Grassroots organizing internship with USPIRG
Every day decisions are being made at the state capitol, the Governor’s office, and Congress that impact our health, environment, economy and democracy. USPIRG works to ensure the voice of the public is represented and fights to protect the public interest. We start with hard-hitting research on the issues and make the case for reform to our decision makers through advocacy. However, just having the facts is often not enough, so we build power through grassroots organizing, coalition building, media work and public education to achieve tangible benefits for the public and overcome the opposition from powerful special interests.
Interns working in our Grassroots Organizing Internship will work with our professional staff on a public interest issue—local, statewide, regional or federal—and then learn to develop a campaign, educate and mobilize the key constituencies, stakeholders, and the general public.
Our priority campaign right now is to stop the overuse of antibiotics on factory farms.
Antibiotics are a cornerstone of modern medicine. They are essential to keeping people alive and well, whether it’s fighting pneumonia or dealing with infections that set in from scrapes or after chemotherapy. However, these drugs are becoming increasingly less effective due to the growing problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, or “superbugs.”
A large part of this problem is due to the practice on many big farms of routinely putting antibiotics into the daily feed of healthy animals for growth promotion and disease prevention. In fact, 70% of antibiotics in classes used in human medicine are sold to be fed to animals on these farms.
The result? Bacteria that come into contact with those animals develop resistance to antibiotics, putting us at risk for infection that antibiotics may no longer treat. In fact, 2 million people fall ill and 23,000 people die from drug-resistant infections each year.
The solution is simple. We are calling on the Obama administration to stop the overuse of antibiotics on factory farms, and we need your help in making a difference.
PROTECT THE PUBLIC INTEREST AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE:
- Gain firsthand experience into the political process
- Sharpen your communication skills by working with the media
- Learn to develop and run an effective campaign to influence decision-makers
- Gain experience recruiting and working with volunteers
- Learn to build a coalition and work with coalition partners
To apply, email your resume and cover letter to [email protected] or apply online here: http://bit.ly/pirginternship.