Home>Beth, Research, Campaigns, and Communications Assistant at Amnesty International
29.06.2022
Beth, Research, Campaigns, and Communications Assistant at Amnesty International
Coming from England, Beth Munro has Graduated in Human Rights and Humanitarian Action. She is now working at Amnesty International in Tunis as >Research, Campaigns, and Communications Assistant (RCCA) for Algeria, Morocco/Western Sahara and Tunisia.
What is your role and main responsibilities?
As RCCA, I monitor human rights abuses occurring in Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and the Western Sahara. I interview victims of human rights abuses, their families and lawyers and write public statements, press releases and urgent actions calling on governments to respect, protect and fulfil their human rights obligations. I also work with the relief team to provide direct support to victims of human rights abuses.
How did you secure this role?
I volunteered on the Algeria and Morocco/WS teams for my 2nd year internship experience while at Sciences Po. After completing my Masters, I was hired as a consultant to produce the annual report entries for Algeria and Morocco/WS. One year later, the RCCA position opened and I went through a rigorous recruitment process, including two interviews and an Arabic language test, to secure my current role.
What is the most fascinating and/or surprising aspect at your role?
The most interesting and rewarding aspect of my job is interviewing people and talking to them about the human rights abuses they have suffered at the hands of the state and then turning their stories into calls to the government to end human rights violations and uphold their commitments under international and national human rights laws. I am happy to be part of such a large global organization and love meeting colleagues from different teams and departments, such as the UN advocacy teams, law and policy and tech teams.
How did your PSIA experience help you with the role?
PSIA taught me about the workings of different international organisations including the UN and European systems. Sacha Koulaeva's course on Foundations of Human Rights Work gave me incredibly valuable practical skills in campaign planning and management. I also developed my French and Arabic skills while at Sciences Po which been of tremendous value to me both in this role and for my life in Tunisia.
What advice would you give to others?
While at Sciences Po, try to connect with students and professors on different courses, or with different specialisms, and don't be afraid to ask to meet for a coffee to talk about their career paths. You never know what useful nuggets you could learn or which throw-away phrase could change your own direction.
