Intern working on European advocacy – access to healthcare for excluded groups

The European project coordinator of the International Network (Doctors of the world - Médecins du monde) is looking for an intern (based in Brussels) who can assist in drawing the attention of European decision makers to the health needs of excluded groups.
CONTEXT OF THE INTERNSHIP:
Despite the subsidiarity of Member States in matters of health, the European Commission plays an increasingly important role when it comes to protecting access to healthcare for the most vulnerable: through the European Semester and country-specific recommendations on healthcare reforms; as a member of the Troika negotiating the terms of financial help for countries that are in an excessive debt procedure; and as an actor organising the exchange of best practices concerning public healthcare policy between Member States. The newly elected Members of the European Parliament, on the other hand, will need to work closely with the Commission in order to limit the negative consequences of the economic and financial crisis on access to healthcare. MdM also urges MEPs to keep up the fight against xenophobia, hate speech and scapegoating, both within the EP and when they meet national politicians, decision makers and Member State representatives. The Strasbourg Council of Europe also has an important role to play in the protection of fundamental rights in Europe, without forgetting health professionals: discriminatory access to healthcare goes against their professional ethics.
TASKS:

•  Drafting of policy reports, notably on children’s access to healthcare across Europe (compiling already existing information collected by MdM and partners), and on a mapping of (inter)national legal frameworks that concern age determination techniques of asylum seekers;
•  Mapping recent changes in national legislation concerning the access to healthcare for specific groups (e.g. undocumented migrants, destitute EU citizens);
•  Keeping track of the EP legislative agenda and identifying interesting opportunities that allow highlighting excluded groups’ health needs;
•  Regular participation in Brussels-based meetings and events (civil society, EP, etc.) in order to take notes and produce summaries of the events;
•  Regular updating of our European contact database;
•  Depending on the intern’s profile, (s)he will also manage other smaller projects.

PROFILE
Absolute requirements

•  Master in Political Science or Master in Law degree (or healthcare professionals with equivalent experience);
•  Proficiency in both oral and written English;
•  Sense of organisation, rigour, pragmatism, strong autonomy, adaptability, sense of initiative;
•  Strong writing and synthetic skills;
•  Strong commitment to Doctors of the World values;
•  Candidates should at least be available for 3 months (but longer periods are possible);

Optional (but bringing added value to the intern’s application)

•  Having had direct working experiences with excluded groups;
•  Complementary trainings such as Anthropology, Sociology, International Law of Human Rights, Humanitarian International Law, European Law, etc.
•  A working knowledge of French

OFFER:
No financial remuneration is offered, excepted a reimbursement limited to local transportation costs, plus 4€ / working day;
Possibility to work on a Master thesis with a subject related to the internship;
Interesting working environment in which internship coaching is taken seriously – learning points and internship goals to be discussed during recruitment.
Internship starting in October or November 2014 – applications open until 18/09/2014 – interviews will be held in the week from 22-26/09/2014 in Brussels or via Skype – earliest internship starting date is 13/10/2014
APPLICATION (CV & LETTER): http://www.medecinsdumonde.be/vacatures/siege-intern-working-european-advo...