Job Responsibilities
My primary job responsibilities include research, writing, and
attending meetings. The research is normally internet based, and
sometimes field based. It usually focuses on a particular human
right. The writing is a long process that involves several
reincarnations before something is ready to publish. For a few
weeks at a time, researching and writing will consume all my time.
Once or twice a year, I travel to another country to conduct
field research or to carry through a project jointly with another
organization. This involves everything from presenting something
at the U.N. in Geneva to talking with villagers in Vietnam.
Other activities I'm involved in include networking with other
people in the field to come up with joint projects or missions,
writing funding proposals (usually only once every few months or
so) and attending meetings at the United Nations or other
intergovernmental organizations. If the meetings are on a topic
that our group works on, I make sure to talk with delegates,
learn their positions, and tell them more about our position on
the particular human right (i.e. lobbying).
Unlike most lawyers, I do not spend much time using U.S. law. For
one thing, international human rights focuses on international
law, not on domestic law. For another, the human rights work I'm
involved in focuses on policy-level change, not on individual
remedies.
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Job Requirements
I have a law degree, which is pretty much required for upper
level program work in the human rights field. It's possible to
make some headway with a social sciences masters degree, and
certainly there are sub-sets of human rights work that you can do
with a social science PhD or an MPH. However, usually the JD is
most important.
Having some experience in the 'field' is also important to
working in human rights. After all, there's no way to really
understand what you're advocating for unless you've either
experienced it yourself or you've at least seen it up close. The
best way to get field work is through the Peace Corps or some
other international placement organization that gives you
substantial experience in the developing world.
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Uppers
Absolutely the best thing about human rights work is that you feel like you're
using your skills to do something good for the world. It's a little cliched, but
it's true. It is great to feel good about what you do.
Another great thing about human rights work is that it's incredibly interesting.
You learn a tremendous amount about other people, other places, and what happens
in the world. No matter how long you are in the human rights field, you will
continue to learn and continue to expand your mind. I truly believe there are few
other fields that can offer the kind of interesting knowledge and experience that
human rights can offer.
One added bonus is that you will always be the most interesting person at a
cocktail party, at least until you start going to cocktail parties with work
friends, at which point the entire place will be very interesting.
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Downers
The worst part about human rights work is that it can be
extremely depressing to constantly think and learn about the
abuses people suffer in our world.
Another difficult part of this work is becoming immune to the
abuses. This usually comes after you've become depressed, and I
personally think it's a natural reaction after being exposed to
the sad ways humans treat one another.
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Lifestyle
Working in any nonprofit means less pay and shorter hours. There have been
nights I've been at the office until 11pm, but not many of them. Plus, if I'm
here that late, it's only because I want to be, and only because I'm excited
about what I'm working on.
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Compensation
The pay isn't high in this line of work, but you make up for it
in other ways. For one, you get to travel to amazing places.
Also, there tends to be a lot of vacation time. People have human
hours and human attitudes towards how much you should work and
stress, which is a nice switch from law firm life.
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Advice to Jobseekers
If you are considering human rights, you must first meet people
working in this field. It can be very difficult to get a job if
you really want to stay in the United States. If you don't have
fieldwork experience, go get some. One of the best ways to get a
job at a human rights organizations is to volunteer for them.
This can be hard to swing financially and in terms of time, but
it really helps to know some people and understand a little about
how the field works.
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