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The United States Chapter of the Śramani Institute is looking for creative and enthusiastic interns for the Spring 2014 semester. Interns will earn 3 credits for 135 hours of work with the Śramani Institute that is evaluated as being original and of high quality. Under the guidance of Śramani Institute supervisors interns will work individually and as part of an inter-disciplinary team, which will meet once weekly. Interns will also have the opportunity to work jointly on projects with our research-analysis-implementation team in Bhārat (India), as well as with members of marginalized communities with whom the Śramani Institute collaborates. The Śramani Institute is a nonprofit organization with registered chapters in the United States, Canada, and Bhārat (India). The mission of the Śramani Institute is to realize the inter-connected wellbeing of all human beings, especially those marginalized, within the context of their local ecologies and cultures, as well as the global economy. The Śramani Institute achieves its mission through initiatives that are: (a) locally relevant, e.g., that support marginalized peoples to self-sufficiently and sustainably use and preserve their own local resources to enjoy a high quality of life; and (b) have global impact, e.g., that inform global policies and practices so that cultural and ecological diversity is preserved and the economic wellbeing of all human beings, especially those marginalized, is promoted. For our work we have received a National Geographic Grant. In the Spring 2014 semester, we are focusing on three projects having global impact and that draw from one or more of the following Śramani Institute initiatives: (1) Justice in Laws & Policies Governing Innovation & Creativity; (2) Origins of Knowledge & Science; (3) Wellbeing of Girls & Women; (4) Diversity in Language, Culture, and Knowledge; and (5) Artistic creations that aesthetically manifest expressions and contemplations of living. Project 1 We are writing a ground-breaking book, entitled “Promoting Diversity in Creativity & Innovation – Part I: Origins,” that begins to elucidate the links between (a) private Intellectual Property (IP) rights, e.g., copyrights, patents, trademarks, that have become vital assets in concentrating and accumulating wealth and (b) the rich heterogeneity of creativity and innovation that different human societies have generated across time and geography to enable biodiversity, ecosystems, languages, cultures, art forms, philosophies, symbiotic exchange, knowledge systems, and technologies to thrive. Interns will assist with preparing this book and with conducting research from various inter-connected perspectives to answer questions, such as: What is the cultural and historical origin of the current IP law & policy system and whom does the system benefit? Do IP rights stimulate innovation and the economy and promote technology transfer? Do IP rights encourage socially & ecologically sustainable & equitable (SESE) trade? Do IP rights promote cultural and economic diversity? Is the current IP law & policy system tenable in the long run? Project 2 We are creating a new initiative, entitled “Wellbeing of Girls & Women,” that seeks to not only address the violation of women’s rights and dignity, but also the loss of language, culture, knowledge, and ecological health that is associated with such violation in many marginalized communities around the world. Interns will help create the framework for this initiative by working jointly with women from marginalized communities and our Bhārat (India) team. We anticipate that interns will work on projects that will make communities safer for and more respectful of women and girls, while simultaneously promoting the languages, cultures, knowledge systems, and ecological health of these communities. Project 3 We are creating a visually arresting interactive website for the Śramani Institute that will incorporate the latest in technological trends to vie with the most creative websites currently in virtual space. The clever interplay of each technical and visual element will intuitively and elegantly relay the vision of the Śramani Institute, which is to create a world that is Socially & Ecologically Sustainable & Equitable (SESE) by promoting diversity in language, culture, and knowledge in a manner that is artistic, entertaining, and thought-provoking. Interns will work as part of a team of designers and programmers to incorporate the latest developments in programming (HTML5, CSS, JavaScript), animation (Adobe Flash, Adobe Illustrator), content management (WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, etc.), and relational database development to create a website that is trendy, tech-savvy, interactive, innovative, artistic, and functional. Interns will also develop tools to enable secure internal access to content (secure file and mail transfer) on the website. Interns selected to work for the Śramani Institute may choose to contribute to more than one project. To apply for an internship, please send by February 20th, 2014, to [log in to unmask] your detailed resume and a 500 word original essay in your own words: (a) describing why you are interested in working with the Śramani Institute, (b) identifying which project(s) you are interested in working on, and (c) explaining how your background is relevant to the project(s) you would like to work on. Application essays will be evaluated based on originality, logical flow, relevance, and language. Orientation for interns will take place on Sunday, February 23rd, 2014 from 1PM to 5PM, in the Maryland office of the Śramani Institute. LOCATION Nation Wide no City Glenmont State/Province Maryland Country United States POSITION TYPE Internship (Fall or Spring Part-Time) DESIRED CLASS LEVEL(S) Senior, Masters Candidate, Doctoral Candidate, Recent Grad (up to 3 years out), Alumnus/a (beyond 3 years out) DURATION Spring 2014 semester