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Senegal: Volunteer Human Rights Internships and Work Experience
The experience you’ll gain on a Human Rights internship in Senegal will undoubtedly improve your CV. This applies whether you’re a gap year student looking to study law at university or a law graduate looking to research human rights in a foreign country. When you join Projects Abroad as a Human Rights intern in Senegal, your precise role will be determined by your knowledge of law and human rights and level of interest in specific areas. International experience is something all law firms will be pleased to see when recruiting trainees and new partners.
Since Senegal’s independence in 1960, many people have enjoyed a more free and humane life, however there are still vulnerable people that need help. Today, many local and international organisations are working to improve the situation of the poor, repressed and vulnerable. Projects Abroad volunteers are contributing to this mission through policy building research and initiative-based projects.
The official language of communication in Senegal is French and speaking advanced French is necessary to participate fully in these projects.
Volunteering on a Human Rights Internship in Senegal
As a Human Rights intern with Projects Abroad in Senegal, you will be based in the Saint Louis office of the African Assembly for the Defence of Human Rights (RADDHO). RADDHO is focused on promoting the rule of law and democratic tolerance through various projects, including field investigations and publishing reports. While RADDHO is a large organisation within Senegal, the St. Louis office is much smaller, run by one member of the organisation.
Human Rights interns in Senegal do not need any previous experience of law or human rights; however a strong interest in the issues is essential. Interns help RADDHO achieve its aim to promote, defend and protect human rights in Senegal by promoting respect for life and human dignity, supporting the effective equality of rights among all citizens and working to bring together the peoples of Africa, promoting peace, friendship and solidarity.
This project is for individuals interested in independent research. You will embark on an independent project about a relevant human rights topic, and will look to the RADDHO representative for guidance on Senegalese laws and customs. Your reports can include a component that interacts with the community if you choose. Your supervisor can facilitate interviews and trips to rural villages. The volunteer reports are integrated into the larger organisation by helping RADDHO prioritise which issues to target. This placement is primarily educational but also contributes to helping alleviate human rights abuses in Senegal in a broader sense.
Within your independent project, you may:
- Find guidance in the African Charter of Human and Peoples’ Rights and any international text that presents a strong interest in human rights and ensure their effective implementation in all African countries.
- Collect, disseminate and exchange information on the situation of Human Rights and Peoples’ Rights in Africa and around the world.
- Contribute to human rights education in the region.
- Provide legal assistance to victims of violations of rights.
- Mobilise Senegalese, African and international public opinion to expose all cases of violation of human rights.
One of the primary goals of this Human Rights project is to educate the volunteer and to help raise awareness so that ordinary Senegalese people understand their rights, and what protection they are legally entitled to in certain situations.
Based on your own initiative, you might become involved in various activities such as:
- Raising awareness in rural communities
- Preparing leaflets, posters or educational tools
- Helping to run training programmes
- Planning promotional campaigns