United Palestinian Appeal Accepting Summer Internship Application

posted on: Apr 4, 2012

United Palestinian Appeal is currently accepting applications for its summer internship program. The program is designed to provide interested students with valuable experience working on Palestinian issues and international development. The internship is intended to help students meet their academic, professional and personal development goals by allowing them to enhance their research and writing skills in a professional non-profit environment. Interns will receive a small stipend upon the successful completion of the internship.

With UPA’s exclusive focus on Palestinian development, interns will have the opportunity to pursue research projects in a development sector of their choice—sustainable agriculture, microfinance, employment, children and education, emergency relief, health or women. Under the supervision of an intern coordinator, interns will research the current state of development within that sector in Palestinian communities to determine areas of need or continued focus.
Interns will also determine similar on-going efforts by other organizations and donors. This research will help UPA assess, and possibly adjust, its focus and the extent of its involvement in specific areas over time.

Interns will also be involved with helping the office produce its newsletters and outreach materials as well as other administrative tasks such as answering phones, filing and database maintenance.

By the end of the internship, interns will have gained well-rounded experience in working with a development organization and conducting useful research. Interns will present their analysis reports to the office and receive feedback. Interns are also highly encouraged to attend relevant lecture events in the DC area.

Location

1330 New Hampshire Ave., NW Ste. 104, Washington, DC 20036

Summary of Intern Duties

Conduct and present research to UPA
Support the daily functions of the office as needed (filing, database, phones)
Support outreach activities (mailings, online)
Attend events relevant to Palestinian development in DC

Required Qualifications

Commitment of at least 30 hours per week for 10 weeks
Strong research and writing skills
A cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 out of 4.0
Completion of at least one year of college, completion of a bachelor’s, master’s or other postgraduate degree in a relevant field of study (e.g., political science, economics, international relations, Middle East studies, Arabic)
Interest in international relations, specifically Palestinian issues, and international development
Ability to work independently and collaboratively
Reliability and punctuality
Knowledge of Arabic is preferred but not required

To Apply

Send a cover letter, résumé, a short writing sample (two to five pages) on a relevant topic, two references, and the dates and times when you would be available to employment@helpupa.org with the subject line “Summer Internship.” Please also indicate which development sector you would be interested in researching. The application deadline is April 30, 2012.