South–South cooperation
The lab · The Southern Compass Lab
The Southern Compass Lab turns our attention to the realities and solutions of the Global South. The lab rigorously documents the issues that shape the daily lives of young people in Africa and beyond: water, agriculture, jobs, governance, local economies.
Discover the labAssignments
- Follow the law of the African Continental Free Trade Area and of the regional economic communities
- Explain OHADA business law and what it means for young people’s companies and cooperatives
- Document rights to water and land: land tenure, resource management, community rights
- Analyse investment law and the rules of development finance: conditions, guarantees, remedies
- Study South-South cooperation agreements and turn them into briefs with the South-South Cooperation Officer
- Prepare legal briefs for the lab’s field studies and for the correspondents who carry them out
- Provide general legal information, and refer every individual situation to a lawyer
Tools to master
- OHADA.org and the regional economic communities’ websites: uniform acts, treaties and decisions
- National legal portals and treaty databases: legislation in force
- Google Workspace: the lab’s shared drive, Docs and Meet
- Claude or ChatGPT: translating sources and drafting first summaries, with every result checked by you
What you will deliver
- Legal briefs that accompany the field studies
- Clear fact sheets on OHADA law and African trade
Profile we are looking for
- Studies in international law, business law or development law, in progress or completed
- Lived or in-depth knowledge of one or more countries of the Global South
- Rigour in reading texts and citing sources
- Clear writing that serves readers from other disciplines
- Open to adults aged eighteen and over
A volunteer role, open to young people
Every role we offer is fully voluntary. The experience we ask for can come from a course, a student project, an internship, volunteering or a personal project: every skill counts, wherever you gained it. Our roles are designed first and foremost for young people, and we weigh your motivation and potential as carefully as your track record. Want to be part of something big? Apply.
Nice to have
- Practice of OHADA law or of the law of an African country
- Experience in a development organisation, a law clinic or a non-profit
- Good English and French, and a language of your region
What this role gives you
- Applied knowledge of development law, to highlight with international organisations and cooperation agencies
- Legal briefs under your name, published once accepted by the editorial board
- A network of young researchers and correspondents across the Global South
Applications open until ; a new cycle follows
Applications open in forty-five-day cycles, each followed by the next. YouthShare reserves the right to close this listing as soon as the right person is found. We therefore encourage you to apply now.
The one-year commitment
A non-profit project is built over time. Every volunteer therefore commits for at least one year: time to settle in, carry the assignment through and pass on what they have learned. The weekly time depends on the role and is given in each role description.
How selection works
Online application
You choose a role, present your background and attach your CV. A confirmation email gives you your reference.
Profile review
The Talent team reads every application, matches it with the needs of the role and sends you a first reply by email within three days on average.
Video interview
A conversation to get to know each other and shape the assignment together.
Decision and arrival
You receive our answer by email, followed by a welcome to the team and access to its tools.
Know the right person?
Recommend this role to them: they receive an email from YouthShare that presents it, with your name and the link to apply. You can also share the listing on your networks.