Call for Internship Applications: Natural Justice-India

Natural Justice: Lawyers for Communities and the Environment is a non-profit organization registered in South Africa, with additional offices in India, Malaysia and New York City. Natural Justice’s mission is to facilitate full and effective participation of Indigenous peoples and local communities in the development and implementation of laws and policies relating to conservation and customary uses of biodiversity and the protection of associated cultural heritage. Natural Justice works at the local, regional, national, and international levels with a range of partners. 
Natural Justice (India) is inviting applications for two internship positions. The interns will be involved in projects related to work in Kutch, Gujarat, and the Sariska Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan, both of which are part of a broader project supported by the Ford Foundation. Please note that both the positions are unpaid.
Location: The interns will be expected to work out of the Natural Justice office in Bangalore. 
Deadline for applications: Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. Please see below for more information and application requirements for each position. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Internship 1: Project in Kutch, Gujarat

The intern in this position will assist with activities for a project in Kutch, Gujarat. Natural Justice is partnering with Sahjeevan, a local organization in Kutch, to understand and address legal issues related to the camel pastoralists (maldharis) in the region and develop strategies for appropriate legal aid when needed. 
The intern will work on the second term of the project for two months from January-February 2014. S/he will assist with mapping legal issues of the camel maldharis based on research from previous field visits by Natural Justice (India) team members and further research to be conducted by the intern. Specific responsibilities of the intern will include:
  • Providing assistance in research of laws relevant to the camel maldharis in Kutch such as The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of the Forest Rights) Act 2006, The Biological Diversity Act, 2002, and Forest Conservation Act, 1980;
  • Identifying relevant case laws for legal mapping; and
  • Assisting in writing relevant reports or articles as needed for partners and Natural Justice.
Prerequisites: The intern should be a law graduate or student with keen interest and aptitude in natural resource conservation and local community issues. Prior knowledge and experience of these issues would be favoured. S/he should be fluent in English, have good writing skills, and be comfortable with a flexible working environment. 
Interested applicants should prepare a letter of interest (maximum 500-800 words) indicating relevant work experience, familiarity with relevant laws and personal research interests. This should be sent along with a covering email indicating preferred dates of internship, a current CV and a short writing sample to Arpitha Kodiveri (arpitha(at)naturaljustice.org) and Revati Pandya (revati(at)naturaljustice.org.za).  
Internship 2: Project in Sariska Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan
The intern in this position will assist with research work targeted at providing support to local communities living inside the Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR), Alwar, Rajasthan. 
The intern will be expected to critically engage in broader debates between wildlife conservationists and human rights advocates and assist with the authoring of a legal strategy paper around issues of land rights and relocation of villages in the given context of the STR. S/he should therefore have a working knowledge of Indian forest, land and wildlife laws. Applicants should have a keen interest in legal research and a flair for writing. Specific responsibilities will include:
  • Legal research including case law research;
  • Preparation of short notes on specific topics related to ongoing work, primarily around issues of land rights with specific reference to gender discrimination, relocation jurisprudence, guidelines and notifications relating to the changing status of the STR, and other related questions;
  • Assisting in the follow up of Right to Information applications that have already been filed, and in the drafting and filing of forest rights claims under the Forest Rights Act; and
  • Assisting in the preparation of a document on the interaction of different Indian environmental laws and the conflict of laws.
Interested applicants should prepare a statement of purpose (maximum 500-800 words) indicating relevant work experience, familiarity with relevant laws and personal research interests. This should be sent along with a covering email indicating preferred dates of internship, a current CV and a short writing sample to Arpitha Kodiveri (arpitha(at)naturaljustice.org.za) with a copy to Vaneesha Jain (vaneesha(at)naturaljustice.org.za).

Thank you in advance for your applications!

29 January 2014

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