Internships in International Affairs

Looking for more internships in International Affairs? Check out the most recent internship postings in International Affairs.

Below you'll find all of the companies that we've covered that may offer internships in International Affairs. You can also look at entry level jobs in International Affairs.

Global Financial Integrity Logo

I love shows like The Wire, Breaking Bad, and The Sopranos. One common theme in all of those shows is money laundering. When you earn a lot of money illegally, you have to find a way to make it “clean.” While pop culture has made me well aware that money laundering happens on a large scale domestically, I had no idea how big the problem is for developing countries. Not only do these nations have to deal with the initial problem of criminal activity, but they also have to deal with the fact that these activities are sucking money out of their economies. Global Financial Integrity is a non-profit organization that is working to stop this. They are based in Washington, DC, and they promote “national and multilateral policies, safeguards, and agreements aimed at curtailing the cross-border flow of illegal money.”

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Bipartisan Policy Center

by on February 8, 2014

Bipartisan Policy Center Logo

We can all agree… that we can all agree on some things sometimes–even when it comes to politics. I tend to like when the disagreement between the two parties locks things up because it means that the government won’t be able to break anything else; however, I understand that occasionally we need our government to actually accomplish something. The Bipartisan Policy Center is a Washington, DC based non-profit that encourages the two parties to work together on important issues where ideological differences can be worked through. The organization was “founded in 2007 by former Senate Majority Leaders Howard Baker, Tom Daschle, Bob Dole and George Mitchell,” so it truly is a bipartisan effort.

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Partners of the Americas

by on November 24, 2013

Partners of the Americas Logo

In 1961 John F. Kennedy initiated the Alliance for Progress, “a 10-year, multibillion-dollar aid program for Latin America.” The goal was to revitalize relations with our neighbors. In 1964 Partners of the Americas was founded “as the people-to-people component of the Alliance for Progress.” It’s a Washington, DC based non-profit that works to “build partnerships that create opportunity, foster understanding, and solve real-life problems.” This is done through a chapter model that encourages countries and states to build north-south partnerships.

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American Council of Young Political Leaders

I used to be really interested in politics, but over the past decade I’ve come to the realization that business is usually a better way to enact positive change than public policy is. While I might have lost most of the faith I had in the political process, I still realize that it’s necessary for a functioning society. The only way that it’s going to get better is for better people to go into politics. American Council of Young Political Leaders is a Washington, DC based non-profit (big surprise there) that is “recognized as the pre-eminent catalyst for introducing rising political and policy professionals to international affairs and to each other.” The organization was founded in 1966 by leaders from both American political parties because they saw how important fostering cooperation and understanding could be at the height of the Cold War.

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Americas Society/Council of the Americas Logo

While the USA may be the only country with America in its name, it’s not the only country in the Americas. Our region encompasses much of the Western Hemisphere and has an amazing diversity of geographies, cultures, people, and more. While most of us seem to get along pretty well compared to other parts of the world (at least recently we have), it’s still important to foster an even better inter-American relationship. That’s exactly what Americas Society/Council of the Americas does. They are two New York, NY based non-profits in one that aim to improve relations across the Americas. The Americas Society “is the premier forum dedicated to education, debate, and dialogue in the Americas,” while the Council of the Americas “is the premier international business organization whose members share a common commitment to economic and social development, open markets, the rule of law, and democracy throughout the Western Hemisphere.”

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Center for Clean Air Policy Logo

When I think about the environment, I usually think about water quality. That’s because I’m a fisherman, and the ecosystems that I practice my sport in are particularly sensitive. Air quality issues are much easier to ignore because they’re usually not as immediately apparent (until you run into a 100 degree day with an air quality advisory and can’t breathe). Yet the fight for clean air may be the environmental cause that is most important during our lifetime. That’s certainly what the people at the Center for Clean Air Policy think. The CCAP is a Washington, DC based non-profit that is “a recognized world leader in climate and air quality policy and is the only independent, nonprofit think tank working exclusively on those issues at the local, U.S. national and international levels.”

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Group of Fifty

by on May 19, 2013

Group of Fifty Logo

Latin America is a region with amazing economic potential. I haven’t spent a ton of time there, but I’ve spent enough to know that the business climate is very different from the U.S., and can vary significantly from country to country. Still, the economies of Latin American countries are very closely tied to each other, and that makes it extremely important that there is cooperation and communication amongst the business community. The Group of Fifty is a Washington, DC based non-profit that is made up of select “business leaders who head some of the most significant and forward-looking enterprises in Latin America.” The organization provides “a forum for the leaders of the region’s most important companies to address changes as they appear in different sectors and markets, to hear from their peers in other countries about alternative business strategies, and to compare experiences and exchange ideas about the future of the hemisphere, its economies and its politics.”

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Youth For Understanding USA Logo

I’m pretty sure that I’ve run out of football related non-profits to write about. For past Super Bowls I’ve covered the National Football Foundation, the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund, USA Football, and even the NFL (which is technically a non-profit). I’ve even taken the advertising angle with Common Sense Media and the Advertising Research Foundation. (We also covered World Vision which gives away the loser’s championship gear to developing countries.) So even though football is on my mind, we’re going to go in a completely different direction. When I was in college my parents and sister decided to replace me with a basketball (not football or American football) playing Italian exchange student who came through AFS. It was a wonderful experience for all of us. Youth For Understanding USA is a Bethesda, MD based non-profit foreign exchange organization similar to AFS that is “committed to preparing young people for their responsibilities and opportunities in a changing, interdependent world.”

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Inter-American Dialogue

by on January 19, 2013

Inter-American Dialogue Logo

The United States’ foreign policy these days seems to have a pretty heavy focus on countries that are about as far away as geographically possible. Our relationships with China, India, and much of the Middle East tend to get more attention (especially in the press) than our relationships with our closest neighbors. Technology has made the world a much smaller place, but it’s still important to keep an eye on our own backyard. That’s what Inter-American Dialogue does. They’re a Washington, DC based non-profit that is “the leading U.S. center for policy analysis, exchange, and communication on issues in Western Hemisphere affairs.”

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Center for The National Interest Logo

There’s currently a lot happening on the foreign policy front, and it’s hard to imagine a future where foreign policy isn’t even more important than it is now. Our world has become extremely interconnected, and it’s becoming more and more important that we get along with our neighbors. There are all kinds of non-profits working on these issues, and one is the Center for The National Interest, which is based in Washington, DC. The organization was founded by former President Nixon as the Nixon Center for Peace and Freedom, but they rebranded in 2011. They typically take the Realist perspective (here’s the Wikipedia article) on foreign policy, which is based on the belief “that mankind is not inherently benevolent but rather self-centered and competitive.”

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U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress Logo

Judging from the current approval ratings, the American people are planning on making a lot more former members of Congress in the upcoming election. Since a group of people with an overall 80% disapproval rating might struggle to find work after they’re relieved of their jobs, we’ll need to find something for all of them to do. Luckily, there’s the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress, which is a Washington, DC based non-profit organization that “utilizes the unique skill sets of its 600 members to provide pro bono public service programs and initiatives both at home and abroad.” Apparently, the organization used to be just a “conduit to keep former Members in touch with each other and create social activities” but has evolved to be something far more valuable. As much as I like to make fun of members of Congress, I realize that they’re for the most part extremely smart people with exceptional experience and political leverage. That’s a valuable combination, and a non-profit is a great place to put it to work.

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InterAction

by on July 14, 2012

InterAction Logo

One of the most impressive things about the United States is how much we do for the rest of the world. We may do our fair share of messing things up and meddling in other people’s business, but the amount of aid that comes out of this country is truly remarkable. There are all kinds of organizations that are doing a variety of things to help the developing world. Many of these organizations are members of InterAction, a Washington, DC based non-profit that “seeks to shape important policy decisions on relief and long term development issues, including foreign assistance, the environment, women, health, education and agriculture.” They represent more than 190 member organizations that combine to do work in nearly every developing country. All of InterAction’s member organizations share the goal of a “peaceful, just and prosperous world of nations with inclusive and sustainable societies.”

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World Economic Forum

by on March 4, 2012

The World Economic Forum Logo

I think it’s pretty mind blowing how interconnected the world economies have become during my lifetime. While international trade has existed for many thousands of years, never before have people had to rely so heavily on the production of others half way around the world. I generally think this is a great thing, but many issues come along with the growth. The World Economic Forum is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1971 by Klaus Schwab in Geneva, Switzerland to be “committed to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas.” The World Economic Forum, which also has offices in New York, NY and Beijing, China, is probably best known for its annual meeting at Davos where they bring together some of the world’s most important leaders to engage on some of the most pressing issues.

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Results for Development Institute Logo

The word “results” is extremely common in the business world, but you don’t hear it as much in the non-profit world. That is changing, but I still hear a lot of my friends griping about how ineffective the non-profits they’ve worked in have been. My guess (and hope) is that that’s not a problem at Results for Development Institute in Washington, DC considering that they have “results” in their name. They’re a non-profit organization that “delivers policy analysis, critical information, decision-making tools, and policy advice for governments, civil society organizations, and external funders to use to reduce poverty and accelerate social and economic progress in low and middle income countries.” It’s all about finding the levers that will deliver the highest impact and then finding the right way to pull them.

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International Foundation for Electoral Systems Logo

Although the United States may not have invented democracy, but we certainly made it popular. That’s not to say that we always get it right, but we’ve built a model of government that has inspired a lot of people (the people who work within that model aren’t nearly as inspirational). Our nation went through a brutal war to achieve the system that we have in place, and now we’re watching similar processes happy in many places across the world. The International Foundation for Electoral Systems or IFES is a non-profit organization that “promotes democratic stability by providing technical assistance and applying field-based research to the electoral cycle in countries around the world to enhance citizen participation and strengthen civil societies, governance and transparency.” They’re based out of Washington, DC, but they obviously do a ton of work internationally. IFES has been around for just under 15 years, and they’ve already worked in more than 100 countries.

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Atlantic Council

by on July 31, 2011

Atlantic Council Logo

Our country’s relationship with Europe started off pretty rocky. There were all kinds of conflicts including the French and Indian War, the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Spanish American War, and plenty of others. It wasn’t really until after World Wars I and II that U.S-Europe relations really began to stabilize. That’s why in 1961 The Atlantic Council was founded. They are a Washington, DC based think tank that “promotes constructive U.S. leadership and engagement in international affairs based on the central role of the Atlantic community in meeting the international challenges of the 21st century.” Over the organization’s 50 years its mission and programs have evolved, but they remain focused on maintaining a constructive trans-Atlantic dialogue.

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Institute for the Study of War Logo

Despite the fact that most of us probably don’t even think about it on a daily basis, we are a country at war. Formally, the War in Afghanistan is the only current war that the United States is fighting since hostilities in Iraq officially ended on August 31, 2010; however, the reality is that we still are actively engaged in Iraq and Syria now too. Military policy continues to be an extremely important part of what our government does, and it’s essential that our leaders are well prepared to make important decisions regarding these conflicts. The Institute for the Study of War is a Washington, DC based non-profit organization that was founded in 2007 to do just that. The organization “produces strictly non-partisan, non-ideological, fact- based research” and aims “to promote an informed understanding of war and military affairs through comprehensive, independent, and accessible open-source research and analysis.”

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Freedom House

by on May 21, 2011

Freedom House Logo

So far it seems that 2011 has been a pretty good year for freedom across the world. We’ve seen dictators overthrown, terrorists brought to justice, and finally got a new mayor in Chicago after 22 years (I kid). But every time progress is made somewhere in the world, it seems that another part of the world takes a step back. Because the fight for freedom is constantly changing, it’s important to keep track of how things are progressing across the world. That’s exactly what Freedom House does. They’re a Washington, DC based non-profit organization that “supports democratic change, monitors freedom, and advocates for democracy and human rights.” As they put it, they’re all about combining analysis, advocacy, and action. The organization was founded in 1941 and has a very interesting history that you should definitely read up on.

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Sister Cities International Logo

Everybody feels for Japan right now. Earthquakes, tsunamis, and potential nuclear meltdowns are scary enough on their own, but I can’t imagine dealing with all three at the same time. Luckily, Japan is both economically and technologically strong enough to have been well prepared to deal with such disasters. But that doesn’t mean that they don’t need our support. Plenty will come from our federal government, but there will also be support sent from city to city. Why? Because of the relationships formed through Sister Cities International, a Washington, DC based non-profit organization that aims to “promote peace through mutual respect, understanding and cooperation–one individual, one community at a time.” They pair cities across the world to be sister cities (smaller cities may have one sister city while larger cities could have dozens). For instance Riverside, CA is Sendai, Japan’s (the epicenter of the earthquake) sister city, so the people in Riverside are already working to coordinate their part in the relief effort for Sendai. It’s exactly the “people-to-people, citizen diplomacy initiative” that President Eisenhower proposed in 1956.

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The Washington Media Scholars Program is an exciting case competition run by a wonderful non-profit. If you enter, you’ll have a chance at a scholarship, a trip to DC, networking opportunities, and even extra credit for a class. Find out how to enter here.

National Bureau of Asian Research Logo

I really hope that I get to travel to Asia at some point in my life, especially Japan. I think it would be fascinating to experience a society that is quite similar to the United States in terms of its economy and technology, yet so different culturally. When I think about it, I’m amazed at how far America’s relationship with Asian countries has come over the past 70 or so years. We’ve gone from wars with Japan, Korea, and Vietnam to economic battles with Japan and China. Now our economy is deeply intertwined with that of China, and the fight against Communism is nearly forgotten. Even though our country’s relationships with Asian countries have changed over the years, it’s still extremely important that we work to understand them better. That’s what the National Bureau of Asian Research is all about. They’re a Seattle, WA based non-profit organization that “conducts advanced independent research on strategic, political, economic, globalization, health, and energy issues affecting U.S. relations with Asia.” They were founded in 1989 when the landscape was quite different from what it is today, but their mission is just as relevant.

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BodyBuilding.com

by on January 10, 2011

BodyBuilding.com Logo

Does anyone else find it vexing that gyms get completely packed in the first few weeks of January? I have a lot of respect for people who use the new year to motivate themselves into getting in shape, and I’m certainly approaching my workouts with more energy than I was in December, but I hate the crowds. Last month I mentioned that I was reading Tim Ferriss’ new book, The 4-Hour Body. I recently finished it, and it has encouraged me to try some new things at the gym. One of the suggestions that I’m excited to try is “kettlebell swings.” They were a bit hard to understand until I saw a video of how to do them in one of Tim’s blog posts. The video was hosted on BodyBuilding.com, and when I went to check the site out I saw a link to a Careers section at the bottom of the page. I started looking around, and I learned that the Boise, ID based company is the most visited bodybuilding and fitness site in the world, the #1 sports nutrition e-commerce site, one of the top 500 e-commerce sites in America, and a former Inc. 500 company. I knew that online fitness could be big business, but I had no idea that BodyBuilding.com owned such a dominant place in the market.

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USAID Logo

During my vacation I’ve been reading a number of books including President Bush’s Decision Points. I’ve enjoyed it so far, and the chapter on Afghanistan reminded me to take a look at the U.S. Agency for International Development (better known as USAID), which a reader recommended I write about a few months ago. They are “the principal U.S. agency to extend assistance to countries recovering from disaster, trying to escape poverty, and engaging in democratic reforms.” Right now they’re playing a huge role in moderating the impact of the war in Afghanistan on civilians, while they’re also heavily focused on helping those in Pakistan who have been affected by the earthquake. While USAID’s budget is less than one half of one percent of the federal budget, their impact feels much greater.

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Lloyd’s of London

by on September 3, 2010

Lloyd's of London Logo

I still have a lot of Inc. 500 companies to look over as I try to find you all internships; in fact, I haven’t even reached #50 yet. I’ve passed up quite a few companies that look interesting, but don’t have any internships right now; however, one company with no jobs page at allreally caught my attention—Exceptional Risk Advisors. They are high limit disability insurance experts, and reading about them made me instantly think of Lloyd’s of London, which has plenty of internships (though most of them are in the United Kingdom). Lloyd’s of London is behind every cool insurance policy that you’ve ever heard of. They’ve issued a $1 million policy on Troy Polamalu’s hair, as well as policies on Celine Dion’s vocal chords, Keith Richards’ fingers, and Tina Turner’s legs. According to Wikipedia, Lloyd’s of London isn’t actually a company, but a “meeting place where multiple financial backers, underwriters, or members come together to pool and spread risk.” If it helps, you can pretend it’s a company. Anyway, Lloyd’s of London has a long and storied history, as they got their start by serving mostly people in the shipping and maritime industries.

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Bridging Nations

by on June 19, 2010

Bridging Nations Logo

International relations is becoming more and more important. There is just too much to gain from cooperation across borders for us not to put a lot of effort in developing international relationships. That’s why Bridging Nations exists. They’re a Washington, DC based non-profit organization that uses education to build bridges between nations through education. Their target audience is “leaders in government, business, and the non-profit sector,” and the organization’s message is focused on “promoting an informed, multifaceted forum of exchange.” The end goal is to promote policies that create mutual benefit for people across nations. By bringing together economics, leadership, and technology, Bridging Nations thinks that they can build relationships that will make everyone better off.

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German Marshall Fund of the United States Logo

Time for a little Sunday morning history lesson. Who remembers the Marshall Plan from history class? It was a plan for rebuilding Western Europe after World War II that was named for Secretary of State George Marshall. In the four years that the plan was active, the U.S. gave $13 billion in aid to a number of European countries. You can get the full rundown on Wikipedia, but those are the basics. This may have been a goodwill gesture, but it was also self-serving. By financing much of Europe’s reconstruction, the US was able to influence the direction that these European governments were taking. That’s important when you’ve just fought a war to oust fascists who were able to gain control due to a power vacuum created by an insufficient resolution to a previous war. Of course, the Marshall Plan didn’t prevent the Cold War, but it did create a much more favorable situation for the U.S. It also helped Germany recover more quickly, and for that they thanked us with the German Marshall Fund of the United States, “a gift from Germany as a permanent memorial to Marshall Plan assistance.” It was a gift of of DM 150 million, and it now lives on as a Washington, DC based non-profit organization that “is dedicated to the promotion of greater understanding and common action between Europe and the United States.”

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Just Vision

by on May 15, 2010

Just Vision Logo

Sometimes you need a little recognition to keep working hard at something. Yes, we glorify those who keep persevering in anonymity, but there’s almost no better way to motivate someone than to recognize him or her for a job well done. That’s exactly what Just Vision is trying to do for “Palestinian and Israeli civilians working to end the conflict.” The media rarely talks about them. It focuses on the violence and the conflicts. This is typical of the press—the people who behave badly get their message out, while the people who keep quiet and do the right thing have to beg for a little bit of coverage. Just Vision, which is based in Washington, DC, is an organization fully focused on shining light on the positive news stories about Israeli and Palestinian civic leaders who are working for peace. Just Vision does this with the goal of making these leaders more “visible, valued and influential in their efforts.”

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Bank Information Center Logo

You’ve probably heard of the World Bank, but do you know what it is? Now’s a good time to head over to Wikipedia to find out. The short version is that they’re “an international financial institution that provides leveraged loans to developing countries for capital programs” with the goal of reducing poverty. Bank Information Center is a Washington, DC based non-profit that helps “developing and transitioning countries to influence the World Bank and other international financial institutions to promote social and economic justice and ecological sustainability.” Basically that means that they work at the local level in countries across the world to make sure that the interests of the people are represented in the decisions of international financial institutions. Their aim is to democratize development.

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Council on Foreign Relations Logo

What happens when you put Angelina Jolie together with a suspected conspiracy to create a “one-world government?” No, it’s not an upcoming movie release. It’s actually a non-profit organization called the Council on Foreign Relations. They are “an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher dedicated to being a resource for its members, government officials, business executives, journalists, educators and students, civic and religious leaders, and other interested citizens in order to help them better understand the world and the foreign policy choices facing the United States and other countries.” They can claim Angelina Jolie as a member, and because of their secrecy clauses and interesting membership requirements (and the fact that so many high-ranking government officials are members), people get all kinds of ideas about Council on Foreign Relations. In fact, Wikipedia says that “some believe it to be the most powerful private organization to influence United States foreign policy.” Ok, let’s cut through all the crazy stories and see what CFR is really about.

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Student World Assembly

by on February 22, 2009

Student World Assembly Logo

Yesterday we talked about one student-focused non-profit’s internships, and today we’re going to talk about another. Student World Assembly is “a non-governmental, non partisan organization created to represent students globally.” The overarching goal is to promote global democracy by providing “a deliberative assembly where students around the world can exchange views, vote on global issues through online discussion forums and in annual international conventions, and translate these views into meaningful actions.” It certainly sounds like the kind of thing that you’d want to be involved in if you have an interest in International Relations.

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Independent Diplomat

by on October 4, 2008

Independent Diplomat Logo

Since diplomacy is “the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states” according to Wikipedia, one would assume that a diplomat is a representative of a group or state. Independent Diplomat is a non-profit organization that is trying to live outside that definition. Their mission is to provide the knowledge and experience of long time diplomats to countries that are disadvantaged or marginalized to the point that they don’t have the resources to effectively practice diplomacy. Started by a former British diplomat, Independent Diplomat has worked with nations that include Somaliland, Western Sahara, Kosovo, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus to prevent and resolve conflict. They’re kind of like management consultants for diplomacy.

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