The Open Society Justice Initiative and Central European University (CEU) are inviting applications for the Justice Initiative Fellows Program for 2012-2014. This program was started in 1996 and aims to develop a network of lawyers and activists who will work to raise issues related to human rights internationally. This program is of two years duration and includes theoretical and practical study.
Eligibility and Requirements
Applicants from the following regions and countries are eligible: Central and Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Central/South America. Applicants must be nominated by a national non-governmental organization (NGO) concerned with human rights. The applicant must demonstrate a strong commitment to human rights, have a university degree, and have a high degree of proficiency in English. Criteria for selection will include the applicant’s experience, his/her potential to contribute to the protection and promotion of human rights, and the suitability of the applicant’s proposed role in the nominating NGO. Upon selection, fellows will be required to sign an agreement with the Justice Initiative, committing themselves to the program for two years. The first year is spent at CEU, the second in the applicant’s home country, working with the nominating NGO.
About the Program
Up to ten applicants will be selected in 2012 to participate in the program. The Justice Initiative fellows will reside a total of one year in Hungary, at CEU Legal Studies Department. They will undertake a degree program (M.A. or LL.M. in Human Rights, dependent on their undergraduate degree), in which they will be expected to fulfill the requirements of the human rights program at Central European University. During their stay at CEU the fellows will also participate in a three-month internship placement with leading NGOs in Europe from January until March.
During the first year of the program the Justice Initiative Fellowship will be administered by CEU Legal Studies Department in partnership with the Justice Initiative. Financial conditions will be identical to CEU policies for full scholarship students. The Justice Initiative Fellows will return to their local nominating NGOs after the first year, where they will spend at least one year working in human rights advocacy on a non-profit basis: providing legal services, undertaking human rights litigation, providing training, and education. During this second year, the Justice Initiative will pay a local salary, which will be determined based on the proposal by the nominating NGO. Applicants must meet the general CEU Admissions requirements as well as the CEU Legal Studies Department Requirements.
Application Procedure
Applicants must include with their applications:
– A nominating letter from an NGO describing the reasons for nominating the applicant, the expectations the NGO has of the project, and contractually committing (to the Justice Initiative) to hire the applicant for at least one year after s/he returns from the twelve-month training program in Hungary.
– Proof of English proficiency
– A statement of purpose for applying to the Justice Initiative Fellows program.
– A proposal of project activities that the applicant plans to work on with the nominating NGO during the second year of the fellowship.
Last date for submitting the applications is January 25, 2012, 24:00 Pacific Standard Time (PST).
For more information and details, you can visit this link.
