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OHIO Human Rights Internship at the Pat Finucane Centre in Northern Ireland

OHIO Human Rights Internship at the Pat Finucane Centre in Northern Ireland

The OHIO Human Rights Internship at the Pat Finucane Centre in Northern Ireland offers students an extraordinary opportunity to gain hands-on experience in human rights research, documentation, advocacy, and post-conflict justice. Based in Derry, this six-week summer internship places students with one of Northern Ireland’s leading human rights organizations in a city and region profoundly shaped by the history of the Troubles and the ongoing work of addressing their legacy.

The Pat Finucane Centre (PFC) is a non-party political, anti-sectarian human rights organization that works with families affected by the conflict on the island of Ireland. Its work focuses on truth recovery, human rights, policing and criminal justice, historical documentation, and support and advocacy for families seeking information about conflict-related deaths. The Centre conducts extensive archival and documentary research and engages with public institutions and legal and human rights processes on behalf of the families with whom it works. 

Interns will work alongside PFC researchers and advocates on projects related to the continuing legacy of the Northern Ireland conflict. Depending on current organizational needs, students may assist with archival research, analysis of historical and declassified records, case documentation, background research, public education, communications, or ongoing truth-recovery and human rights projects. The experience provides an unusual opportunity to understand how historical research, human rights advocacy, family testimony, and public policy come together in the long-term work of confronting violence and seeking truth and accountability.

Program Dates

June 1 –July 15 (six weeks, flexible)

Faculty Contact: Haley Duschinski, Director of the School of International Studies and Languages, duschins@ohio.edu

Program Highlights

  • Human Rights Research & Documentation – Contribute to research on conflict-related human rights issues by reviewing historical records, government documents, newspaper archives, reports, and other primary and secondary sources. 
  • Truth Recovery & Transitional Justice – Learn how human rights organizations work with the legacies of political violence and how families, advocates, governments, and institutions pursue truth, accountability, justice, and recognition decades after conflict. 
  • Archival & Investigative Research – Develop skills in locating, evaluating, organizing, and interpreting documentary evidence, including historical records and declassified government materials. Archival research has long been central to PFC's documentation and advocacy work. 
  • Victims, Memory & Human Rights – Explore the relationship between official records, family experiences, and public memory. PFC's Recovery of Living Memory Archive, for example, brings together investigative documentation with families' accounts of the people who were killed and the impact of their loss. 
  • Advocacy & Public Communication – Build skills in translating complex historical and human rights research into accessible reports, briefings, educational materials, digital content, and other forms of public communication. 
  • Professional & Intercultural Skills – Strengthen research, writing, critical thinking, collaboration, ethical judgment, and cross-cultural communication while working in a professional human rights environment.

Venues and Logistics

Interns will be based at the Pat Finucane Centre in Derry, Northern Ireland, working alongside staff engaged in human rights research, documentation, advocacy, and truth-recovery initiatives. PFC also works across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and maintains relationships with families, lawyers, researchers, public agencies, and human rights organizations across the island. 

Derry provides an especially powerful setting for this work. Northern Ireland continues to confront difficult questions about how societies emerging from conflict address violence, memory, accountability, reconciliation, and the rights of victims and survivors. Interns will encounter these issues not only as academic subjects but as questions that continue to shape institutions, communities, public debate, and everyday life.

Ohio University and its local partners will recommend safe, student-friendly accommodations in Derry with access to transportation, Wi-Fi, and basic amenities. Students will receive pre-departure and in-country orientation covering health and safety, local history and culture, professional expectations, and the ethical responsibilities associated with working on sensitive human rights issues.

Travel and Transportation

  • Flights: Round-trip travel from Columbus to Ireland or Northern Ireland, typically followed by ground transportation to Derry. 
  • Accommodation: Student-friendly apartment, residence, guesthouse, or similar accommodations in Derry. 
  • Local Transportation: Derry is a compact city, with local buses, taxis, and walking providing access to most daily destinations. 
  • Connectivity: Reliable Wi-Fi and mobile service are widely available.

Entry and Exit Requirements

  • Visa/Entry Authorization: Requirements vary according to citizenship and the nature of the internship placement. Ohio University will work with participating students to identify the appropriate United Kingdom entry and immigration requirements prior to departure. 
  • Passport: Students must have a valid passport meeting United Kingdom entry requirements for the duration of the program. 
  • Health and Safety: Students should be up to date on routine vaccinations and will receive pre-departure guidance regarding health, safety, travel, and emergency procedures. 
  • Professional and Ethical Awareness: Interns will work with material involving political violence, bereavement, contested histories, and potentially sensitive personal information. Students are expected to demonstrate discretion, confidentiality, cultural sensitivity, and respect for the individuals and communities whose experiences are represented in the Centre's work.

Applicant Qualifications

This internship is ideal for undergraduate and graduate students in international studies, political science, history, anthropology, sociology, law and justice, peace and conflict studies, human rights, journalism, or related fields. Applicants should demonstrate:

  • A strong interest in human rights, transitional justice, peace and conflict, historical memory, or post-conflict societies. 
  • Strong research, writing, and critical-thinking skills. 
  • Interest in working with historical records, archival materials, human rights documentation, or policy research. 
  • Maturity and sensitivity when engaging with difficult histories, political violence, and the experiences of victims and survivors. 
  • The ability to work independently and collaboratively in a professional nonprofit environment. 
  • Openness to perspectives shaped by different political, religious, and community experiences. 
  • A commitment to ethical research, confidentiality, cultural humility, and respectful engagement. 

Prior coursework in human rights, Northern Ireland, peace and conflict studies, law and justice, history, anthropology, political science, or related areas is encouraged but not required.

Costs

The OHIO Human Rights Internship at the Pat Finucane Centre is designed as an affordable six-week international professional experience.

  • Program Fee: None. 
  • Airfare: Round-trip airfare from Columbus to Ireland, estimated at $1,500.
  • Housing: Estimated $1,200–$1,500 for six weeks
  • Meals & Daily Expenses: Estimated $1,200–$1,500
  • Travel Insurance: Provided by Ohio University
  • Personal Expenses: Students should budget for local transportation and incidental costs. 

Award Support

  • SISAL provides a $2,500 scholarship to participating interns.

Ready to Pursue Truth and Justice?

If you are passionate about human rights and want to understand how research and advocacy can help societies confront the legacies of political violence, apply to the OHIO Human Rights Internship at the Pat Finucane Centre in Northern Ireland. Work alongside experienced human rights advocates, develop practical research and documentation skills, and gain a deeper understanding of the long-term work of truth, justice, memory, and peacebuilding.