“A thoroughly enjoyable, educational and fulfilling experience”

“I wasn’t merely made to feel a valued member of the team – I really was able to become one” – Yoram Goodman reflects on his internship.

The best feature of my month interning with René Cassin was that from the moment I began, my colleagues treated me as their equal, and encouraged me to engage with them in the same way. The environment their approach fostered was empowering, and gave me the opportunity, platform and confidence to fully embrace my time at René Cassin. More than that, it meant that I wasn’t merely made to feel a valued member of the team – I really was able to become one. This environment permeated every aspect of my internship and defined my experience. From the word go I was given the opportunity to work on tasks that I chose, which I felt suited and developed my strengths, and which interested me the most.

“from the moment I began, my colleagues treated me as their equal, and encouraged me to engage with them in the same way”

This allowed me to find new opportunities for interfaith work and begin to foster relationships, to form social media strategies in order to bolster our existing campaigns, and to help shape René  Cassin’s modern slavery template for Small and Medium Enterprises. Additionally, I took a leading role in René Cassin’s communicative operations; I was trusted to write statements that addressed both the public and parliamentarians, including our endorsement of Refugee Week, part of a letter to the government on behalf of dozens of leaders of the Jewish community, and the values statement now on the René Cassin website. Being granted the responsibility to perform tasks that helped to shape and refine René Cassin’s public image was not only extremely enjoyable, but was also immensely rewarding.

René Cassin’s focus on personal development extended beyond the office, as they regularly arranged for me to attend interesting and informative events. These included conferences and panels organised by think tanks, and meetings, roundtables and workshops hosted by charities, commissions and NGOs, where I was trusted to represent and speak for René Cassin.

“the environment their approach fostered was empowering, and gave me the opportunity, platform and confidence to fully embrace my time at René Cassin”

As well as being hugely stimulating, being extensively exposed to the multifaceted world of human rights so frequently throughout my internship was exceptionally valuable, as it allowed me to engage with a diverse range of human rights professionals and volunteers, and to draw insights from an eclectic range of organisations.

Interning at René Cassin was a thoroughly enjoyable, educational and fulfilling experience. The freedom granted to me throughout my internship made me feel as if I had a precious opportunity to meaningfully contribute in the fight to protect human rights in the UK. It is an experience I am fortunate to have had, and one I would highly recommend to any individual eager for experience in the world of human rights.