Volunteer, nsw, Amnesty International Australia - Working to Protect Human Rights

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Volunteering

Volunteer Information

Amnesty International is an organisation founded on volunteers. Without these passionate, dedicated individuals we would be unable to achieve human rights impact across Australia and around the globe. Volunteer work is available in many areas, from support work to decision-making and participating in activist consultations. Tasks range from general office administration duties to coordinating a major campaign or event.

One of the best ways to find out more about volunteering at Amnesty International is to attend one of our Bi-Monthly ‘Get Active’ Evenings where current volunteer roles and projects are outlined together with all the different opportunities for getting involved in and taking action on human rights. The ‘Get Active’ Evenings are run informally with a mix of brief presentations, information stalls and opportunities to socialise with many of our current volunteers and activists who attend to catch-up and share their experiences in human rights activism, volunteering and NSW action groups with newly interested Amnesty International supporters.

The next ‘Get Active’ Evening will be held on:

Date: Wednesday 17th March 2010

Time: 6:00 – 7:30pm

Where: Amnesty International NSW Action Centre, Level 1 / 79 Myrtle St, Chippendale, Sydney.

Email: nswaia@amnesty.org.au

Ph: 8396 7670

Snacks will be served

No RSVP required

If you are attending the ‘Get Active’ Evening to follow-up opportunities to volunteer, it is helpful, but not essential, to bring along a copy of your CV.

Internships

All Unpaid Internship opportunities at Amnesty International are recruited by application for the specific roles posted on the Internships page.

Unfortunately there is not the capacity to create internships according to individual needs or course requirements, however diverse internship opportunities in the many different sections and state offices of Amnesty International are posted regularly.

What to do if you want to get active, get involved and volunteer right now?

1. Local Action Groups / Specialist Action Networks / Campus / School based campaign and event coordination

Action groups provide a fun and powerful way to get involved, as they play a key role in providing community outreach for AIA campaigns.

Local, Campus and School Action Groups are located throughout the state, while Specialist Action Networks are largely Sydney based. Local, Campus and Schools Groups campaign on human rights in their local area and organise events to inform and inspire their community about Amnesty International's work to defend and promote human rights. Specialist Action Networks do similar work but they focus on particular campaigns, such as Human Rights Act for Australia, Refugees and Stop Violence Against Women.

Work on campaigns and events is organised by the groups and networks themselves, and is open to all volunteers, including those with mainly weekend and after-hours availability and those who live outside of Sydney. For more information about the Action Groups and Networks, and to obtain contact details for the team conveners, email us at nswaia@amnesty.org.au, phone (02) 8396 7670, or view our NSW Action Group

2. Support Human Rights Events and Campaigns

There are regular events and campaigning activities happening state-wide and attending any of these is a good opportunity to support the work of AIA and gain an introduction to AIA NSW activism and volunteering. See the NSW Events page for details of upcoming events.

You can also subscribe to our monthly Enews Bulletin, which will provide you with regular updates on upcoming events and campaigning activities across New South Wales. To subscribe, sign-up in the section on the panel to the right hand side of this page or email: nswaia@amnesty.org.au.

3. NSW Action Centre office-based volunteering

Available volunteer positions are regularly posted on this page.

Administrative support, event coordination and campaign organisation work takes place during office hours Monday to Friday at the NSW Action Centre in Chippendale, Sydney.

Relevant skills and experience may be required for these volunteer positions and it is essential that volunteers are available for 2 to 4 hours a week on a regular day during office hours for a three to six month period. For major projects, longer hours may be required at peak times.

What you can expect from us:

a relaxed and friendly work environment
an opportunity to work with like-minded people who support social justice
an opportunity to learn about and participate in many aspects of human rights activism

What we will expect from you:

to demonstrate behaviour appropriate to the aims of AI. It is important that everyone who works for AI respects the rights and opinions of others and, especially in public, acts in all ways in line with our aims and mandate.
to volunteer for a minimum of 2 - 4 hours per week for a period of at least three to six months
to arrive promptly for your shift and notify the NSW Office and Volunteer Coordinator in advance if you are unable to come in on your designated day
to be prepared to take instruction and carry out the full range of volunteer tasks asked of you to the best of your ability or to ask for help if needed
to be willing to learn NSW office procedures or new skills as required and be flexible as priorities and work flow change.