Ten European NGOs worth working with if you are an International Relations graduate

If you are an International Relations graduate, then you should consider the option of working in a non-governmental organization. Why?

First of all, because NGOs are countless and constantly in need of interns and volunteers. This makes it easier to be hired within your field of specialization and earn some professional skills. And being hired soon after your graduation -even for free- is far better than eternally waiting for a letter of acceptance from some prestigious international organization, where the hiring process is more competitive.

Secondly, most NGOs are intense but friendly and multi-cultural working environments, where people learn from each other; and this is precisely what an IR graduate needs before stepping into the global work market. By working for a non-governmental organization, one can gain experience in teamwork, communication, admin and many, many more other skills that you will see featured most advertisements for competitive, paid jobs in the field of International Relations around the globe.

  There are thousands of NGOs and grassroot networks in Europe. Their work includes a wide range of activities, such as research, organization of conferences, community work and connection of the civil society to national governments. Some of them can even be involved in the public diplomacy of a state.

A European NGO might be an independent organization, with its own structure and agenda. Yet it often may also be connected to other NGOs that have similar activities or represent a global movement in their country of presence. Of course, many of them are directly involved with the European Union.

Except for the benefits of working in an NGO, European NGOs offer one more advantage; one’s ability to grab thousands of opportunities across EU member and partnering states through the freedom of movement. All you need to do is keep your eyes open and have your bags ready!

And here follow some NGOs that are worth checking out:

1. Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT)

The Campaign Against Arms Trade is a non-governmental organization which is based in London. Its purpose is to eliminate international arms trade.

This organization employs a small team of paid staff for its day-to-day administration tasks, but it relies on a large number of volunteers to carry out the campaigns. In addition, CAAT has a network of local groups and contacts, including CAAT Universities Network.

For more information about CAAT, click here:  https://www.caat.org.uk/about

 

2. Greek Association for Atlantic and European Cooperation (GAAEC)

    GAAEC is a non-partisan network acknowledging the importance of effectiveness in the foreign policy of Greece and the significance of cohesion in international relations.

The NGO aims at promoting the contribution of Greece to the improvement and reinforcement of Euro-Atlantic cooperation. They carry out this mission either alone or in cooperation with governmental organizations, NGOs and international networks.

You can work for this NGO as a European Voluntary Service volunteer or as an unpaid intern.

To find out more, click here: https://www.gaaec.org/en/involved

 

3. International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

  The International Committee of the Red Cross is one of the best-known NGOs in the world. Its headquarters are in Geneva, but it operates in 80 countries. Also, it is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

ICRC is considered an independent and neutral organization which provides humanitarian protection and assistance to victims of war and other forms of violence and responds to situations of emergency. Moreover, the organization works for the promotion of respect for international law and its implementation in the national law.

As one of the largest NGOs in the world, ICRC offers a wide range of opportunities globally and there is always a need for new staff and volunteers. To find information about those opportunities, click here: https://www.icrc.org/en/who-we-are/jobs

 

4. Oxfam

Oxfam is a British charity based in Oxford, UK. Oxfam define themselves as an “international confederation of 19 organizations working together with partners and local communities in more than 90 countries”.

Oxfam has the following objectives:

• Fighting poverty and its causes;
• Rebuilding after a crisis; and
• Ensuring that the voices of low-income people are heard by the national authorities.

This NGO is involved in a wide range of issues; hence they offer a wide range of opportunities that match with the profile of an International Relations graduate. As an Oxfam employee or volunteer, you will work in a truly global and diverse working environment.

For more information about working with Oxfam, click here: https://www.oxfam.org/en/work-oxfam

 

5. Amnesty International

Although it is based in London, UK, Amnesty International is a non-governmental organization with a global reach thanks to its worldwide network of regional offices.

The mission of Amnesty International is the promotion of human rights through research, campaigning and lobbying.

Like every globally established NGO, Amnesty International has plenty of paid and volunteering opportunities all over the world and it is a great employer for an International Relations graduate.

For more information, click here: https://www.amnesty.org/en/careers

 

6. WWF European Policy Office

WWF is one of the oldest and most active environmental NGOs in the world. Its mission is to “stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature”.

WWF has founded a European policy office for two reasons. First, the EU is considered responsible for more than 80% of the member states’ environmental legislation. Second, the organization is a large international environmental player; it participates in international inter-governmental forums with an environmental impact, such as the World Trade Organization and is involved in international environmental agreements, such as the 2030 UN Agenda for Sustainable Development.

As a volunteer or paid employee for WWF, you will be part of a multi-cultural and interdisciplinary working environment with global impact and global reach.

For more information, click here: http://www.wwf.eu/about_us/careers

 

7. European Environmental Bureau (EEB)

The European Environmental Bureau is considered the largest network of environmentalists in Europe; around 150 organizations in more than 30 European countries function under the umbrella of this NGO.

According to its official website, the EEB stand for “sustainable development, environmental justice and participatory democracy”.

The EEB offer different paid opportunities, depending on the subject that you are interested in.  It is noteworthy that they are one of the few European NGOs that pay their interns.

Some of the issues that this NGO works on are the following:

• Communications;
• Air, Biodiversity and Nanotechnology;
• Chemicals, Ecological and Product Policy;
• Law enforcement and noise; and
• Waste and water.

To know more, click here: https://eeb.org/homepage/opportunities

8. Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM)

PICUM is a European NGO whose objectives are to respond to undocumented migrants’ situations and to provide a platform to engage policymakers and the general public in the realization of undocumented migrants’ rights.

This NGO is based in Brussels and cooperates with a big number of other NGOs, such as the Child Rights Action Group, the Coalition to End Violence against Women and Girls, and the EU Alliance for a Democratic, Social and Sustainable European Semester.

Apart from regular vacancies, PICUM run the following paid traineeship programs:

• Policy and Advocacy and
• Communications.

They also offer interesting, work-from-home, unpaid volunteering opportunities which cover a wide range of tasks, such as translation, research and design. All you need to do in order to join is to sign up and state the amount of time that you would like to devote.

For more information, click here: https://picum.org/employment-and-internships

To check out the volunteering opportunity, click here: https://picum.org/get-involved

 

9.  European Network Against Racism (ENAR)

ENAR is a pan-European anti-racist network whose mission is to end structural racism and discrimination in Europe, as well as to alter positively the lives of people who are members of ethnic and religious minorities.

Apart from paid vacancies and student placements, ENAR also offers unpaid, online volunteering opportunities.

For more information about working with ENAR, click here: https://www.enar-eu.org/Get-involved

For the online volunteering opportunity offered by ENAR, click here: https://www.enar-eu.org/Volunteer-for-us-156

 

10. European Disability Forum (EDF)

 

The European Disability Forum is an umbrella NGO which brings together a number of European disability NGOs. EDF was created in 1999 by its member organizations.

The mission of EDF is to ensure that people with disabilities enjoy “full inclusion in society and access to the human rights”.

To accomplish its mission, EDF works with a plethora of bodies, namely:

• Its active members across Europe;
• Other NGOs fighting for equality and non-discrimination;
• EU institutions and agencies;
• EU Presidencies and permanent representatives of states to the EU;
• The Council of Europe;
• The United Nations and its bodies;
• The International Disability Alliance; and
• The International Disability and Development Consortium.

The opportunities that EDF offers include ordinary vacancies, internships, as well as PhD research opportunities. For more information, follow this link: http://www.edf-feph.org/work-us

These are just ten of the many opportunities that Europe offers in the NGO field. What we would like you to hold from this post is that NGOs in Europe is the variety of positions, types of employment and topics. It all depends on what you are interested in. So, who’s up for a working adventure in Europe?