Volunteer Opportunities Internship Opportunities
Monday May 21st, 2007 Jumada Al-Awwal 4th, 1428
Volunteer Opportunities Internship Opportunities
Volunteer Opportunities Become a CAIR-Houston volunteer. Here is your chance to make a difference and to experience the pleasures that come with helping others. As Muslims, we have a duty to improve our communities and to help those in need. Volunteering with CAIR-Houston is an excellent way to exercise our faith, work towards a better America, build your resume and gain a wide range of experience.If you are interested in the following volunteer opportunities please visit the Volunteer Center on our website and complete the volunteer sign up form at at http://www.cairhouston.org/volunteer.htm. We are currently searching for volunteers for the following projects:Media Watch CommitteeThe committee's primary duties will entail watching and/or listening to the media and co-ordinate responses to deconstruct sensational and biased coverage of issues pertinent to Muslims and Islam. The purpose is to flag such pieces, to highlight their inaccuracies, and to offer thoughtful analyses that diffuse misconceptions. We are currently recruiting volunteers for this task and will be offering a media watch and response seminar for those who join the committee at the beginning of next month insha'Allah. Estimated weekly committment: 5 to 7 hours
Hate Site Response TeamThe purpose of this project is to search out websites on the internet who are calling for violence, racism, and/or prejudice against Muslims outside the bounds of First Amendment protection. CAIR-Houston staff will then work closely with hosting companies and domain registrars to take these websites offline. We are currently recruiting volunteers for this massive undertaking.
Estimated weekly committment: 3 to 5 hoursCAIR-Houston Masjid RepresentativeWe are currently looking for brother's and sister's to represent CAIR-Houston at your masjid. Duties would include making necessary announcements during salat times, conducting voter registration drives, updating the members of your masjid about CAIR-Houston events and projects, serving as a resource for masjid safety and civil rights, and much more. This is an opportunity to become a part of the CAIR-Houston team and help empower Muslims in your community.
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Internship Opportunities
CAIR-Houston, the local chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), is currently offering 8 new internship opportunities. CAIR is the nation's largest Muslim civil rights organization. The organization's mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding. Internships at CAIR-Houston offer students and activists a great opportunity to learn, interact, and grow in a friendly and diverse environment.
Summer 2007 Internship Opportunities at CAIR-Houston
All internships are unpaid, last one semester, and include a 15-hour/week commitment. Applicants should email a resume and cover letter to internships@cairhouston.org.
APPLICATION GUIDELINES:Clearly indicate which department you are applying for in your cover letter. If you are applying for more than one position, please list in order of preference. Typically, each intern is trained in two departments and given projects from both to provide a well-rounded experience. All summer applications are due by May 31st. (please note: summer internships will run from June 4th through August 10th). If you have any questions, please email all inquiries to internships@cairhouston.org. Students interested in receiving class credit, should indicate so in their cover letters. Credit will be arranged during the first week of the academic semester.
If you have any questions about the internships please email internships@cairhouston.org or call the office at (713) 838-2247. - Civil Rights Department- Communications Department- Governmental Relations Department- Outreach Department
CIVIL RIGHTS DEPARTMENT
Our Civil Rights Department handles cases that range from prejudiced gestures to full blown discrimination. Our clients are Muslims as well as non-Muslims who have had Islam imputed upon them.
The projects below are just a sampling of what interns may work on:
Citizenship Delay project - seeks to address the lengthy delays Muslims are facing in applying for citizenship.Police Misconduct project - addresses incidents where police officers have discriminated or used excessive force against Muslims.Prison project - secures the rights of Muslim inmates to practice their religion freely, and ensures that inmates are treated humanely.Airport Profiling project - helps Muslims who have been discriminated against at airports.Employment Discrimination project - helps Muslims discriminated against based on religion at the workplace.
The Civil Rights Intern will work closely with the Civil Rights Coordinator on resolving cases of discrimination reported to CAIR-Houston.
Essential duties and responsibilities include the following (other duties may be assigned):o Assist in documenting incidents of religious discrimination by counseling and interviewing complainants regarding their incidentso Research laws and policies on employment, student conduct, and immigration procedures, as well as criminal offenses and other areas as seen fit.o Assist in maintaining the Civil Rights Online Centero Updating databases containing information about abuses reported to CAIR-Houston.
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COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT
Our Communications Department monitors the local media closely and flags coverage of issues relating to Islam and Muslims. The department also holds Press Conferences and issues press releases, media advisories, and story pitches in order to ensure that Muslim perspectives on pressing issues and current events are represented in the mainstream media.
The Communications Intern will work closely with the Director of CAIR-Houston and CAIR-National in Washington, D.C. on various projects.
In addition to creating press releases and editorials below are just a sampling of projects which interns may work on:
Media Response Project - work closely with CAIR-Houston's Media Watch Team to co-ordinate responses to deconstruct sensational and biased coverage of issues pertinent to Muslims and Islam. The purpose is to flag such pieces, to highlight their inaccuracies, and to offer thoughtful analyses that diffuse misconceptions.
Journalist Training - work with journalists throughout Texas and Louisiana to build relationships and present an accurate image of Islam through workshops and meetings.
Hate Site Response - intern will assist in managing CAIR-Houston's Hate Site Response Team and research website's in the United States which propagate hate against Islam outside of the first amendment in order to shut them down.
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GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS DEPARTMENT
Our Governmental Relations Department seeks to organize, mobilize, and empower Houston's Muslim community with long-term civic participation. Its educational initiatives help community members understand the political system and utilize it to work for their issues. Projects include voter registration drives, community workshops, "know your rights" educational campaigns, and training sessions at mosques and community centers on how to contact and engage local and national politicians. The department also systematically works to educate local political representatives about their Muslim constituents while ultimately engaging these representatives with the Muslim community's unique issues and concerns.
Interns will work closely with the Director of CAIR-Houston and the Governmental Affairs Director of CAIR-National with projects and/or daily tasks within the scope of CAIR-Houston's organizational needs.The projects below are just a sampling of what interns may work on:
Voter Registration and Mobilization - the concentration of this project is to register Muslims as voters through strategic planning and developing a comprehensive strategy to recruit volunteers for political campaigns.
Voter Education - intern will work with the local office as well as CAIR-National to develop creative educational material for the Muslim community and manage email and letter writing campaigns.
Policy Research - intern will work with the local office as well as CAIR-National to develop CAIR-Houston's position on all relevant legislation and policies.
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OUTREACH DEPARTMENT
The Outreach Department seeks to forge mutually beneficial partnerships with local and national institutions. It also works to foster an understanding between Houston's Muslim and non-Muslim communities via educational collaborations.
The projects below are just a sampling of what interns may work on:
Islam 101/Church Project - intern will work closely with the Director on this new initiative which seeks to build bridges of dialogue and understanding between the Muslim community and other Houston religious communities and social organizations.
Public Education - intern will work closely with the civil rights department to organize various events throughout the state which assist in educating Muslims in areas relevant to CAIR-Houston's scope of operations (i.e. legal, civil, and governmental seminars).
Muslims CARE - intern will work closely with the Outreach Coordinator on managing the Muslims Care project: a national initiative which promotes volunteerism.
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