The Rainforest Agribusiness Campaign is looking for a dynamic, self motivated individual who is passionate about making the world a better place. We need such an individual to help our team hold America’s largest agribusiness companies—Archer Daniels Midland, Bunge, and Cargill—responsible for social and environmental devastation caused by the soy and palm oil plantations in tropical ecosystems around the world.
Key roles and functions
- Working with the Rainforest Agribusiness team would involve the following:
- Grassroots Organizing
- Help to develop materials and put together grassroots toolkits
- Send out toolkits, and follow up with those who have received them
- Support grassroots supporters in sending letters directly to the company
Research:
- Research legal implications of our grassroots actions
- Research sustainability of palm oil alternatives
- Research bank financing of soy and palm oil plantations/expansion in tropical ecosystems
- Other research as needed
Communication with companies:
- Follow up with companies on letters sent by the Ag Team
- Follow up with companies who self-identify as being interested in signing on to a pledge to not use palm oil
- Help develop “Palm Oil Free Buyer’s Guide”
Direct Action/ Days of Action:
- Help plan our Week of Action in May
- Palm oil free holidays—i.e. the 4th of July)
- Website support (as needed)
- Support and assist the campaign team with key tasks and responsibilities
- Provide support to other teams and departments in RAN, when required
Qualifications
RAN is hoping to recruit a significant number of interns who represent the diversity of the society we live in. People of color, gay, lesbian, transgender, frontline and working class communities are strongly encouraged to apply. The ideal intern candidate have keen interest issues such as international food and fuel systems, agrofuels (industrial scale biofuels), and the rights of indigenous and other frontline communities. Ideally, the candidate would have interest in grassroots organizing and working directly with US-based communities who support our work. Must have enthusiasm to work as part of a fast-paced and dynamic team!
RAN Benefits
The intern position is strictly a volunteer position. However, RAN will provide some funds to assist with the costs of local public transportation to and from the RAN office.
Benefits of being a RAN intern include:
- Working with, and learning from, a team of dedicated and experienced activists.
- Working with an office full of creative and fun people.
- Learning campaigning and organizing skills, including corporate campaign strategies and tactics (development and implementation), communications and media strategies, grassroots organizing, non-violent direct action, meeting facilitation and activist training, online organizing and web communications.
- Learning about the issues: climate change, coal and fossil fuels industries, private banks, energy solutions, climate justice and local, national and international movements for social change.
- Opportunities to participate in exciting events, including activist gatherings and conferences, training camps, direct actions and protests, creative social events.
- Making a real difference in the world today!
