Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide Centre Internship Program
Location: South Africa, virtual/remote
Dates: Spring/Summer/Fall semester (minimum 4 weeks, 40 hours per credit hour), based on College of Charleston calendar
Suitable Discipline/s: International Studies, History, Political Science, Jewish Studies, African Studies
Academic credit (optional): INTL 401, with the potential of counting for the Africa, Europe or Global Studies concentrations
About the Organization:
The Johannesburg Holocaust & Genocide Centre (JHGC) is a place of memory, education and lessons for humanity. The JHGC explores the history of genocide in the 20th century with a focus on the case studies of the Holocaust and the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. It examines the connections between genocide and contemporary human rights issues, urging visitors to understand the consequences of prejudice, discrimination and othering, so as to prevent the recurrence of mass atrocities and genocide in all its forms.
The JHGC was founded in 2008 and officially opened to the public in March 2019 as a public-private partnership with the City of Johannesburg. The JHGC, together with its sister Centres in Cape Town and Durban, forms part of the association, the South African Holocaust & Genocide Foundation.
In 2007, the study of “Nazi Germany and the Holocaust” and “Ideas of Race in the 19th and 20th Centuries” was incorporated into the National High School Curriculum of South Africa for Grade 9 Social Sciences and Grade 11 History learners. The JHGC assists provincial education departments, schools and educators with these human rights modules by facilitating comprehensive and engaging educator training and learner workshops.
Educational programs are run by passionate and knowledgeable facilitators and volunteers, making use of permanent and temporary exhibitions, survivor testimony, multimedia and interactive activities. By using the history of the Holocaust and 20th century genocide as an entry point, participants are then able to explore more contemporary themes such as moral choices, human rights and social activism.
JHGC also hosts regular public events and programs, including temporary exhibitions, lectures, film screenings, commemorations and other special workshops, which explore various topics related to genocide and human rights.
The Centre currently offers internship opportunities for students interested in Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights studies. Below are some of the sample projects interns have participated in the past:
- Work with the JHGC education team to create digital history projects and educational programs geared toward students, teachers, and community members. Programs vary from Holocaust and genocide education, to topics on human rights, moral choices and peace. This project would involve interns learning how to curate new online exhibits and conduct original research.
- Work with JHGC archival staff to organize and translate historical material donated to the JHGC archive by institutions, universities and members of the public according to type. This would require translating material to English (from Russian, German, Polish, French, or another language, depending on the student’s language skills). Interns may also be asked to conduct research on these archival materials for the purposes of providing researchers with useful background information. Interns would additionally learn the International Standard of Archival Description and write descriptions for each digitized item.
- Work with the JHGC development team to assist in fundraising efforts, including researching potential opportunities and compiling application materials. Interns also participate in some administrative work, such as transcribing, database management and social media.
- Work with the event/project management teams to assist in various online events such as with registration, set-up, and design. Interns also participate in some administrative work, such as database management and social media.
Eligibility and How to Apply
- Students should have completed International Studies courses at the 100 and 200 levels at the College of Charleston campus before applying for this internship.
- Students should demonstrate in their application materials how their studies and previous experiences could contribute to JHGC’s mission. Please indicate a particular field of interest, whether that be digital history and exhibits, translation, archival work, fundraising, administrative work, or a combination of these activities.
- Students who are developing a research question for a Bachelor’s Essay are especially encouraged to apply.
- Students planning to graduate in Spring 2023 may participate in this virtual/remote internship to meet the International Studies Program study abroad requirement, with CofC credit hours.
Send the following application materials to Delca Khoele (delca@jhbholocaust.co.za) and Blake Scott (scottbc@cofc.edu): a 1-2 page cover letter, resume, and the contact information for two references.
Application deadlines:
- November 23 for Spring semester
- February 15 for Summer semester
- April 15 for Fall semester