Intern, Communications Human Rights Defence – Netherlands Helsinki Committee

The Netherlands Helsinki Committee is currently looking for a motivated, well-organised student or near-graduate for the position of:

Intern, Communications Human Rights Defence (24-32 hours p/w)

About the NHC

The Netherlands Helsinki Committee is a growing non-governmental organization that promotes human rights, the rule of law and justice in all countries of wider Europe, including Eastern Europe, Western Balkans, Caucasus and Central Asia as well as the European Union. Building on our track record of 38+ years, we consider it to be our mission to inspire, engage and support catalysts of change in building just and rights-respecting societies.

We believe that everybody can be a catalyst of change, and we are ready to support them by strengthening their capacities and by amplifying their voices through advocacy and campaigns. Our networks reach out to civil society, governments as well as the justice chain. We are able to mobilise the right peer-to-peer expertise and build bridges to bring about the change we need.

The NHC office is located in heart of The Hague at the vibrant Nutshuis and has an international staff (about 20 people) working on three programmes: Human Rights Defence, Integrity and Accountability and Rights-Based Justice.

About the role

The Communications Intern – Human Rights Defence will assist the Communications Manager and the Human Rights Defence (HRD) team in managing external communication activities of the organisation, specifically for the HRD project “Catalyst of Change”. We are looking for an intern to join our team for a period of 6 months, to really get to know all facets of the organisation. Ideally, there will be a project-based component to this internship, the topic of which can be agreed upon together with your supervisor.

Responsibilities

• Assist our social media activities
• Map communications activities, past and present, of the Catalyst of Change project partners, and agree with supervisor(s) on best way to present these
• Maintain information, write and edit texts on our website (and for the Catalyst of Change project specifically) based on input of the Communications Manager and HRD programme staff
• Communicate with (grassroots) partners and other relevant parties, when needed
• Support internal implementation of the communications strategy, including management of content plan for the programme/project
• Develop and work on internship project, if applicable
• Support the development of external networks
• Support general communication activities e.g. writing newsletters, assisting in organising (online) events, and administrative support

Preferred qualifications and skills

• Currently enrolled in a Bachelor or Master degree in Journalism, Communications, Political Science, International Relations, Social Sciences, or related degree
• Excellent social media skills
• Excellent writing skills (both creatively and academically)
• Visually creative and adapt in using tools such as Canva
• Excellent command of the English language (knowledge of one of the languages of the 5 Catalyst of Change project countries is considered an asset)
• Demonstrated affinity with civil society work or activism for social change (awareness of recent OSCE and human rights trends and developments an asset)
• An eye for detail and organisational skills
• Ability to adapt to a fast-paced environment and switch between tasks
• Self-sufficiency, resourcefulness, initiative taking and hands-on mentality
• Strong communication skills and inter-cultural sensitivity

The NHC is an equal opportunities employer and committed to building a culturally diverse staff. We promote diversity and belonging in everything we do and we invite in particular candidates with backgrounds that are currently under-represented in the human rights movement to apply.

The internship includes a small stipend of €350/month, based on a 32 hours/week schedule. Please note there is a preference for applicants currently registered with an educational institution.

Apply

If you are interested in joining the team please send your resume and a short motivation letter to office@nhc.nl. Please mention “Communications HRD Intern” in the subject of your email. Candidates may apply until (and including) August 20, 2025. We will aim to conduct (online) interviews in the week of 01 September. The preferred start date is 15 September 2025.

Non-EU candidates need to have a valid permit to be considered for this role. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we are unable to provide individual feedback to candidates that are not shortlisted.