Research & Advocacy Internship (Bangladesh/Remote) South Asia Media Project


The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) London office is seeking a research and advocacy intern based in Bangladesh, for their South Asia Media Project. We are looking for individuals with strong skills and education in research, data collection, analysis, and writing. The intern will also have significant knowledge and understanding of the national media landscape in the country.

About the South Asia Media Project

The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) has built an online repository of news pieces published in traditional and digital formats in the form of a digital archive. The purpose of this project is to preserve news and information shared and circulated during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as document the spread of disinformation and misinformation.

The web portal analyses news and social media narratives and compiles a historical record of their impact on governance and civil liberties, as well as the political and social landscapes of the countries of the region. The mandate of The Media Archive is to be a digital resource for present and future research on themes of migration, racism, hate speech and discrimination across three South Asian countries of Bangladesh, India, and Nepal.

About CHRI

CHRI is an independent, international non-governmental organisation working for the practical realisation of human rights through research, advocacy, and mobilisation since 1987. We have offices in London, New Delhi and Accra.

CHRI focuses on the intersection of human rights, transparency, and good governance, with programmes on access to justice, access to information, eradicating contemporary forms of slavery and human trafficking, freedom of expression, and building the capacity of small States to access UN human rights mechanisms. CHRI’s London office leads research and advocacy work focusing on the eradication of contemporary forms of slavery and human trafficking (SDG Target 8.7). CHRI London founded the Commonwealth 8.7 Network a global network of 70+ civil society organisations that share a common vision to eradicate contemporary forms of slavery and human trafficking.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

  • Support in research, collect and document stories on the incidents of racism, hate speech, discrimination, and migration crisis from traditional media, digital news media and social media to further update the archive;
  • Review and clean up the existing data, regular monitoring of the website content, user interface and footprints;
  • Support in data visualisation, documentation of data themes and trends, data representation through graphs/charts and infographics;
  • Support in producing content for the website and for social media, including blogs, e-posters/banners and other promotional content;
  • Support in organising focus group discussions as well as identifying relevant topics/themes for focus group discussions and providing relevant networks of resource persons;
  • Actively participating in brainstorming sessions, feedback sessions and virtual meetings with developers and project team, and contributing to creative ideas for The Media Archive and the project.

Position in Organisation

Reports to Project Coordinator

What we offer

This is an exciting opportunity to gain work experience in the small office of an established  international human rights NGO in the area of research and advocacy. The members of the London team are located across geographies and time zones, mostly working remotely. This is a unique set up that provides interns with flexibility, the opportunity to own and lead their own work streams with supervision and guidance.

What we ask for

Interns work on a flexible basis. We are looking for someone able to commit 3 to 5 days a week for a minimum of 6 months. We pay a modest stipend to our interns. The intern will have regular check-ins with their supervisor, and regular reviews. A formal review will be conducted after 3 months.

Person Specification

Essential:

Education:

  • At least 6 months experience in research, documentation, data analysis and publication (paid or unpaid) 
  • Education in journalism, communications, human rights or a relevant social science discipline
  • Fluency in reading and writing Bangla

Experience:

  • High levels of competence in conducting research (qualitative and quantitative), data collection and analysis, using data analysis tools and softwares;
  • Multimedia savvy, displaying the ability to work with text, video or image formats with experience of data visualisation and infographics;
  • Knowledge of national news media landscape and trends, government ministries and their functioning;
  • Ability to articulate clearly and simply (verbal and written) in English and  Bangla, without need for significant editorial revision;
  • Ability to prepare clear and concise reports;
  • Working knowledge of human rights;
  • Understanding of social inequalities in the context of Bangladesh and South Asia in general;
  • Experience in the NGO or international sector or related field will be an added advantage.

Other Skills:

  • Experience working remotely
  • Ability to work methodically and independently while knowing when to report upwards.
  • Ability to organise, prioritise, and deliver to a high standard under time constraints and pressure.
  • Solution-focused with an ability to exercise judgement in solving problems.
  • Experience working as part of an international, cross-cultural team is desirable.

INFORMATION FOR APPLICANTS

Contract: Six months, with anticipated extension 

Days: 3--5 days per week. Flexible working hour options will be considered.

Location: Work is remote but the applicant must be based in Bangladesh

To Apply: To apply for this position, please forward a 500-word cover letter, your resume (CV) and the latest writing sample to london@humanrightsinitiative.org by Dec 31st, 2022. Please include in your cover letter:

  • why you are interested in this position
  • how you meet the requirements of this post,
  • a summary of your educational qualifications, and
  • the number of years of work experience you have.

Please write ‘Application: ‘SA Media Project Research and Advocacy Intern (Bangladesh)’  in the subject line of your email.