SAHA: Archival Internship Programme 2015

Location: Johannesburg

The South African History Archive (SAHA) is an independent human rights archive committed to documenting, supporting, and promoting greater awareness of historical and, since 1994, contemporary struggles for justice and accountability. SAHA invites graduates with a keen interest in archives and human rights documentation in South Africa to apply for a 6 to 12 months archival internship starting in 2015.

Primarily a learning opportunity and a prospect for a unique occupational experience, the successful applicants will have the benefit of:

• the chance to experience working in an archive
• individual archival training
• performing supervised archive-related tasks
• working with SAHA’s renowned collection of struggle posters
• interacting with staff of both the Struggles for Justice Programme and the Freedom of Information Programme (FOIP)
• a monthly stipend

Requirements

• A South African citizen
• Recently graduated with no prior full-time work experience
• Under 30 years of age
• Your qualifications and interests should match the requirements of the archival internship programme

• Qualification in information studies, history and/or heritage management (or a related qualification that you are able to motivate relates to the work of the archival programme at SAHA).
• Experience in processing archival collections
• Demonstrable interest in human rights advocacy and constitutional issues
• Interest in working in an NGO/civil society context
• Ability to plan, prioritise work, and meet deadlines
• Ability to work independently
• Excellent attention to detail
• An appreciation for and ability to the careful handling of archival material and artefacts.
• Strong written communication skills
• Competency with Microsoft Office software
• General fitness for lifting archive boxes and moving loaded cart

How To Apply

Prepare a one-page letter of motivation (no more than 500 words) that addresses the following 2 questions:

1. What is the relationship between archives and human rights?

2. SAHA’s central mission is to recapture lost and neglected histories and to record aspects of South African history in the making. Which SAHA project do you think fulfills this mission?

Submit the letter of motivation with your tow-page CV and contact details of atleast 2 professional referees to [email protected]