Haiti Advocacy Fellow

Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) is the global organization’s presence in the United States. We engage people in the U.S. to fight injustice all around the world, while we also work to protect people’s human rights here in the U.S. Amnesty International USA has more than one million members and activists in all 50 states, who are part of a larger global movement of 10 million people in 150 countries. We are a democratically governed, grassroots membership organization, which means that our members vote on key policy issues and elect our Board of Directors. Some of our members are experts on specific human rights issues, parts of the world, or advocacy areas, and they serve as volunteer leaders. Others are volunteer leaders of local or student groups in towns, universities, states, or regions of the country. Amnesty International USA’s elected Board members, staff, and members work together to lead the organization.

Job Summary

AIUSA’s Government Relations (GR) and Advocacy team educates, advises, and lobbies U.S. government (USG) officials on human rights issues around the world. Leveraging Amnesty’s research and grassroots power, the GRA team creates and implements advocacy strategies to push for U.S. government policies that contribute to positive human rights outcomes.

The Haiti Advocacy Fellow will work on U.S. federal policy advocacy on human rights issues in Haiti and facing Haitians across the Americas region.

The Haiti Fellow will work with AIUSA’s Advocacy and Government Affairs Team and will be supervised by the Americas Advocacy Director. The Haiti Fellow will deepen AIUSA’s work on human rights issues facing Haitians both in Haiti and across the Americas region including Haitians on the move.

The Fellow will have opportunities for leadership in this area of work by representing AIUSA in coalitions and engaging with Members of Congress and administrative agencies. The Haiti Fellow will work on Haitian human rights issues for 85% of their time and will support the Americas Advocacy Director on other regional human rights issues for 15% of their time. The ideal candidate will have strong written and analytical skills, experience working on human rights issues in Haiti and/or with Haitian civil society and grassroots organizations, understands the Washington policy environment regarding Haiti and can work to advance a human rights-first approach to United States government policy on Haiti.

Essential Responsibilities

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  Collaborate closely with the Americas Advocacy Director and other Amnesty International staff on issues related to Haiti’s current and historical human rights crises and the human rights risks facing Haitians on the move
• Help build coherent human rights strategies to push the US government on its human rights policy on Haiti, with input and collaboration from Haitian activists, communities, and organizations most impacted by the current human rights conditions
• Develop strategies for AIUSA engagement with the US government to advance a consistent human rights agenda on Haiti
• Provide analysis and guidance on how a human rights agenda on Haiti can include a reparative justice frame and advance guarantees on non-repetition for survivors of compounded human rights abuses
• Support the development of outreach plans with government bodies and officials, including drafting letters, participating in meetings, and providing briefing materials
• Conduct legislative research, drafts memoranda and blogs, analyzing emerging areas of relevant law and government policy
• Tracks the progress of legislation in the United States
• Participates and represents AIUSA in coalitions and advancing advocacy strategies with coalition partners
• Liaise with other NGOs working on related issues
• Engages with Members of Congress and administrative agencies as needed

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

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  Legal and policy research and analytical skills, with the ability to digest and summarize data and policy related to human rights, foreign policy, and Haitian political and economic affairs and history
• Demonstrated familiarity with human rights in Haiti and facing Haitians on the move
• Proven ability to write comprehensive legal and policy memos, issue briefs, and other advocacy and human rights documents
• Experience in public speaking and presenting human rights topics and analyses to diverse audiences
• Working proficiency (written and oral) in Haitian Creole
• Experience working on issues related to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA)
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to inspire and motivate staff and partners
• Demonstrable ability to initiate, develop and sustain positive working relationships over long periods of time with a wide range of individuals and groups, including those from different cultural backgrounds
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple and detailed tasks and work under short and fixed deadlines
• Ability to objectively assess situations to determine action-oriented solutions

Education and Experience

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  B.A./ B.S. and 5 years of relevant experience
• Law graduates encouraged to apply
• Experience working in hybrid/remote organizations preferred
• Experience with grassroots organizations a plus, particularly those working in and on Haiti
• Experience working in a collaborative environment and with a team desired

• Must be able to attend meetings in Washington D.C.
• Some weeknight and weekend work may be required

We recognize the valuable skills that can be gained through internships, fellowships, volunteer work, and non-traditional work experience. This experience helps build competencies and knowledge that may translate to our job openings. We seek a diversity of experience and skills for our workplace and encourage people from all backgrounds to apply to our openings.

HOW TO APPLY AND OUR EEO STATEMENT

All applications must be completed online and we do not accept paper submissions. Please visit our Careers Page to review all current job postings. You must complete the entire online application, and electronically sign, in order for an application to be considered “complete.” We send emails via Paycom so please check your spam folders for any updates. Please email talentacquisition@aiusa.org for technical difficulties ONLY.

Amnesty International USA is an equal opportunity employer. AIUSA encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status and record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Black people, Indigenous people, people of color; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex people; women; people with disabilities, protected veterans, and formerly incarcerated individuals are all strongly encouraged to apply.

OUR COMMITMENT AS AN ANTI-RACIST ORGANIZATION AND TO INCLUSION, DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND ACCESSIBILITY (IDEA)

Dismantling white supremacy is central to the fight for human rights in the United States and around the world. As we mobilize staff and activists and work with partners to help transform the multiple systems where oppression operates in the world around us as part of our human rights mandate, anti-racism must be integral to our work. What does that mean for Amnesty International in the United States? It means using our people power to fight injustice and centering the voices and experiences of those most impacted by racist structures, beliefs, and laws. Fundamentally, it means doing our human rights work differently than it has been done before, because we know that who we work with, how we work, the work we do, and ultimately who we are, are all interconnected.

As an international, intercultural, intergenerational and intersectional movement of activists committed to protecting and advancing human rights for all, Amnesty is deeply committed to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility (IDEA). To learn more about how we integrate IDEA into our programs and workplace, visit: https://www.amnestyusa.org/idea/

Remote and Hybrid Workplace Policy

Because the health and safety of our employees and candidates are a top priority, we are currently conducting our hiring process virtually.

Staff, office visitors, and event attendees to be up to date with COVID vaccines before entering AIUSA offices or attending AIUSA events or in-person meetings. If anyone wishing to enter the office or attend our events is not vaccinated, they will need to have tested negative for COVID within 24 hours of entry. We expect that all staff and visitors entering the office or attending AIUSA events will, by accessing our facilities, be attesting that they are vaccinated or that they have tested negative within 24 hours of entry.

Please review the job description, which will state whether a role is hybrid and remote. Some roles may require travel domestically and/or internationally.