Internship Programme

The European Forum for Restorative Justice (EFRJ) is a non-governmental organisation based within the walls of the KU Leuven Institute of Criminology (university in Belgium). It was founded in 2000 with the objective to further develop restorative justice throughout Europe. Its main goal is to ensure that every person in Europe has the right to access to high-quality restorative justice services at any stage of the criminal procedure and for any type of crime. Besides its application in the criminal justice field, the EFRJ also supports restorative practices in schools, communities, at workplace etc. Currently, it counts on the support of about 400 members, including 80 organisations, dedicated to restorative justice research, policy work, practice and training in Europe and beyond. Students (below 27 years old) can also apply for an individual membership with a 50% discount on the fee: click here to know more.

The EFRJ Secretariat is responsible for a wide range of activities, supported by a dynamic, small group of colleagues. Led by the Executive Director, the Secretariat is composed of different officers working on Events, Training, Policy Work, Projects, Finance, Communication and Administration. In addition to these main areas of work, the Secretariat coordinates the work of EFRJ members involved in about 10 Committees and Working Groups dedicated to the work of the organisation and/or on specific areas of application for restorative justice (e.g. violent extremism, gender-based violence, environmental justice, institutions, schools, cities). The EFRJ Secretariat executes the working plan proposed by the EFRJ Board (composed by 9 experts on restorative justice from different European countries), and co-financed by the Justice Programme of the European Commission.

For interns - The EFRJ internship is a meaningful opportunity for anyone showing interest in restorative justice and willing to offer their time and skills to the organisation. It is beneficial:

• to gain work experience in one of the largest and most prominent restorative justice networks  in Europe, 
• to gain insight into at least one of the key strategic areas and challenges the EFRJ is working with and into its approach to addressing these,
• to learn and develop additional skills and knowledge in the field of restorative justice and related areas, 
• to get practical experience on producing work materials and on the digital tools and platforms the EFRJ uses,
• to better shape one’s career path and understanding what job could fit one’s interests, 
• to have networking opportunities with international professionals working in the restorative justice field, 
• to have free access to (one of) the paying events of the EFRJ (in agreement with the EFRJ Secretariat),
• to have access to the EFRJ’s restorative justice resource centre in Leuven (for interns based in Leuven) and get support and advice for their individual research,
• to attain credits to complete studies (if agreed with your educational institution), and
• most importantly! to taste what it means working in a flexible and hospitable international team, collaborating and getting constructive feedback from an individual assigned mentor. 

For the EFRJ - The organisation benefits from the diversity, various skills and new ideas interns represent and bring to the organisation. In practice, interns are a valuable source of creativity and time commitment, supporting the work of the Secretariat by completing some tasks, proposing new ideas and involving new people in the EFRJ’s work. In the past, internship programmes served also to identify future employees: indeed, some staff members of the Secretariat started to work at the EFRJ (or at the KU Leuven, or with EFRJ members) thanks to their internship at the EFRJ. Note that no future employment with the organisation is assured. 

Interns form part of the team of the EFRJ Secretariat. Everyone is welcome to apply. The EFRJ respects, welcomes and appreciates diversity in all its forms:

• Profile - Interns can be students (enrolled at the university) or young people (entering the working world), as well as professionals who wish to switch career paths or gain new experiences. 
• Diversity and inclusion – Anyone between 18 and 99 is welcomed to join the EFRJ team, independently on their gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ethnicity, religion, physical (dis)abilities, etc. 

The only prerequisites required are:

• Commitment to the EFRJ’s mission, vision and goals;
• Fluency in English (oral and written skills);
• Basic IT user (emails; Word documents; Google apps).

Additional qualifications and skills may support applications, but these are not required to apply. Among others, the EFRJ Secretariat is interested in (one of) the following:

• A basic understanding of restorative justice;
• Fluency in languages other than English (e.g. French, Dutch, German, Spanish, Italian);
• Educational and/or professional background in relevant areas (criminal justice, social work, law, psychology, sociology, as well as in education and adult learning, management, administration, economy, etc.);
• Experience in research, policy work, training, events organisation, communication, administration, finances and fundraising;
• Capacity to use social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram) and/or photo/video editing programmes;
• Experience in working in an international environment and/or in a non-governmental organisation

Conditions of an internship are regulated in an internship agreement signed between the EFRJ and the intern, including the following details:

• Working place - Interns may work in person in the EFRJ office in Leuven (teleworking is permitted up to 50% of the working hours), or they can complete a remote internship, depending on the circumstances, type of work, EFRJ requests and individual needs. For applicants willing to move to Belgium, please note that the EFRJ cannot assist to obtain permits or help with relocation costs.
• Funding - Internships at the EFRJ are non-remunerated, but work related expenses (e.g. travel to EFRJ events) will be reimbursed upon previous agreement. The EFRJ may also assist the intern to get external financial support for the internship period (e.g. providing documents for an application).
• Time commitment - Internships are 4-6 months long (extendable to 1 year) and require a minimum work time of 15 hours/ week (negotiable on a case-to-case basis: lower or higher work time can be agreed on). 

Working language - The working language of the EFRJ is English. Occasionally (e.g. for training events delivered in a language other than English) other languages may be used.

Based on the profile/tasks of each intern, a staff member from the EFRJ Secretariat (hereafter “mentor”) will be appointed to lead the work and serve as main contact for the intern (e.g. for policy interns the Policy Officer, for communication interns the Communication Officer). The mentor will give guidance and access to all information necessary for carrying out the job.

Interns are expected to be part of the general teamwork of the organisation and to contribute to tasks that may be outside of their main area of interest (e.g. organisation of events, training events, meetings, administrative tasks). This will be discussed during the interview and noted in the signed internship agreement.

Interns may use the EFRJ office in the city centre of Leuven, that includes a vast collection of restorative justice publications (EFRJ resource centre), access to university facilities (e.g. library) and collaboration with researchers from the KU Leuven Institute of Criminology as well as with Leuven Restorative City. If needed, interns based in Leuven may be provided with a computer (to be confirmed in advance by the Secretariat). For all remote interns, the EFRJ offers the opportunity to join the international team and work in an inspiring and dynamic work environment, even with the virtual platforms.

At the end of the internship, an evaluation talk takes place between the intern and the mentor and/or the Executive Director. Written reports (e.g. for university or grant purposes), references and/or certificates of participation are provided upon request of the intern.

To better coordinate internships and to be able to assess in a transparent way all requests, the EFRJ Secretariat evaluates 2 times a year all applications received. This means that a general call for interns is always open, and short-listed applicants can expect a response within one month after the deadline:

•  Call for the autumn internship (deadline to apply: 15 April) for internship periods running from September to February (autumn semester);
• Call for the spring internship (deadline to apply: 15 October) for internship periods running from February to August (spring semester). 

Before each deadline, the EFRJ Secretariat discusses the needs and capacities for hosting an intern and makes a decision about the profile searched (e.g. policy intern, communication intern, research intern, administrative intern). The EFRJ Secretariat makes the selection, with the involvement of Board members if necessary. 

Please note that, within one month after the deadline, only short-listed applicants will be contacted and invited for an interview. Because of the large number of applications, the EFRJ Secretariat may not be able to give feedback to all applicants.

The EFRJ may host a maximum of 2 interns at a time.

For the general conditions and the desired profiles and skills of the interns, deadlines for application and selection procedure, see above. 

The EFRJ Secretariat will get in touch with you within one month after the deadline. You can expect 3 different scenarios:

• Shortlisted applicants - If your profile matches with the EFRJ Secretariat’s requirements, you will be invited for an (online) interview;
• Waiting list - If your profile matches with the EFRJ Secretariat’s requirements but we had already shortlisted 2 candidates, you will be placed on the waiting list and, in case during the first round of interviews someone will drop out, you will be contacted for an interview;
• Non-acceptance - If your profile does not match with the EFRJ Secretariat’s requirements, we may reject your application. In some cases, we may advise you on other (national/ international) organisations or institutions that may better fit your interests and skills.