Human Rights Program Announces Fraser Human Rights Undergraduate Fellowships

The Human Rights Program is pleased to announce the creation of two new fellowship opportunities for undergraduate students at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities seeking field experience in leading human rights organizations to complement their academic study. Named after Donald and Arvonne Fraser -  groundbreaking leaders in the defense of international human rights and women’s rights - the two fellowships offered afford undergraduate students the opportunity to work in top human rights organizations.  The aim of the fellowships is to invest in the next generation of human rights leaders.

Donald and Arvonne Fraser’s contributions to international human rights have been widely acknowledged.

During Don Fraser’s term in U.S. Congress, from 1962 to 1978, he was a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and chair of the Subcommittee on International Organizations and Movements. He initiated the first comprehensive study of U.S. foreign policy and international human rights, authoring several laws requiring the U.S. Government to give greater attention to human rights related issues. Mr. Fraser continued to advocate for human rights, especially the rights of children, during his years as mayor of Minneapolis and in his private life.

Arvonne Fraser in 1985 was a founder of the Center on Women and Public Policy in the Humphrey School of Pubic Affairs, the nation’s first complete teaching, research and outreach center devoted to issues of gender and public policy.  Ms. Fraser also organized and co-directed the International Women’s Rights Action Watch, a non-governmental organization working to implement women’s rights worldwide. Fraser served as U.S. representative to the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women with the rank of Ambassador from 1993 to 1994, and she was a member of the U.S. delegations to the 1993 World Conference on Human Rights. 

The “Don Fraser” Internship Placement - The Advocates for Human Rights, Twin Cities

The “Don Fraser” Internship Placement will be with the International Justice Program of The Advocates for Human Rights. The Advocates have been at the forefront of the world’s human rights movement for more than 30 years, leading innovative programming that has changed the lives of refugees and immigrants, women, ethnic and religious minorities, children, and other marginalized communities. The International Justice Program works worldwide to create systems change, strengthen accountability, raise awareness, foster tolerance, and help individuals more fully realize their inherent rights.

Possible duties

• Compile country/region specific information on rule of law issues, human rights defenders, civil society activities, legislative developments, and state compliance with international human rights standards.
• Assist staff and volunteers with compiling reports based on human rights monitoring missions.
• Assist with maintaining current information on The Advocates’ web pages, electronic networking sites, and other organizational materials.
• Help to develop educational/promotional materials for use with schools and community groups.
• Assist with planning trainings and preparing materials for volunteers participating in human rights monitoring projects both overseas and in the US.
• Translate documents as necessary.
• Assist with all aspects of work at a small non-profit, including administrative tasks, event planning, outreach, etc.

Location: Minneapolis, MN

Commitment: 10 weeks over the course of the summer, 30 hours per week

Fellowship Amount: $3,500  

The “Arvonne Fraser” Internship Placement - ECPAT-USA, New York

The Arvonne Fraser Fellowship will be placed at ECPAT-USA, one of the leading policy organizations in the United States seeking to end the commercial, sexual exploitation of children. It focuses on awareness, advocacy, policy, and legislation. ECPAT-USA is a member of ECPAT International, a network of organizations in 88 countries working together toward one common mission: to eliminate the sexual exploitation of children.

The Arvonne Fraser fellow will work to support the Prevention Education Program, aimed at protecting children from commercial sexual exploitation by promoting education for people under 18 years old and training for educators on how to identify and refer child trafficking victims.  The program would include developing high-quality school curricula, evaluation of existing programs, providing widespread training for educators and holding a national conference to discuss best practices. The overall goals of the project are 1) to create a generation of young people who are equipped with the knowledge they need to avoid sexual exploitation; and 2) equip all educators with the information they know to identify and appropriately respond to potential cases of child trafficking.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

• Conduct a desk review of existing school curricula on child trafficking prevention, including related topics such as preventing child sex abuse, bullying, and healthy relationships.
• Collect evaluation information that already exists to be used as a basis for determining best practices and promising practices on child sex trafficking curricula and related topics.
• Identify potential NGOs for a partnership around a child trafficking prevention agenda.
• Organize and maintain electronic and hard-copy project materials.

Fellowship Amount: $4,500

Eligibility

• Applicants must be University of Minnesota - Twin Cities undergraduate students.
• Students graduating in spring 2018 are NOT eligible to apply

Qualifications

• Excellent research and writing skills
• Good organizational skills
• Professional demeanor
• Demonstrated multi-cultural competence
• Academic background in related fields of study
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
• Demonstrated interest in human rights, rule of law and humanitarian law
• Fluency in English, competency in other languages preferable

How to Apply

Please submit all four of the documents noted below by 4 pm Friday, March 30, 2018. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Application materials should be sent via email to Rochelle Hammer (hamm0229@umn.edu) with “Don Fraser Fellowship Application” or “Arvonne Fraser Fellowship Application” in the subject line.  If you need to drop your application off in person, please place materials in an envelope noting “Fraser Fellowship Application - ATTN: Rochelle Hammer” on the outside and deliver to 214 Social Sciences.

• Cover letter
• Resume
• Writing sample (no more than 5 pages)
• One letter of reference