Wisdom Initiative (LWI) was created, in 2006, to support elite and emerging political and civil society leaders worldwide through leadership development and conflict resolution trainings. The core of LWI’s work is to encourage leadership through the three pillar approach.  Our programs create the opportunity for leaders to reflect on their experiences and draw upon their inner wisdom while learning new skills to approach the challenges they face every day.  

Three Pillar Approach: Authentic leadership that synthesizes the inner and outer arts of leadership; Leadership for the whole, not just for “my” party, faction, tribe or group, that is rooted in a profound sense of our common humanity and the interconnectedness of all beings; and Compassionate leadership that facilitates problem solving and heals societal divisions 

Summary of Position: The LWI intern will, among other tasks, assist the program director and program coordinator on many aspects of the initiative including: development of a leadership training & facilitation toolkit, general support for proposals and reports, and researching funding opportunities.  

Start Date: December-January '09. 

Hours: Part-Time (15+ hours per week) or Full-Time (30+ hours/wk) 

Minimum length of internship: Six months.  

Responsibilities: This internship involves lending support to various projects at the direction and under the supervision of the Washington Program Director, Shawn Dunning. Intern duties are wide-ranging and may include, but are not limited to:  

·        Contributing to various research and writing projects
·        Assisting in the creation of a leadership training & facilitation toolkit
·        Researching the developments in leadership approaches
·        Researching various funding opportunities
·        Coordinating several on-going projects
·        Miscellaneous clerical work (faxing, mailing, printing, database entry)
·        Assisting staff on various other projects The ideal candidate will exhibit:
·        Excellent writing and communication skills
·        Interest, knowledge and experience in leadership training and experiential learning facilitation
·        Computer proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, experience with Microsoft Access is highly desired and experience with advanced Internet research
·        A self-starting, enthusiastic and flexible approach
·        Ability to work independently with entrepreneurial attitude
·        A deep and creative interest in conflict transformation To Apply:  Please fax or email a cover letter, resume or CV, and writing sample to Lauren Sauer at lsauer@sfcg.org / (202) 232 6718 (fax). 

Please note that no compensation or benefits are provided. In your cover letter, please clearly state why our program is of interest to you, what you can bring to it, and what you hope to gain from the experience. Also, please include the dates of your availability and the number of hours per week to which you can commit. The writing sample should be no longer than 5 pages.

Center for Advanced Defense Studies

Description: CADS is a non-profit, nongovernmental think-tank headquartered in Washington, DC. The staff and fellows at CADS are committed to the goal of “Innovation for Peace.” Through technological development, intellectual flexibility, and original approaches, CADS proposes solutions to the security problems of today and examines the defense issues of tomorrow, thereby acting as an active participant in the campaign towards a peaceful future. Yet unlike other think-tanks that purportedly use inventive thinking and software to exploring current security challenges, the Center for Advanced Defense Studies is not only dedicated to researching the topics at stake but also educating the appropriate audience and implementing novel approaches to promote global security.

Research internship: The internship is for motivated and inquisitive undergraduate students with an interest in public policy, globalization, business and technology, but more importantly, an open mind, and a desire to learn. Interns actively contribute to ongoing research agendas and may have opportunities to craft their own projects in line with the Center's mission. Interns write new briefs and editorials for our web resource, Global Security Monitor (which can be accessed at gsm.c4ads.org), attend conferences and events at other think tanks and policy institutes of relevance to their focus areas, and interact with fellows through informal lectures and discussions

Qualifications: Experience with economics, social sciences, computer science, or psychology through coursework. Excellent writing skills and ability. Strong organizational and interpersonal skills. Ability to analyze, synthesize, and critique academic research and content generated from the field. A goal-oriented work style, with a willingness to bring new ideas to the table, take risks, and learn in an intellectually challenging environment

Communications internship: This an ideal position for a graduate or experienced undergraduate students interested in communications, public relations and writing in the security and defense areas. Additionally, it is an excellent opportunity to work for an organization that is currently enlarging its global footprint and establishing relations with important partners in government, industry and academia as well as with several media outlets. Communications interns will be experimenting with and utilizing several Web 2.0 outlets. They will be responsible for editing and proofreading the Center’s web resources and electronic newsletters, updating the media list, assisting in the design of fact sheets, brochures, etc, and helping out with other marketing projects. Communications may also have the opportunity to accompany Fellows on interviews.

Additional opportunities may be available to the intern based on his or her background, work experience, and areas of interest.

Qualifications: Experience with communications, journalism, or public relations through coursework. Excellent writing skills.
Strong organizational and interpersonal skills. Keen attention to detail when proofreading, copyediting, and fact-checking. Ability to meet deadlines. Knowledge of Web 2.0 technologies
Desktop publishing, HTML, and related computer skills
 
For both positions, work should be conducted at the Center so that students can also participate in weekly feedback sessions. Through this experience, students will acquire hands-on research experience and insight into future career opportunities. They will also gain valuable knowledge about the relationship between government, the science and technology sector, and the business world.

To apply, please submit a resume, cover letter, and short (3-4 page) writing sample from a class or seminar to sarah.catanzaro@c4ads.org.

Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Foundation

Description: The Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Foundation, Incorporated, was founded in the United States of America in 1959 by Swami Premananda. The purpose of the Foundation is to disseminate and represent the philosophy, ideal, life, service and teachings of Mahatma Gandhi as well as the cultural heritage of India. The Foundation is a legally independent, federally registered nonprofit cultural and educational organization with 501(c)(3) tax exempt status. The Gandhi Memorial Center houses headquarters for the Foundation, a library and special meeting rooms for lectures and films depicting the life and activities of Mahatma Gandhi and the cultural heritage of India.

The Gandhi Memorial Center regularly receives visitors of all ages including students, teachers, professors, and other working professionals. Resources such as books by and about Mahatma Gandhi, films, exhibits and curricular materials are available for loan to schools, colleges and community organizations. The Gandhi Memorial Center presents an annual Fellowship of Peace Award and observes Gandhi Jayanti with a special community gathering presented in cooperation with the Embassy of India. Educational lectures and workshops are offered as well as cultural programs of Indian Classical music, dance and art exhibitions throughout the year.
 
Interns will offer support for the Gandhi Center work and activities that include educational and cultural programs associated with the ideals and life of Mahatma Gandhi and the culture that nourished him. Interns will assist with publications, exhibits, cultural performances, curricular resources, visiting groups, and many other on-going projects. Interns should be in good academic standing, have strong writing and communication skills, and be adept in working with people of all ages and backgrounds. 

HasNa Inc.

Deadline: Rolling

Description: HasNa Inc. (HasNa) was established in Washington, D.C. in 1998 as a nonprofit (501)(c)(3) charitable organization with a mission to promote cross-cultural understanding and economic empowerment in culturally divided areas of the world and to encourage individuals and communities in such areas to work together toward advancement and peaceful coexistence. HasNa brings people together through programs that combine job-skills and professional development with structured training in conflict resolution. HasNa’s philosophy incorporates economic empowerment, individual growth and community support, and is committed to neutrality and fostering cooperation. Programs are designed to build partnerships among young professionals, and ultimately, to create more integrated and effective organizations and communities. The majority of our funding comes from individual donors.

HasNa presently implements programs in southeast Turkey and in Cyprus, and is seeking to replicate its program model in other countries in the Middle East.  

Responsibilities: Under the supervision of the Program Manager, the Intern’s responsibilities will be to:  

1. Assist with program and special events planning
2. Database maintenance
3. Help with mass mailings and other administrative tasks
4. Schedule and coordinate meetings and appointments
5. Other duties as assigned by the Program Manager  

Required Qualifications:  

- Undergraduate or graduate student
- 20 hours/week
- Strong GPA
- Excellent writing skills
- Related major or course work 
- Interest in conflict resolution and the Middle East 
- Demonstrated leadership/initiative 
- Highly organized; with strong attention to detail
- Excellent interpersonal and intercultural communication skills
- Follow-through on directions 
- Reliability and punctuality
- Ability to work on a team and take direction 
- Highly self-motivated
- Ability to work independently with minimal supervision 

Send your CV/resume, 2 page writing sample, and an email describing your interests, skills, and qualifications to Deniz Sevgili Oña, Program Manager at deniz@hasna.org. Please specify if internship is for academic credit. 

Centre for Conflict Resolution

Job description: The Centre for Conflict Resolution (CCR) is an independent, non-governmental organization, which is not for profit making whose mandate is to seek peace in Kenya by promoting constructive, creative and co-operative approaches to the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts. The Centre has especially been very active in the last nine years when grants were secured from USAID and Ford Foundation. This has been enhanced by further donations from D.F.I.D, Action Aid –Kenya, LiMid, UNDP, and material support from ICRC. Specifically, peacebuilding programme has since 1999 been supported by USAID, Ford Foundation, the British government and Action Aid.

The main objective of the programme is to provide services to the ordinary Kenyan in the area of conflict prevention, management, and resolution. CCR uses the wisdom of communities to empower the communities and promote sustainable peace. It utilizes the bottom-up approaches to peace and development efforts. It operates inside conflict prone areas. The Centre, through community participation, will be keen to build the capacity of the existing local capacities for peace and establish peace structures where they do not exist, promote active non violence among the youth, provide trauma counseling services to the victims of post election violence, promote peace building through art, enhance media advocacy for peace, respond to conflicts through mediation and promote peace through sports.

In line with this, we are seeking for students pursuing peace studies or interested in peace work who would like to work with us as interns.

For more information, contact Eliud Okumu at ccrkenya@africaonline.co.ke

Nonviolence International

Job description: Nonviolence International is now recruiting interns for both the spring semester and the summer program. We are particularly interested in both undergraduates and graduate students. Students are welcome to arrange course credit for the internship. There is no stipend. Internships can be part-time during the school year and work can be adapted to course schedules. The NI office operates Monday to Friday, 9:00 am - 6:00 pm.

Nonviolence International is a resource center for nonviolent movements around the world. We have affiliates and programs in many countries including

• Palestine
  USA
  Aceh, Indonesia
  Burma, Cambodia and Thailand
  Russia, & Caucuses
  Iran
  Latin America

Intern assignments deal with education, media and journalism, publications, grassroots organizing, non-profit management and fundraising. Letters of interest and a resume should be sent to:

Intern Coordinator
4000 Abermarle St. #401, NW
Washington, DC 20016 USA
Nonviolence@igc.org

For more information, check out our website at www.nonviolenceinternational.net