Internships

You are passionate about the Fair Trade Movement and would love an opportunity to actively participate in an international civil society organization?
Then WFTO-Europe is the right place for you!

We are offering two intern positions for the spring semester of 2025. Find the calls below.

Call for Communication and Advocacy Intern

Call for Project Management and Fundraising Intern

Also, we encourage you to investigate options at our ‘sister’ organisations. For more details, use the links below.- WFTO global office, www.wfto.com, info@wfto.com;

– WFTO Africa office, www.wfto-africa.org, info@wfto-africa.org

– WFTO Asia office, http://wfto-asia.com, infos@wfto-asia.com

– WFTO Latin America, http://wfto-la.org, secretaria@wfto-la.org

 

Previous Interns’ Testimonials

Kamila Michowska

Project and Fundraising assistant (March 2022 – August 2022)

Hello! My name is Kamila and I come from Poznan, Poland where I study International Economic Relations at Poznan University of Economics. I am finishing the semester in Brussels in Sustainable Management, and I decided to make my Erasmus+ experience complete by joining WFTO for the internship. At WFTO-Europe I had a role of Project Management & Fundraising Assistant and my main tasks were conducting market surveys and research for our partners as well as tackling fundraising for our projects.

My scientific fields of interests are circular economy, donut economy, sustainable production and consumption. I find it crucial to create a modern day economy based not only on the revenue but also on the impact we have on the planet.

 

Nicla Elena Festa

Communication &  Advocacy Assistant (March 2022 – July 2022)

Hi everyone! My name is Nicla and I am Italian. I mainly assisted in the development and implementation of internal and external communication of WFTO-Europe Office. I graduated in law at the University of Trento with a final dissertation concerning labour standards in international trade and investment, in which I also presented the Fair Trade Movement and the WFTO. I also had the opportunity to study for a semester at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

I am very passionate about Fair Trade, indeed I am participating in the FTAO Young Fair Trade Advocates Program. I strongly believe we need to create a new business model more focused on people and their rights rather than profit. Hence, I am eager to contribute to this goal and to be part of the WFTO-Europe team.

Francesca Genovesi

Communication and Advocacy Assistant (September 2021-March 2022)

My name is Francesca and from September 2021 to March 2022 I had the great opportunity to work toward’s my master degree as Advocacy and Communication Assistant here at WFTO-Europe.

During this time, I got my first first-hand experience with Fair Trade, which helped to supplement my academic knowledge and gain an huge interest in working in an international environment like WFTO-Europe. In addition, I had the occasion to contribute to consultation processes on a variety of relevant issues and understand how advocacy works at the European level, which undeniably sparked my interest in this job. I got many insights of how NGOs work through European channels and how they establish partnerships with the various stakeholders. I have also gained a lot of skills by following communication activities, organising events and promoting campaigns, which was not always easy but it helped me to juggle various activities within a short time frame. And in the end, I always had fun!

The WFTO-EU staff is friendly and very supportive, always ready to answer questions and give me the chance work independently, which has helped me acquire confidence in my abilities.

In short, working for the WFTO-Europe  is an experience that I warmly recommend to all those who want to get in the game and accept the challenges that NGOs like the WFTO-Europe have to cope with and successfully overcome from day to day. I thank all the staff and especially my supervisor Mikkel, for giving me the unique opportunity to experience WFTO! 

 

 

 

Julia Wild

Project Management & Fundraising Assistant (January – July 2021)

Hello! I am Julia from Austria and I am the Project Management and Fundraising Intern from January to July 2021.

During my internship I am going to assist with the planning and implementation of projects, aiming at empowering the Fair Trade movement. Furthermore, I will have an eye out for possible fundraising opportunities.

Currently I am in my final semester of the Food System Management master programme at the University of Bologna. Especially the course Food Chain Management and Sustainability sparked my interest in socially, environmentally and economically sustainable and fair supply chains.

In a previous internship with a Canadian event and catering company I developed good organizational skills, which will be helpful when contributing to the upcoming projects for the World Fair Trade Organization – Europe.

An exchange semester in China broadened my horizon and inspired my enthusiasm to working on fair supply chains. I support the use of supply chains that are just for the society of the producing country, respectful in dealing with natural resources and that are beneficial for the planet and its people as a whole because everyone will benefit sooner or later from elevated environmental and social justice.

Having the chance to support the mission-led WFTO-Europe team and all enthusiastically involved partners makes me very happy. This great learning experience helps me to develop my understanding of fair trade better and gives me an opportunity to contribute my fair share.

 

Luzia Amon

Research Assistant (February – June 2020)

Hello, my name is Luzia and I am a research intern at WFTO Europe from February – May 2021. For the next weeks and months, I am working on questions concerning northern producers to find out how to better include them in the membership. Also, I will help out in other areas such as fundraising and communication.

I grew up in Austria and I am now studying in Zwolle, the Netherlands for a bachelor’s degree in Global Project and Change Management. This study focuses on project management, business skills, research, and the Sustainable Development Goals.

During my study, I did an internship at a human rights organization in the Philippines, where I contributed to a research looking at social enterprise models that provide livelihood to victims of human rights violations. Experiences like this made me very interested in alternatives to the current economic system and I joined WEAll Youth, a youth network promoting the wellbeing economy.

To me, WFTO members are a great example showing that a new economic system is possible and that responsible business models are viable. Therefore, I am very excited to work with and for WFTO-Europe and WFTO members and I am looking forward to this experience!

 

Anna Weber

Intern in Brussels (February – June 2020)

My name is Anna and I was the Project Management and Fundraising intern at WFTO-Europe for four months. During this time, I was able to gain a lot of insights into the tasks of a small NGO and got to know multiple areas of work of the organisation. From day one I was valued as an important member of the team and received a lot of responsibilities and diverse tasks to work on. My supervisor Mikkel was very supportive and always gave me the chance to clarify any questions I might had or helped me when I needed support. However, the work in a small NGO requires you to work independently, take decisions and to have a good time management to juggle different upcoming priorities. My internship at WFTO-E enabled me to gain experience in an international team and to better understand processes within an NGO. Moreover, I was able to learn how to how advocacy on a European level works, I collaborated with other organisations and helped designing different publications and WFTO’s social media strategy.

Doing my internship during the global COVID-19 pandemic made some planned activities impossible and unfortunately various meetings and conferences in Brussels were cancelled which I would have otherwise attended on behalf of WFTO. Nevertheless, I was able to do most of my work remotely and I also learned a lot about self-motivation and efficient ways of working during this unusual and unplanned situation.

Working for a mission-led organisation was one of my main priorities when looking for an internship. Experiencing the commitment to Fair Trade of the WFTO members, the team and the whole community was truly inspiring. Being engaged in the Fair Trade movement gave me a better understanding of alternative ways of doing business and how enterprises can remain viable while putting people and planet over profits.

I can highly recommend this internship to anyone looking for a challenging internship in a small NGO driven by a strong purpose. You should not be afraid of multiple responsibilities and have an independent way of working. Additionally, a proactive attitude is of great advantage as you have the possibility to engage further in the areas of work which interest you the most. I am thankful for my time at WFTO-E and all the experiences I was able to make!

 

Tess Hartmann

Communication & Outreach Assistant (February – June 2020)

Hi! My name is Tess Hartmann and I was the new French/Dutch Communication and Outreach intern. I was here until the end of July 2020 to inform you about our network, new members and events to come ; and to help this movement grow.

I’ve completed a Bachelor’s degree in international business in Aix-en-Provence (France), for which I’ve had the chance to spend an Erasmus + year in the south of Germany. During this time, I’ve had the occasion to add a social dimension to my cursus by studying topics related to sociology and cultural specificities. Volunteering at the local homeless shelter tackled my sensitivity for socioeconomic issues, and my will to work on the empowerment of ostracized communities. In this direction, I wrote my Bachelor’s thesis about the economic and outcomes of the recent immigration waves towards the European continent and the social insertion of these populations. This work helped me to have a better understanding of the positive and negative externalities of immigration on both the immigrants themselves and the countries in question.

By continuing my studies with a Masters in European and International studies, I got an insight on the institutional and political mechanisms driving the EU, and the decision-making processes leading affecting our daily life and consumption. As part of these studies, I was offered the possibility to study Political Sciences at the Universidad Complutense in Madrid. As part of a very engaged faculty, especially in the domains of social justice and climate crisis, I have participate to several debates and conferences around related topics, that made me want to be part of the action.

All of these experiences, gathered with my international and multicultural background lead me to want to be part of the Fair Trade movement. The values it upholds : social justice, equity, parity, among others ; the transversal issues it tackles : climate change, human rights and decency, innovation in our sometimes outdated business models, are the reasons why I am now here to help WFTO Europe fulfill its various and complex missions.

 

Theresa Güldenring

Intern in Brussels, January – July 2019

“WFTO-Europe is the perfect place for students or young professionals to enhance their career. My internship here was an incredibly fruitful experience that allowed me to develop and improve so many skills while at the same time working in a very pleasant and respectful atmosphere.

I was the Communication & Outreach Assistant for six months, which included many different and enjoyable tasks that fostered my creativity and my communication skills. Working on the communication strategy and on the varying tasks connected with it was a great chance to develop new concepts, contribute my own ideas and opinion, and at the same time learning about WFTO, its principles and its values. The outreach component of my internship allowed me to improve my networking skills and get to know many of the different member organisations of this great network.

The level of commitment to the Fair Trade movement at WFTO-Europe and among its members is admirable and truly inspiring. Working here has really fostered my belief in Fair Trade and I hope to see it grow more and more over the next years.

It was an honor to be part of the team.”

Flora Montiel

Intern in Brussels, September – December 2018

“Interning at WFTO-Europe was the best first professional experience. It was an amazing learning process where I acquired useful skills and got the chance to attend and participate in interesting events. Even though I was the project management and fundraising intern I also got the chance to collaborate in the communication aspects of the organization. 

I am more than ever enthusiastic about the fair trade movement, I am convinced it is a great tool to fight inequalities regarding, not only income disparities, but tackling a variety of issues affecting our societies. WFTO-Europe is part of a network composed of a great number of European fair trade actors, this internship gave me the opportunity to deepen my knowledge on the functioning and organization of the fair trade movement as a whole.

Friendly small office and lots of fair trade chocolate are waiting for you at WFTO-Europe!”

Benedetto Rizzo 

Intern in Brussels, September – December 2018

“I have been part of the WFTO-Europe team working as a communication monitoring and membership assistant. In particular, I have experienced a great worldwide network of people sharing knowledge and expertise, raising awareness of fair trade practices. I have witnessed words becoming actions and I am glad I have been one of the actors of the fair trade boosting, giving a small impact by developing new communication strategies. WFTO is a pro-active organization, realizing concrete activities aimed at giving dignity to North and South producers. This experience has truly enriched my background and I am quite satisfied with my time inside the organization. By working on the issue, I have understood that more than the big organizations, the great contributors of Fair Trade are single people choosing to buy quality and not quantity.

It was a great honor to be part of such great organization engaged in the achievement of fair trade principles for a more sustainable world.”

 

 

Vanessa Comand

Intern in Brussels, March – August 2018

“Doing my internship for the end of my Master degree at WFTO-Europe was a great experience! I warmly suggest it to all students from any degree willing to discover the world of an international NGOs active in sustainable development.

It will be a unique chance to see how an organisation composed by members of different nationalities works and interacts with them. As Membership Assistant, I got to know many engaged organisations all over Europe and I acquired a deep understanding of the way the Fair Trade movement in Europe is shaped. I also learnt how to use communication channels such website and newsletter to speak out about fair trade and related topics.

In addition, working and living in a multicultural environment such Brussels enhanced my adaptability and improved my English. I had several opportunities to attend external events, especially in European Institutions (European Parliament, Committee of the Regions, EC Info Point), which was simply great (not all the organisations encourage interns to attend events on their behalf!).

The atmosphere in the office was always relaxed and pleasant, thanks to passionate colleagues keeping your motivation high. I really liked being free to independently organise my workload and I always felt supported whenever I had initiatives.

I will definitely miss working here and I’ll keep very good memories about this period!”

Veronika Miklíková

Intern in Brussels, February – July 2018

“This internship was an incredible experience and I feel so lucky that my first experience of working in a professional non-profit environment was done at WFTO-Europe. Having the chance to work half a year in a small team for an NGO means to do a bit of everything but also to have the responsibility to manage some pretty important and exacting tasks, where you have to be proactive, take an initiative, be determined to realize all your ideas and to follow through even when something doesn’t go as planned.

As a ‘Project management and fundraising intern’, I had the chance to work for example on campaigns for World Fair Trade Day, International Women’s Day, to prepare and publish the WFTO-Europe Annual Report 2017/18, to support and collaborate on project applications and concept notes. I helped with the organization of our Biennial conference and I was also creating content for our social media and campaigns.

I have met and worked with many amazing and inspiring people from (not only) the European Fair Trade movement and attended several really great events where all the topics I have had learned during my studies were discussed – but suddenly have become so much more interesting and important. And, of course, it was a great opportunity to apply my language skills and improve their level, be independent, get out of my comfort zone and get the most out of a francophone and multicultural city such as Brussels – with all the perks and cons it offers. Thanks to this internship I have realized how is Fair Trade important and how development is such a complex and interdisciplinary field and how there is still so much to learn.

To sum up, I would definitely recommend this internship to someone who is interested in Fair Trade and development – not only because of the knowledge I have learned or improved but also for the great people at the office.”

Bára Plecháčková

Intern in Brussels, July 2017 – January 2018

“Working at WFTO-Europe was my first professional experience abroad and it was a great start. I’ve had the chance to confront my previously gained experience with the professional and international environment at WFTO-Europe, which allowed me to see my skills and my future career in much clearer perspective.

I’ve met very interesting and inspiring people with different backgrounds and different experience, from whom I could have learnt every day. I broadened my horizons and deepened my knowledge not only about Fair Trade but also about many other issues connected.

As part of my job at WFTO-Europe I had the chance to learn more about fundraising and different funding opportunities, organize multiple events of different scale, or get in touch with people from organizations based all over Europe.

Overall it was truly valuable experience from a professional as well as personal perspective. I would definitely recommend it to anybody who’s looking for an experience in non-profit sector on international level.”

Eros Shreve

Intern in Brussels, July 2017 – January 2018

“Working for WFTO-Europe was a great experience learning what it’s like working in an international professional setting!

My communications skills greatly improved from working with people from all over Europe (and beyond) on a daily basis. Not only did this improve me professionally, but it was enjoyable and I made many new connections I hope to work with again someday.

In addition, because it’s a smaller organisation, there is plenty of opportunities to gain experience in multiple areas beyond just those of your internship. I was the Communications and Membership & Monitoring Intern, but I also helped with some of the fundraising and I helped translate a grant report- which not only was great to learn how to do, but also looks impressive on my CV!

The office environment is great as well, and the permanent staff are friendly and caring. They definitely work to help you get the most out of your experience with WFTO-Europe. Overall, it was definitely a great experience (and the location certainly helps!), I would recommend it to anyone looking to get into ethical commerce and European non-profit work.”

Maria Batista

Intern in Brussels, January 2017 – July 2017

“I had the pleasure of working for WFTO-Europe as an intern and I had a truly incredible experience in the past 6 months. Working for a small organization granted me the opportunity to contribute to the organization’s performance in many different areas where I could develop my professional skills to a further extent by exploring different fields or work within the organization.  

I acquired knowledge about the Fair Trade movement and I attended several EU events where I could gain insight on different topics related to International Development. What I liked the most about this internship was the fact that I had a coach who guided me through the different tasks but who would still ensure I carried out my job autonomously.

I would recommend this internship to anyone who is looking for a challenging job and willing to learn more about business ethics and worldwide issues!”

Stefano Carulli

Intern in Brussels, July 2016 – January 2017

“My experience as an intern at WFTO-Europe was truly rewarding.

Being part of a small team and working together on a day-to-day basis allowed me to explore a variety of different tasks: from managing a network of almost 90 European Fair Trade organizations to developing several communication strategies so as to raise awareness about the Fair Trade Principles.

However, what I liked the most was the approach of this office to its interns: I never felt disregarded by my team and my opinion was valued and always appreciated. The feedback received from my coordinator was extremely constructive and the synergy between the three of us gave me the chance to complete my tasks in autonomy and with enthusiasm.

If what you are looking for is a rewarding but the same time demanding experience in an international environment where you can develop both professionally as well as a person, then I would highly recommend an internship here at WFTO-Europe.

I am definitely going to miss working here!”

 

Read the testimonials of our previous interns here.