www.naturaljustice.org
Call for Internship Applications
Natural Justice: Lawyers for Communities and the Environment is a non-profit organization
based in South Africa, with work also in India, Malaysia and New York. Our 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 interns. Our work in India is centred
around supporting communities in securing rights over their traditional territories and
resources, and ensure protection of their environment in the wake of new developments. In
Rajasthan (Sariska Tiger Reserve) and in Gujarat (Kutch), we are working with pastoral and
agrarian communities for claiming their rights over their territory and access to natural
resources. In Orissa, we are working with adivasi communities to support them in countering
threats, engage with potential opportunities and maintain social cohesion, in the context of
extractive industries. The interns will be involved in projects related to work in Kutch,
Gujarat, the Sariska Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan and Orissa, along with general research. Interns
interested in one specific context may identify this interest in their cover letter.
Please note that the positions are unpaid.
Location: The interns will be expected to work out of the Natural Justice office in
Bangalore. In case of internships longer than 2 months, travel to the field may be involved,
based on discussion with the coordinator.
Deadline for applications: Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis for a minimum
duration of one month. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
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 analytical ability, and be comfortable with a flexible working environment.
Application Procedure: 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 Alphonsa
Jojan [alphonsa(at)naturaljustice(dot)org(dot)za)].
Project Areas
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. Interns will get a chance to involve
themselves in research, analysis and other activities under the project.
Responsibilities of the intern will include:
Providing assistance in legal research, analysis and review of laws and policies
relevant to pastoralists in Kutch;
Relating local and national laws to the international level environmental policies and
laws; and
Assisting in writing relevant reports or articles as needed for partners and Natural
Justice.
Sariska Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan
Natural Justice is partnering with KRAPAVIS, a local organization to provide support to
local communities living inside the Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR), Alwar, RajasthanThe intern
will be expected to critically engage in broader debates between wildlife conservationists and
human rights advocates and assist with the authoring of research paper around issues of
traditional cultural practices, land rights and relocation of villages in the given context of the
STR.
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, conservation history of Sariska Tiger Reserve and other related
questions; and
• Assisting in the preparation of a document on the interaction of different Indian
environmental laws and the conflict of laws.
Sundergarh, Orissa
Natural Justice is partnering with KIRDTI, a local organization, to support communities in
the development and use of bio-cultural community protocols as a tool to facilitate conflict
transformation by enabling communities to engage constructively with extractive industries
and other external actors, to secure their rights and interests.
The intern will be required to work on analysing legal issues in this context. Specific
responsibilities of the intern will include –
Assisting with review and analysis of various legislations, policies, notifications etc.
applicable in the context of mining in Orissa;
Review and analysis of case laws;
Analysis of international law relating to the rights of indigenous and local
communities over their territories and resources;
Assisting with analysis of current state of play with regard to extractive industries in
India;
Filing and follow-up of RTI applications on specific questions, as and when required;
and
Assisting with writing relevant reports and articles.
Thank you in advance for your applications!