Human Rights & Advocacy Fellow — Domestic Militarization Watch

The Domestic Militarization Watch is a new initiative of PEP that tracks and exposes how military tactics, equipment, and federal forces are being deployed against communities within the United States. The Human Rights & Advocacy Fellow will focus on the human impacts of this trend—documenting civil liberties violations, racialized violence, and community resistance to militarized policing and surveillance.

This fellowship is ideal for students or emerging advocates passionate about civil rights, peacebuilding, or public policy, who want to transform research into meaningful advocacy.

Key Responsibilities

• Monitor and document incidents of militarized policing, troop deployments, and immigration enforcement in U.S. cities.
• Track and summarize human rights implications of these actions, including violations of protest rights and community targeting.
• Conduct interviews or gather verified testimonies from affected individuals and organizations (with consent).
• Draft human rights briefs, blog posts, and advocacy statements for publication on the PEP website and social media.
• Collaborate with the Research Fellow and Executive Director to produce the Quarterly Militarization Report.
• Support advocacy campaigns calling for demilitarization and the redirection of federal funds to social programs.
• Attend biweekly meetings to share findings and coordinate with other fellows.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate, graduate student, or early-career professional in Human Rights, Political Science, Sociology, International Relations, Public Policy, Law, or related field.
• Strong research, writing, and storytelling skills.
• Understanding of civil rights, police accountability, or community justice movements.
• Commitment to accuracy, ethics, and confidentiality when handling testimonies or sensitive information.
• Experience with advocacy writing, qualitative research, or coalition work is a plus.
• Alignment with PEP’s mission to replace militarization with community investment and peace.