Human Rights Advocacy Centre Ghana

Organisation profile

The Human Rights Advocacy Centre (HRAC) is a non-profit independent research and advocacy organisation which aims to promote and protect human rights in Ghana. The centre is based in Accra, Ghana.

The Centre focuses on, among other things, advancing children's rights, improving access to reproductive health, promoting reform in the areas of election monitoring and police accountability, freedom of expression, and homosexual rights. The Centre does this work through undertaking fact finding missions, hosting public events, organising workshops and encouraging legislative reform.

The Centre has recently played an influential role in drafting the Right to Information Law in Ghana. According to Nana Oye Lithur, HRAC Executive Director, the law enacted earlier this year, strengthens Ghana's democracy by ensuring transparency and accountability of public office holders. This seeks to help the general population make informed choices and strengthen public trust in government representatives

Website: www.hracghana.org

Intern Profile

Interns will be asked to undertake a variety of work. This may include legal research and writing on Ghana’s HIV/AIDS policy, policy brutality, gender rights, freedom of expression, homosexual rights and abortion law. Interns may also be asked to assist the HRACs lawyers in other legal tasks including assisting in the representation of refugees as they claim asylum, attending meetings and events around Accra, preparing affidavits and court pleadings and accompany clients to court, especially the children and juvenile court, and also to the Domestic Violence Unit of the Ghana police Service.  As an intern, you will see first hand how human rights issues are addressed.

The prospective intern must have strong research skills and be self motivated and able to work with little supervision. 

Eligibility criteria

Please click here for eligibility criteria.

Selection Criteria

The following selection criteria will be taken into account by the Castan Centre in choosing the intern and applicants are advised to directly address each criterion in the personal statement.

• A demonstrated interest in human rights as shown through your practical or academic experiences;
• Excellent research and writing skills
• The ability to work independently with little supervision
• Particular interest in the work currently being undertaken by HRAC
• Strong academic record, in particular marks received in human rights and other relevant subjects;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.

Application process

This internship is part of the Castan Centre for Human Rights Law's annual Global Internship Program.  For full details of the application process, go to the Global Internship homepage.

Equity grants

The Student Mobility Equity Grants have been developed as part of the Law Faculty Student Mobility Fund to provide financial assistance for faculty internship programs to those students who can demonstrate financial hardship. Students are advised to apply for Equity Grants by the Equity Grant application deadline. Contact Cathy Meredith (below) for more details about Equity Grants.

Contact information

If you would like further information about this internship please contact:

Forms

Global Internship Application Form

Other Useful Information

Past intern report - Hester Kelly (2010-2011)