China Research and Advocacy Fellow (1 year Fixed Term)

Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) is the global organization’s presence in the United States. We engage people in the U.S. to fight injustice all around the world, while we also work to protect people’s human rights here in the U.S. Amnesty International USA has more than one million members and activists in all 50 states, who are part of a larger global movement of 10 million people in 150 countries. We are a democratically governed, grassroots membership organization, which means that our members vote on key policy issues and elect our Board of Directors. Some of our members are experts on specific human rights issues, parts of the world, or advocacy areas, and they serve as volunteer leaders. Others are volunteer leaders of local or student groups in towns, universities, states, or regions of the country. Amnesty International USA’s elected Board members, staff, and members work together to lead the organization.

DEADLINE TO APPLY: October 15, 2023  5:00PM EST

AIUSA’s Government Relations (GR) and Advocacy team educates, advises, and lobbies U.S. government (USG) officials on human rights issues around the world. Leveraging Amnesty’s research and grassroots power, GR creates and implements advocacy strategies to push for U.S. government policies that contribute to positive human rights outcomes. We build and maintain close relationships with policymakers in Congress and across the federal government. GR identifies influential stakeholders in the USG, including potential supporters and opponents, and takes advantage of political opportunities to push forward organizational goals. 

Fellows at AIUSA gain experience in human rights research and advocacy including but not limited to developing and implementing advocacy strategies and materials, contact with governmental bodies and officials, conducting legislative research, drafting memoranda and blogs, managing databases, analyzing emerging areas of relevant law and government policy, tracking the progress of legislation in the United States Congress, and learning about the international human rights framework. Fellows will also be responsible for researching and documenting issues related to U.S. foreign policy and human rights in their area of focus, as well as attending and summarizing briefings, hearings, and other NGO events.

The China Advocacy Fellow will have the opportunity to work on federal and congressional advocacy on human rights issues in the Washington, D.C. office of AIUSA. The Fellowship is full-time position with a fixed term of 1 year, starting December 2023 and will focus on human rights issues and US foreign policy related to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and its relationship with the US government.

The Fellow will analyze research produced by Amnesty and other organizations regarding the human rights conditions in the PRC and advance advocacy with the US Congress and administration to address these human rights issues. Further, the fellow will provide the GR team with analysis regarding the human rights impact of escalation of tensions between the PRC and the US government and will assist the GR team in designing advocacy strategy to influence the United States to take a rights-based approach to its PRC policy and engagements. This will include analytic work to situate the US-PRC relationship in a global context and to look beyond the frame of the US-PRC relationship to understand how other governments’ view, engage with, and impact both US and Chinese authorities (this international perspective will include analysis of transnational repression).

The Fellow will work closely with the Asia Advocacy Director, as well as with other Amnesty staff, members, and volunteers. In particular, the Fellow will interact with the Amnesty coordination group, which mobilizes Amnesty’s membership base to take action and plans events to promote greater awareness of human rights conditions in the PRC. Additionally, the Fellow will work with other civil society organizations, members of the diaspora, and activists based in the US to ensure Amnesty’s work is in alignment with the wider human rights movement.

The ideal candidate will have:

• Strong written and analytical skills, experience working on human rights issues related to the PRC or with civil society and grassroots organizations from the region, understands the Washington policy environment regarding the PRC and can work to advance a human rights-first approach to United States government policy on PRC/US relations;
• Knowledge of international human rights and humanitarian law, United States law and institutions related to foreign policy and human rights, and key regional and country-level laws and legal frameworks;
• Experience working with Congressional offices, has knowledge of US law, policies, and practices and international human rights and humanitarian law, and has creative ideas about how to mobilize US politicians to act in ways that promote international human rights.

Essential Responsibilities

• Collaborate closely with the Asia Advocacy Director and other Amnesty International staff on issues related to human rights in the PRC and the human rights implications of US/PRC relations
• Help build coherent human rights strategies to push the US government on its human rights policy related to the PRC, with input and collaboration from allies and activists, diaspora communities, and other civil society organizations
• Work with the Asia Advocacy Director to implement strategies for AIUSA engagement with the US government to advance a consistent human rights agenda on related to the PRC and PRC/US relations
• Working closely with the Multilateral Affairs Fellow and other GR staff, provide analysis and guidance on how a human rights agenda on the PRC can include a strong approach to multilateralism
• Support the development of outreach plans with government bodies and officials, including drafting letters, participating in meetings, and providing briefing materials
• Conduct legislative research, drafts memoranda and blogs, analyzing emerging areas of relevant law and government policy
• Track the progress of relevant legislation in the United States
• Participate and represent AIUSA in coalitions and advance advocacy strategies with coalition partners
• Liaise with other NGOs working on related issues
• Engage with Members of Congress and administrative agencies as needed

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Legal and policy research and analytical skills, with the ability to digest and summarize data and policy related to human rights, foreign policy, and political and economic affairs and history related to the PRC and its relationship to the US
• Experience working with the US Congress
• Demonstrated familiarity with human rights and US foreign policy in the PRC
• Proven ability to write comprehensive legal and policy memos, issue briefs, and other advocacy and human rights documents
• Experience in public speaking and presenting human rights topics and analyses to diverse audiences
• Experience working on issues related to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA)
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to inspire and motivate staff and partners
• Demonstrable ability to initiate, develop and sustain positive working relationships over long periods of time with a wide range of individuals and groups, including those from different cultural backgrounds
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple and detailed tasks and produce high-quality work under short and fixed deadlines
• Ability to objectively assess situations to determine action-oriented solutions
• Must live near, and be able to attend meetings, in Washington D.C.
• Potential, but minimal travel
• Some weeknight and weekend work may be required
• The Fellowship is full-time position with a fixed term of 1 year, starting December 2023

Education and Experience

• B.A./ B.S. and 3-5 years of relevant experience
• Law and public affairs graduates encouraged to apply
• Experience working in hybrid/remote organizations preferred
• Experience with grassroots organizations a plus, particularly those working on the PRC
• Experience working in a collaborative environment and with a team desired
• Proficiency in Mandarin is highly preferred but not required

We recognize the valuable skills that can be gained through internships, fellowships, volunteer work, and non-traditional work experience. This experience helps build competencies and knowledge that may translate to our job openings. We seek a diversity of experience and skills for our workplace and encourage people from all backgrounds to apply to our openings.

HOW TO APPLY AND OUR EEO STATEMENT

DEADLINE TO APPLY: October 15, 2023  5:00PM EST

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS: Please submit the following documents as a single combined PDF:

1. A statement of interest indicating your interest in this Fellowship listing relevant qualifications and experience
2. Resume
3. Writing sample (no more than 5 pages)

All applications must be completed online, and we do not accept paper submissions. Please visit the AIUSA Careers Page to review all current job postings. You must complete the entire online application, and electronically sign, for an application to be considered “complete.” We send emails via Paycom so please check your spam folders for any updates. Please email talentacquisition@aiusa.org for technical difficulties ONLY. 

Amnesty International USA is an equal opportunity employer. AIUSA encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status and record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Black people, Indigenous people, people of color; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex people; women; people with disabilities, protected veterans, and formerly incarcerated individuals are all strongly encouraged to apply.

OUR COMMITMENT AS AN ANTI-RACIST ORGANIZATION AND TO INCLUSION, DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND ACCESSIBILITY (IDEA)

Dismantling white supremacy is central to the fight for human rights in the United States and around the world. As we mobilize staff and activists and work with partners to help transform the multiple systems where oppression operates in the world around us as part of our human rights mandate, anti-racism must be integral to our work. What does that mean for Amnesty International in the United States? It means using our people power to fight injustice and centering the voices and experiences of those most impacted by racist structures, beliefs, and laws. Fundamentally, it means doing our human rights work differently than it has been done before, because we know that who we work with, how we work, the work we do, and ultimately who we are, are all interconnected.

As an international, intercultural, intergenerational and intersectional movement of activists committed to protecting and advancing human rights for all, Amnesty is deeply committed to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility (IDEA). To learn more about how we integrate IDEA into our programs and workplace, visit: https://www.amnestyusa.org/idea/

Remote and Hybrid Workplace Policy

Because the health and safety of our employees and candidates are a top priority, we are currently conducting our hiring process virtually.

Staff, office visitors, and event attendees to be up to date with COVID vaccines before entering AIUSA offices or attending AIUSA events or in-person meetings. If anyone wishing to enter the office or attend our events is not vaccinated, they will need to have tested negative for COVID within 24 hours of entry. We expect that all staff and visitors entering the office or attending AIUSA events will, by accessing our facilities, be attesting that they are vaccinated or that they have tested negative within 24 hours of entry.

Please review the job description, which will state whether a role is hybrid and remote. Some roles may require travel domestically and/or internationally.