Liu Xiaobo, Cam Newton and Wolf Blitzer walk into a bar .....

Cheerier Friday stuff to follow, but we would first like to ask you to consider the plight of Nobel Peace Prize recipient Liu Xiaobo, who is serving an 11-year prison sentence for co-authoring a proposal for political and legal reform in China: Charter 08.

Perhaps you would like to get more involved with this sort of thing with Amnesty International:

• Campaign Director, Demand Dignity
• Advocacy Director for International Affairs – DC-based, emphasis on Middle East & North Africa
• Campaign Director, Counter Terror w/ Justice – DC or New York
• more available in New York, Atlanta, Chicago & San Francisco

Fresh opportunities to help advance social change for nonprofits worldwide with Burness Communications:

• Public Relations Professional, Public Health – ideal candidate would have two to six years of communications-related experience, preferably with significant experience in the field of public health communications.
• Public Policy Associate – primary focus of work will be childhood obesity and public health, including issues like child nutrition and physical activity, food safety, and social determinants of health.

Teach for America – Director, Regional Communications – broad-based portfolio of communications responsibilities noted – formal communications/public relations and/or journalism experience is preferred, but not required – location flexible, but DC, New York, Boston, or Chicago preferred.

For the first of your far-flung Friday possibilities we have this fine Director of Communications (pdf) post with the Florida Education Association in Tallahassee – $123k – apply by Dec. 31.

Spend a lot of time helping answer (or more likely, deflect) questions about Cam Newton with the NCAA in Indianapolis, IN:

• Assistant Director of Communications Strategy – apply today, Dec. 10
• Associate Director of Public & Media Relations – apply by Dec. 17
• Law Clerk, Summer 2011 – apply by Jan. 5

When I look into the abyss, the abyss looks back – Looking for a Writer/Spokesperson job advert with that quotes Nietzsche and Martin Luther King? The World Future Fund would seem to have you covered there. But wait, there's more in the Exec. VP, Development, Program & Clerical fields. And Metal, too.

We can’t put any better than Jalopnik has: Want to be the college kid handling million dollar Bugattis? Volkswagen seeks Bugatti Marketing Intern to join them in their Herndon bunker.

Gawker – Media/Video Interns – New York

Charity Navigator seeks Volunteer Communications Specialist (which may or may not translate as Intern) – presumably at their Glen Rock, NJ hedquarters.

Brookings Institution:

• Project Manager, Engelberg Center for Healthcare Reform – $50k-$52k – apply by Dec. 31
• Events Manager, Metropolitan Policy Program – apply by Jan. 15

Securing America's Future Energy - Vice President of Communications

American University:

• Marketing Coordinator, Intercultural Management Institute – $20-$24/hr
• Program Associate, Global Environmental Politics – low $30k – apply by Dec. 21

Howard University – Communications Associate – coordinate communications to and from the Director of Communications, including those to and from the public, the news media, and the University administration.

Wolf wants new friends! CNN hires sought (use job # or DC location):

• Tape Producer, Situation Room (121579BR)
• News Assistant (121583BR)
• Production Assistant (121580BR)
• Associate Producer, Situation Room (121581BR)

National Labor Relations Board – Public Affairs Specialist - $51k-$97k – job ID: 10-118 – apply by Dec. 15

We’re bringing you this part-time/temporary Event Planner/Media Relations Coordinator position with GMR Marketing in Jackson, MS, because …. let’s see ….. because ….. well, because why the hell not?

Scan your resume one extra time to make sure you don’t have an E-5 or third strike that would hurt your changes of snagging this Manager, Communications position with your Washington Nationals. We’re rooting for you, of course – because we know you’ll hook us up with some nice seats for a Friday night in June. Here’s links to other team career pages – or MLB itself – if the Nats aren’t your thing.

Greenpeace is taking Intern applications for Spring (Jan. 31 to May 6) and Summer (June 6 to Aug. 12) sessions.

For your week-closing search resource, we note the newly-redesigned prolific and progressive-oriented job board from Idealist.

Happy Friday from your favorite™ public affairs and communications jobs resource!