Volunteering For IHRC

Many people follow the work of IHRC and participate in the letter writing campaigns that have helped so many people.

However there is much more you can do. If you have time to spare and a passion for the aims and work of IHRC, have a look at our current volunteer opportunities, and contact us on volunteers@ihrc.org.

There are many ways in which you can participate - what type of work, the amount of time you want to spend, is entirely up to you.  The types of volunteering are listed below.

Please look carefully to see if we are currently looking for that type of volunteer.  If not, please keep checking back to see when we do, or if you like send us an email asking us to let you know when such an opportunity arises.  At IHRC we feel that it is important that volunteers enjoy what they are doing - it is more productive for them, and more productive for IHRC.

Volunteers often pick up skills which are useful in other parts of life. Part of IHRC’s aims is to help people and communities empower themselves.

Requirements

Unless you are just taking part in letter writing campaigns or distributing our newsletter and other material, all volunteers need to be able to supply two good references.  Once we have received your references, we can arrange for an interview.  This can be done at our offices or if you live overseas or have difficulty getting to the venue, we will try and interview you via another medium.

It usually takes about three months from the time you apply to being interviewed, so please be patient.

Ways to volunteer

Set up a Campaign Group and Become a Local Co-ordinator:

There are many local IHRC volunteer groups, who actively participate in IHRC’s campaigns.  Some groups number a few people, others involve hundreds.  As a local co-ordinator you can help promote IHRC’s work and help in campaigns with a groups of a few friends or if you can set up a bigger group.

A local co-ordinator is someone who on a regular basis does one or some of the following:

• Distributes IHRC literature within the community
• Raises awareness of the campaigns
• Engages in campaign activities, be they letter writing, picketing, leafleting or boycotting
• Organises IHRC fundraising, awareness raising or speaker events
• Organises vigils and demonstrations
• Fundraises for IHRC
• Organises regular support meetings for campaigners within the area.

Some unsocial hours are required in this role, but the work you undertake will be done so under the supervision of an IHRC officer who will work with you to set realistic targets to meet according to your capabilities.

Co-ordinators (not whole groups) are given training days every six months to assist in informing them of IHRC’s latest work, ways they can help, reviewing and setting targets as well as being given training in useful skills that will assist in their work.

The overseas based co-ordinators programme is slightly different as the opportunity for local co-ordinator training days is limited.  However there is still scope for much to be done in a local volunteer group.

Local co-ordinators are local volunteers who help organise other local volunteers and / or raise awareness of IHRC activities in their area.  They are not officers of IHRC, do not represent IHRC, or have any role within the IHRC organisational structure.

Help with research

Many students, professionals and others, have helped us in preparing country and issue reports. Their contributions have included writing full reports, searching for material for others to write the reports, translation, proofreading, and formatting. People involved in this usually have been volunteering with IHRC for some time, and have considerable time to spare.

Supporting the Campaigns and Advocacy Sections

In addition to setting up a campaign group above, you can help both the campaigns and advocacy section with your skills.  Both sections of IHRC need qualified interpreters in various languages.

Additionally if you have skills in managing websites and blogs, using Facebook and other social networking sites, you may be able to help promote IHRC work also or even assist with managing campaign pages on our website.

Help us fundraise

Like all other non-profit making organisations, IHRC relies on the goodwill of its supporters. Some volunteers have undertaken to recruit new financial supporters i.e. those people who give a regular monthly donation to IHRC or raise one-off donations to help IHRC meet the needs of the community. Occasionally IHRC raises money for specific projects. Mainly it raises general funds to be allocated according to need. IHRC does not collect aid. However it has on occasion requested financial help for families of prisoners of faith who are in dire circumstances.

Fundraising for IHRC is flexible according to time, and commitment.

Help at events

IHRC holds vigils, speaker meetings and seminars. Volunteers are often needed to steward, prepare banners, man stalls etc. These events usually though not exclusively take place in the UK, and involve different levels of commitment from an afternoon manning a stall to a couple of days a week organising a vigil or seminar.

Help raise awareness

Many of the groups and individuals who volunteer for IHRC have undertaken to distribute our literature and materials at their own stalls etc. at a variety of events around the country. Their contribution helps to spread awareness of IHRC, but more importantly the issues which the community needs to address. Again, this can be an afternoon’s work or several days of organising.

We have a specific one off annual event that involves distribution of our newsletter (in the weeks before and during Ramadan).  Distributors take any amount from 5 copies of our newsletter to 5,000 to distribute in their local community.  All shipping costs are met by IHRC.

You do not need to supply us with references if you want to simply distribute IHRC material.

Helping in the office

IHRC’s offices are based in London, UK. We welcome local volunteers to assist in the office as and when it is appropriate. This type of assistance is usually administrative and fairly labour intensive. Filing, transcribing, typing, packaging and posting are all part of this scenario. Again, the amount of time varies according to the individual. However it does require some computer skills, and is helpful to younger volunteers to put on their CVs.

And finally...
IHRC appreciates all the efforts its volunteers make, however large or small. The above are the most common ways in which people help out. If you have any other ideas, please feel free to discuss them with us.

We pray to Allah s.w.t to reward all your efforts. Ameen.