Student Fellowship in Human Rights - REDRESS
Applications for 2024 have now closed.
The Bonavero Institute Summer Fellowship at REDRESS, is an eight-week internship, tenable from early July to late September 2024.
About REDRESS
REDRESS is an NGO that pursues legal claims on behalf of survivors of torture in the UK and around the world to obtain justice and reparation for the violation of their human rights. We empower survivors to access justice through human rights cases against governments, civil cases against individuals, and criminal cases where we advocate for law enforcement bodies to prosecute perpetrators under the principle of universal jurisdiction. Our approach is strategic, so that as well as representing an individual we target the policy reasons that enabled the torture to take place, by building a campaign that uses advocacy, community engagement, and communications to influence change.
REDRESS is the only international organisation dedicated to bringing legal cases on behalf of survivors of torture, an essential part of their recovery. We partner with national NGOs to develop the campaign, including medics, lawyers, advocates, and activists. We also work collaboratively with other international organisations within the anti-torture movement, including NGOs that provide rehabilitation for survivors, work with States to ratify the Convention against Torture, co-ordinate international advocacy, provide training to judges and prosecutors, prevent torture in detention settings, engage with justice mechanisms, and those who mobilise the general public.
REDRESS’s recent work includes:
- winning the first case of torture by discrimination against an LGBTI person in the Americas at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights
- representing 7,000 victims of the dictator Hissène Habré in a case against Chad before the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights
- acting as legal representatives for Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian mother unlawfully detained in Iran
- advocating for improved reparations for victims at the International Criminal Court
- intervening at the UK Supreme Court in a case involving torture in Liberia by a non-state armed group: R v TRA.
About the Fellowships
Legal Fellows at REDRESS experience all aspects of working at a human rights organisation, including:
- Undertaking legal research at the national, regional and international level;
- Drafting submissions before regional or international courts and UN mechanisms;
- Developing policy positions;
- Assisting with casework, including attending meetings with clients or their families;
- Networking and attending meetings with high-level stakeholders;
- Developing advocacy strategies; organising events;
- Assisting with fundraising and communications work; and
- Administrative tasks as required.
Fellows are treated as valued members of the team and make a meaningful contribution to REDRESS’ work.
About the Bonavero Fellowship at REDRESS
REDRESS has a diverse team from different backgrounds and with different experiences. Under our Equality Policy, we welcome applications from people of colour, LGBTQI+ people, and disabled people, who are currently under-represented. We will use positive action under the Equality Act 2010 to appoint from these groups if two candidates are equally qualified.
The successful candidate will receive an award to assist with travel, accommodation, living, and other reasonable expenses associated with the internship. In determining the amount to be awarded, other sources of funding will be taken into account.
The candidate will also be expected to provide a full report on their work at the end of their internship.
Please refer to the overview page referring specifically to the application process and eligibility criteria.
This Fellowship is made possible by a generous gift the AB Charitable Trust.