About Volunteer Intern

Thank you for your interest in volunteering or interning for ND! ND's mission is to work alongside Congressman, Diet members, researchers, journalists, and others who are active at the forefront of international diplomacy. Working with us will enable you to contribute to real-world diplomatic efforts and to experience the settings and discourses that create international policies and politics. ND's collaboration with Diet members and Congressman opens up valuable opportunities to witness policy negotiations and engage directly in resolving policy issues.

In order to apply, please send the following information to and we will get back to you shortly. Please also send us any questions you may have.

Subject:
Volunteer/Intern application
Body text:
  • 1 Name
  • 2 Affiliation
  • 3 Address
  • 4 Phone number
  • 5 E-mail
  • 6 Which of the below types of work you would like to do, and which projects you would like to work on (you can choose more than one)
  • 7 For interns, please attach a resume
  • 8 Your motivation for wanting to work with ND, your interest and any other comments

Project interns and volunteers

Details:

Project interns and volunteers may be asked to perform the following tasks.

  • Communication, coordination, arrangement of meetings, interview assistance, and personal assistance for ND's domestic and international clients and collaborators, including researchers, politicians, media personalities, journalists, lawyers, etc.
  • Planning, managing, and realizing symposiums, research presentations, etc.
  • Research on pertinent data and information, writing and translation of documents and proposals, etc.
  • Advocacy activity, media outreach, etc.

*1 and 4 are limited to interns only.

Ongoing Projects:

International Comparison of Status of Forces Agreements

Conditions:

Unpaid (transportation fees will not be provided)

Hours:

Interns: At least 15 hours/week
Volunteers: We will arrange an appropriate schedule with you

Length:

At least three months

Location:

You may work at the ND's office or remotely, provided you can arrange to attend meetings at our offices occasionally or as called for.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • A basic understanding of diplomacy, military security agreements, and social issues
  • Competent writing skills
  • Organization and planning skills
  • Competency in office work and computer use

Research interns and volunteers

Details:

Research interns and volunteers will gather information and write reports about issues concerning international diplomacy, economics, social issues, etc., supporting the ND's activities that monitor information and stay up to date on constantly changing international relations and politics. Some examples of ongoing research projects are as follows:

  • Monitoring of U.S. Congressional deliberations concerning Japan
  • Research on the positions and backgrounds of American Congressman, government officials, and industry groups concerning specific issues
  • Research on the political positions of Japanese Diet members
  • Surveys of international media for stories or articles concerning Japan

Conditions:

Unpaid (transportation fees will not be provided)

Hours:

Interns: At least 15 hours/week
Volunteers: We will arrange an appropriate schedule with you

Length:

At least three months

Location:

  • You can work at ND's offices or remotely from home or elsewhere
  • Washington, D.C., United States

Preferred Qualifications:

  • A basic understanding of diplomacy, military security agreements, and social issues
  • Competent writing skills
  • Organization and planning skills
  • Competency in office work and computer use

Publicity interns and volunteers

Details:

Publicity interns and volunteers will help with New Diplomacy Initiative public relations activities by managing our website, drafting press releases, etc.

Conditions:

Unpaid (transportation fees will not be provided)

Hours:

Interns: At least 15 hours/week
Volunteers: We will arrange an appropriate schedule with you

Length:

At least three months

Preferred Qualifications:

  • A basic understanding of diplomacy, military security agreements, and social issues
  • Competent writing skills
  • Organization and planning skills
  • Competency in office work and computer use
  • Communication skills

Translation and review volunteers

Details:

Translation and review volunteers will be asked to help translate articles and stories from various languages into Japanese and to translate Japanese writings into other languages, primarily English.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Competent writing skills
  • Proficiency in English, ideally equivalent to a score of 90 on the TOEFL-iBT or high enough to read and translate English-language news articles, policy documents, and diplomacy-related materials
  • While our most pressing need is for English, we are also looking for some translation volunteers proficient in other languages
  • The New Diplomacy Initiative is looking for native English-speaking volunteers to review translations. Japanese language skills are welcomed but are not necessary. If you are interested, in addition to the above information, please send us an English writing sample and let us know how many hours per week you could work for the New Diplomacy Initiative.

General Volunteers

Details:

General volunteers will help operate reception desks and set up for lectures, symposiums, research presentations, publicity events, etc. If you are interested, please sign up for our volunteer list and we will send you requests and notifications for upcoming events.