Intern or Volunteer with a Grassroots Human Rights Organization in India

  India

Jodhpur,  Udaipur

Term: Throughout the year 
Durations of Program: 5-8 weeks, 9-12 weeks, 3-6 months, 7-12 months and 1-2 years
Typical Duration of Program: 1-2 weeks
Dates: Varies Per Program

Description: Examples of how you can support Human Rights in India:

* Enhance the legal knowledge base of the people in the Udaipur region about constitutional rights, land and forest related legal provisions, and welfare schemes.

* Support a Child Rights and Youth Program which monitors communities and conducts meetings in an effort to raise awareness and organize grassroots rights movements.

* Assist in legitimizing migrant laborers and their plight by supporting registration, communication services, preparation, and tracking. Provide counseling, legal and sex education, and help build migrant networks to support each other.

* Work with both formal and informal institutions to get villagers to begin demanding rights relating to: Man Sarovar Dam displacement, mine problems such as water pollution and displacement, and forest based livelihoods threatened by government policies.

* Conduct research on policy-related work for the protection of unorganized, migrant laborers rights. Assess efficacy of current initiatives.

* Empower village-level institutions by helping them become aware of government schemes and recognize their own power in placing pressure on local forms of government. Assist in the formation of village level groups, staged rallies, seminars, meetings, training programs, educational tours, and coordination camps.

For more human rights opportunities in India, 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 India
In India, human rights concerns frequently intersect with youth advocacy issues. Child labor, for example, has a longstanding history in the country as many families living in poverty need their children to work instead of attend school. High levels of seasonal migration exacerbate this issue. As parents leave in search of work, financial responsibility shifts to the children of the household so that many youth are forced to abandon their education altogether.

The Hindu caste system has also been a source of social division and oppression for centuries. This system created rigid social stratification and established a clear hierarchy in social status. Lower castes are taught to accept their inferior place in society, resulting in exploitation and subjugation by upper castes. As a result, members of lower castes experience high rates of poverty and are locked into their socio-economic status over successive generations.

FSD collaborates with many human rights organizations. These organizations work to curb child labor and raise families out of poverty by providing them with rehabilitation centers and proper nutrition. Additionally, several NGOs in Udaipur provide housing and education for orphans, host famine relief camps, and assist those suffering from drug addictions. All these projects are extremely effective, but additional assistance and funding is necessary for lasting change. Many living in both rural and urban areas have not yet had the opportunity to benefit from these projects. NGOs need the resources to target those in greatest need.

Additional Programs are Available in: Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Peru, Uganda, and Kenya.

Program Work Addresses Issues in: Community Development, Youth and Education, Environment and Conservation, Micro-enterprise, Human Rights, and Women's Empowerment.

Cost in US$: Varies with Program

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. 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.

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants.

Participants Travel to India Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently

Application Process Involves:

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

Post-Program Services Include:

• Alumni Network
• Exit Debriefing Abroad
• Job and Internship 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