Jillian LaBranche, SVCZ Program – Boston Office (Summer 2015)
My time with the Program on Sexual Violence in Conflict Zones at PHR has been invaluable – more than I had anticipated and could have ever hoped for. I have grown tremendously – gaining skills and experience that could not have been acquired within the confines of a classroom. PHR entrusted me with great responsibility, while allowing me autonomy. I was able to significantly contribute to a report on the health-related challenges of Ugandan women who have been abducted by the LRA, as well as aid in the development of a curriculum for a training of trainers. Working on specific projects that aligned with my interests, I gained both professional skills and a thorough understanding of programming within the field of human rights.
Johanna DeBari, SVCZ Program – Boston Office (Summer 2015)
To say this internship has been a rewarding experience would certainly be an understatement. Not only have I had the opportunity to work on a variety of projects, but I have also learned so much about the broader field of collecting forensic evidence, chain of custody, and prosecution of crimes of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, and elsewhere. Most importantly though, I was encouraged to pursue projects directly beneficial to my own research interests. I had the freedom to do work that was interesting and valuable to my own professional development, and had the opportunity to feed my eagerness to learn. I even had the opportunity to write and publish a blog post on my own research that was in-line with the work of the Program on Sexual Violence in Conflict Zones. Overall, my internship at PHR has been an incredible experience and one I am extremely grateful to have had. To be a part of the Sexual Violence in Conflict Zones’ team at PHR even for only a summer was a highly fulfilling experience. If you are at all interested in learning more about sexual violence in conflict zones and the documentation of atrocities, gaining a unique set of skills, and exploring your passions, I would highly recommend interning at PHR!
Allison Jeffery, Forensic Training Institute – New York Office (Summer 2015)
One of my favorite aspects of PHR internships is how quickly interns are integrated into their teams – every intern I worked with this summer became incredibly close with their supervisors and entire department. I have been privileged to work on the majority of my projects with the director of FTI, Sue Simon. It initially surprised me how closely interns can work with senior management, but it is often the norm here and fosters a highly collaborative atmosphere. I have gained significant insight into the health and human rights field through working with Sue and other colleagues, which I know will be crucial for future professional and academic endeavors. My main project this summer has been developing a new e-Learning initiative to integrate PHR’s current training model with new interactive technology and support participants around the world. As part of a larger training project, I have been working with PHR’s web platform developer to propose additional platforms tailored to the needs of diverse PHR programs in the United States and abroad. I have also been lucky to be included in the Syria training program supporting the Syrian professionals documenting human rights abuses. It has been amazing to learn so much about human rights training and e-Learning during my time at PHR. The whole team here is filled with incredibly talented people – I highly encourage you to apply to join them!
Blog Posts by Current and Former PHR Interns
Documentation Vital to Ending Attacks on Health Care Workers by Lea Pernot and Darren George
A Crime against our Humanity by Hannah Deegan
The Lasting Effects of Sexual Violence by Mary Burner
Misguided Criticisms of the International Criminal Court by Alex Nawar
Health Workers Must Treat with Medicine, Not Politics by Jason Lee