Research Intern

Title: Research Intern

Department: Monitoring and Documentation Department, Al-Haq

Unit: Forensic Architecture Investigation Unit, FAI Unit.

Reports to: Senior Researcher

Contract Type: 3 Months Only

Hours: 40h/ week

Type of Contract: National - Palestinian citizens or resident of the OPT

Main Duty Station and Location: Ramallah, Palestine

Expected start date: December 2024

About Al-Haq

Al-Haq is an independent Palestinian non-governmental human rights organization based in Ramallah, West Bank. Established in 1979 to protect and promote human rights and the rule of law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), the organization has special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

Al-Haq documents violations of the individual and collective rights of Palestinians in the OPT, irrespective of the perpetrator's identity, and seeks to end such breaches by way of advocacy before national and international mechanisms and by holding the violators accountable. The organization conducts research; prepares reports, studies, and interventions on breaches of international human rights and humanitarian law in the OPT; and undertakes advocacy before local, regional and international bodies. Al-Haq also cooperates with Palestinian civil society organizations and governmental institutions in order to ensure that international human rights standards are reflected in Palestinian law and policies. The organization has a specialized international law library for the use of its staff and the local community.

About the Forensic Architecture Investigation Unit at Al-Haq

The Forensic Architecture Investigation Unit (FAI) is a multidisciplinary team within Al-Haq that utilizes cutting-edge spatial analysis, photogrammetry, and architectural tools to document and investigate human rights violations in Palestine. The unit focuses on cases involving killings, demolitions, and settler violence across the occupied Palestinian territory, including the West Bank and Gaza, exposing the systemic nature of Israeli violations. Our team combines expertise in 3D modelling, video analysis, and audio forensics to create detailed visual evidence of violence under Israel's settler-colonial apartheid regime. As a specialized unit within Al-Haq, FAI supports broader legal and advocacy efforts by providing meticulously documented evidence for court cases, media outlets, and international legal mechanisms. Our work enhances Al-Haq’s ability to hold perpetrators accountable by combining on-the-ground field research with advanced spatial and technological methods. The Unit also contributes to public discourse through exhibitions and multimedia platforms that amplify Palestinian experiences under Israel’s settler-colonial apartheid regime. Unlike other open-source investigation teams, we integrate Al-Haq’s well-established ground-truth practices into our methodologies, focusing on understanding the broader context of each incident. We priorities testimonies from the ground, which are then corroborated with spatial and scientific evidence to provide a comprehensive understanding of events. This commitment to contextualization and collaboration with local witnesses strengthens the role of individuals in shaping their own realities and futures. It also underscores Al-Haq’s mission to protect the rights of the Palestinian people and achieve self-determination. Our work is unique, as it is deeply rooted in the lived realities of life under settler-colonial apartheid and illegal occupation.

About the Training

The FAI Unit’s training program offers a unique 3-month opportunity for young architects and recent graduates who are versatile, proactive, and eager to engage with cutting-edge technologies to investigate human rights and environmental violations in Palestine. This second round of the program will focus on open-source investigation (OSINT) and cartographic analysis, centering on incidents related to the ongoing Israeli offensive in Gaza.

Under the supervision of the unit’s coordinator and lead researcher, trainees will be guided through a comprehensive process that includes learning and applying OSINT tools, 3D modeling, spatial analysis, and investigative methodologies. The program is designed to provide participants with hands-on experience in all phases of an investigation: from the initial conceptualization of a case to its development, analysis, and the final production and presentation of findings.

In the first three weeks of the program, trainees will receive intensive training in OSINT and cartographic analysis techniques. Following this, they will actively participate in documenting and archiving incidents on the ground, contributing to a growing database intended for use in accountability cases and advocacy efforts.

The ideal candidate should possess skills in 3D modeling, spatial analysis, and/or open-source investigative research. A strong conceptual aptitude for formulating research questions and the capacity to learn new software and techniques are essential. Teamwork, conscientiousness, and a commitment to ethical and politically informed research are also key requirements.

This program invites participants to engage not only as contributors but as critical thinkers who can help cross-check and consolidate research, ensuring that findings are robust and actionable. It’s an opportunity to work at the intersection of technology, human rights, and accountability while contributing to impactful advocacy efforts in the region.

جميع الحقوق محفوظة لموقع جوبس.

Main duties:

1. Research source and archival material.
2. Assist in analyzing and interpreting data.
3. Conducting Geolocation and Mapping analysis in Gaza.
4. Undertake technical work, including producing 3D models, animations, and video editing.
5. Organization of research files and data.
6. Assist in presenting research findings in a clear and creative manner.
7. Report on the progress of his/her work to his/her line manager and possibly to the rest of the FAI Unit’s team.
8. Undertake any other duties as may reasonably be required.
9. At all times to help maintain a safe working environment by participating in training as necessary.

Person Specification

Detailed below is the types of qualifications, experience, skills, and knowledge that are required of the post holder. Selection will be made upon evidence of best-fit with these criteria.

Minimum Organizational Requirements

Education:  Bachelor’s degree in architecture, design, or a relevant field

Work experience: Minimum one year

Technical and Functional Experience:

1. Minimum one year – six months of experience or training in architecture, design.
2. Experience or training in 3D modeling and animating architectural environments. Past experience may include working within an architectural practice, academic research environment, working with NGOs, investigative journalism, conducting fieldwork, exhibiting or participating in art galleries and museums, political organizing, and activism.
3. Research experience or training.
4. Knowledge of architectural, spatial, urban, and/or environmental theory and methods; visualization, and aesthetic strategies.
5. Knowledge of theories around politics or human rights or law or conflict studies.
6. Software proficiencies: 3D modeling (Blender), Adobe Suite (especially After Effects and Premiere Pro), and mapping (QGIS).
7. Be rigorous, communicative, capable of multi-tasking, willing to learn, and have a keen eye for detail.
8. Good written and oral communication skills.
9. Able to work independently with supervision but also as part of a dynamic team when required.

Required Competencies

 Core values:

1. Integrity
2. Professionalism
3. Respect for diversity and gender equality
4. Commitment

Core competencies:

1. Planning and organizing
2. Communication and trust
3. Team orientation
4. Pro-active and innovative
5. Time management
6. Organization skills

Languages: Fluency in written and spoken Arabic and English is required.

Contact and Application process

Please submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, portfolio of previous works and contact information for three references before 5 December 2024 to: [email protected]

Please use “FAI Internship Program” as the subject of your email.

NOTE: Only complete applications will be reviewed and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Al-Haq is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate in its hiring practices.