Housing Rights Centre

  Ghana

• Accra: 
Accra

Durations of Program: 5-8 weeks, 9-12 weeks, 3-6 months and 7-12 months
Typical Duration of Program: 5-8 weeks
Dates: Throughout the year

Description: The Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE) is an independent, non-governmental, not-for-profit human rights organisation. Registered in the Netherlands, COHRE coordinates its global activities from their headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Their mission is to ensure the full enjoyment of the human right to adequate housing for everyone, everywhere, and to prevent forced evictions against persons, families and communities from their homes. COHRE's activities also apply to ensuring that the economic and socio-cultural rights of people are upheld.

COHRE operates from offices in Geneva, Duluth and Accra and works at various levels - from grassroots assistance to communities fighting forced eviction or slum conditions, to standard-setting at international institutions such as the United Nations - to resist and prevent forced evictions, strengthen the protection and promotion of housing rights and increase awareness of these fundamental rights as key components of international human rights law.

COHRE work currently includes three major projects. These are:

- The Women and Housing Rights Programme, which mainly involves the Women's Land Link Africa (WLLA) Project
- The Global Forced Eviction Programme
- The Right to Water Programme

The Programme's coordinating office now operates from Accra, Ghana, where it is registered as an NGO. The Accra office serves as the main base for COHRE programmes in Africa.

In Ghana, COHRE is actively involved in projects covering the following focus areas:

- Policy advocacy, on a regional level;
- Research;
- Networking;
- Information.

Qualifications: Available Positions:

* Lawyers   
A lawyer with an interest in human rights is required to assist with policy advocacy and educating people on their housing rights.

* Women's Rights Advocators
Volunteers are required to assist with efforts to promote women's rights and support ongoing advocacy programmes.

* Land Reform Coordinator
A Project Coordinator is required to lead research into and development of a database on land reform efforts in Africa.

Cost in US$: USD 163 p/wk

Experience Required: no

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants.

Typically Participants Work Independently or in Groups

Application Process Involves:

• Letters of Reference
• Resume
• Written Application

Post-Program Services Include:

• Alumni Network

Ikando's Mission Statement: Ikando looks to support local community organisations through the placement of international volunteers. We seek to offer volunteers affordable, quality and skill specific placements with organisations that require their help. We believe our volunteers can be catalysts for change within these organisations. Ikando aims to communicate through its volunteers the positive story coming out of Africa.

Year Founded: 2004