Serbia & Kosovo

Overview

This remote virtual internship and seminar invites you to explore transitional justice, human rights, and memory studies in post-conflict societies. You will first attend a series of lectures introducing the sociopolitical and historical context of the Balkans in recent decades, including the break-up of Yugoslavia, the wars of the 1990s, and post-war processes of transition as related to peacebuilding and social change. You will be introduced to the work of local civil society actors including those engaging in memory activism, human rights, and other forms of engaged citizenship. Following this introduction, you will be matched with a local organization and mentor to complete a 12-week online internship, which includes a weekly online reflection session.

You will be expected to devote approximately 12-15 hours a week both on synchronous and asynchronous course activities. Synchronous activities may include orientation sessions, seminar country and theme specific lectures, initial meetings with your internship advisor, group reflection sessions, and project presentations. Frequency, duration, and scheduling of synchronous activities will be determined the first week of the course in conversation with participants to find mutually convenient times. In the event that a student cannot attend a live session, every effort will be made to provide a recording, transcript, or summary for off-line viewing.

Asynchronous activities may include seat time at your internship, break-out groups, check-ins with your Academic Director, internship coordinator and your internship mentor, writing progress reports, discussion boards, completing assignments and a final paper, and using audio or video to record reflections on the internship experience. Students are required to demonstrate a strong online presence by participating in group discussions, answering questions, and interacting with course participants and staff.

Highlights

• Work with leading civil society organizations from Serbia and Kosovo. 
• Gain professional, intercultural experience through a virtual internship.
• Learn about issues of justice and memory in southeast Europe, the western Balkans and Serbia and/or Kosovo.
• Contribute to the work of local groups and their quest for social justice, human rights, and the right to memory. 

Prerequisites

None.