idealist.org

People with experience conducting and analyzing qualitative and/or quantitative research are encouraged to apply for our research internships. We conducted an initial survey of the cooperatives in Barlovento in 2008 and we wish to develop panel data as well as expand our survey area. We are also interested in conducting other surveys as funding permits.

The Prout Research Institute needs people who are interested in applying their knowledge and skills to assisting cooperatives, rural development and economic democracy in Venezuela.

Benefits:
PRI Venezuela will:
• train you in the basics of Prout.
• teach you how the Institute and the larger Proutist Universal network functions.
• work collectively, where every idea counts. With time, your role in the team will evolve into what suits you.
• support your intellectual development and contributions to scholarly work.
• support your community outreach and education efforts.
• provide the opportunity to gain experience and improve your languge skills in an international office setting.
• provide practical experience and a forum for improving and expanding your skill set.
• provide a working environment that is clean, fair, safe, respectful of all, and free of any kind of exploitation.
• provide the opportunity to experience Venezuela.
• try to fairly resolve any problems, grievances or difficulties you may have while you volunteer with us.
• provide a spiritual environment including meditation and yoga classes to inspire you in your personal development.

One senior activist who visited us recently said, “If I was a young person, I would go to Venezuela for a couple of years, because this is where everything is happening!” The government's efforts to alleviate poverty and create a “New Socialism for the 21st Century” has resulted in significant advances in education and health care, and more than 66,000 cooperatives are functioning, the second largest number in any country, after China.

Who we are looking for:
All Interns must be flexible, self-motivated and ready to work as a positive team member in a collaborative environment. Interns are expected to work at least 40 hours a week, and are required to participate in daily yoga classes, group meditations, and chores including meal preparation and maintenance. We seek individuals of all ages and ethnicities to work in an environment that is clean, fair, safe, respectful of all, and free of any kind of exploitation.

The four most important criteria for choosing our interns and awarding scholarships are:
• Positive personality: We are especially interested in working with volunteers who have exhibited the following characteristics in their past endeavors: dedication, sincerity, enthusiasm, determination, self-discipline, self-motivation, cooperation, supportiveness , flexibility, a positive attitude and emotional stability as well as a willingness to work on multiple projects simultaneously.
• Skills, education, experience: We are seeking a wide range of people with different abilities. Please tell us how you envision your particular skill set benefiting our institute.
• Length of stay: While the length of commitment can vary, the longer a volunteer can stay, the more effectively they can assist with our projects. It can take several months for a volunteer to develop Venezuelan contacts and become oriented in the Institute, Caracas and Venezuela. Additionally, our staff invests time training our interns and volunteers, so we prefer to accept people who can commit to working for six months to a year.
• Spanish ability: Your capacity to work independently here is very much related to your ability to communicate. Thus, the more fluent you are in Spanish, the better. If you are not yet fluent, your dedication and self-discipline to study intensively every day until you are is important to us.

To begin our application process, please email your resume and a letter expressing the reasons why you want to work at the institute. Please send copies in both English and Spanish. Please describe how you put your ideals into action in your individual life and your previous relevant experiences, as well as your long term availability. As is the custom in Europe and the norm in Venezuela, please include your nationality, dob, and recent headshot. Applications and letters should be sent to: priv@prout.org or branchm1@gmail.com.
We will e-mail potential candidates a questionnaire that must be completed and returned to us. After we receive and review your responses to our questionnaire we will schedule interviews for potential staff members with PRI´s Director as well as the President of the Institute. For those who are not in Venezuela, the interviews will be done by telephone. In most cases, the applicant will be responsible for telephoning PRI. When a new volunteer is chosen, a starting date will be mutually agreed upon. The new volunteer will have to provide his or her own transportation to Caracas.