CEU-COLPI Human Rights Fellows Program

The Constitutional and Legal Policy Institute (COLPI), an affiliate of the Open Society Institute (OSI - Budapest), joins with Central European University (CEU) to announce the Human Rights Fellows Program. The program will be conducted by COLPI and CEU in cooperation with human rights non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union and Central Asia including Mongolia. The aim of the program is to support the further development of a civil liberties network of lawyers, activists or scholars in the above countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.

The Human Rights Fellows Program is a two year program of study and practical work experience. Five applicants from Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia including Mongolia and the former Soviet Union will be selected in 2001 to participate in the program. Applicants must be nominated by a non-governmental organization concerned with human rights. The applicant must demonstrate a strong commitment to human rights, a university degree and a high degree of proficiency in English. Criteria for selection will include the experience of the applicant, the applicant’s potential to contribute to the protection and promotion of human rights, and the suitability of the applicant’s proposed role in the nominating NGO. The applicant will be interviewed, either in person or by telephone and must take an admission exam as indicated in the CEU application package (http://www.ceu.hu/misc/admissions/). Selection decisions will be made by April 30, 2001. Upon their selection, Fellows will be required to sign an agreement with COLPI/OSI Budapest according to which they will commit two years in the program: the first year to be spent with the Central European University. During their stay they must participate in a three month internship placement with an NGO. Additional voluntary part-time internship is possible in the Spring Semester.The second year is to be spent in his/her home country working with the nominating NGO.

Human Rights 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), in which they will be required to fulfill the requirements of the Human Rights Program at Central European University during the Fall semester (starting on July 30, 2001. For the degree requirements please see http://www.ceu.hu/legal/legalpro.html.

Human Rights Fellows will return to their home countries after the first year, where they will spend at least one year working with NGOs on human rights advocacy on a non-profit basis: providing legal services, litigating test cases, training/educating in human rights, etc. COLPI will pay a local salary during this second year that is equal to an amount determined to be similar to equivalent work by the nominating NGO. This amount will be provided to the nominating NGOs in the form of a grant.

CEU will cover round-trip coach airfare to Hungary and provide each Fellow with a monthly stipend for a period of up to 12 months, and medical insurance for a year while in Hungary. The amount of this stipend is carefully calculated to cover the expenses of one person in Hungary for the period of one year.

Please note, COLPI and CEU cannot provide any financial or logistical assistance for accompanying family members. Moreover, CEU requires evidence of financial support for accompanying family members. In the 1999/2000 academic year, this amount was equal to $360 a month for an accompanying spouse and $350 a month for each dependent child. Providing proof of the requisite financial support for accompanying family members will be the responsibility of the applicant.
 

Application Procedure

The Central European University standard application form is attached (and may be found on the web at http://www.ceu.hu/misc/admissions/). In addition, applicants must include a nominating letter from an NGO from the region describing the need for having a lawyer, activist or scholar working in the organization and contractually committing to COLPI/OSI-Budapest to hire the applicant for at least one year after he/she returns from the twelve-month training program in Hungary. The nomination letter should also indicate a monthly salary rate that will be offered to the applicant by the NGO in the event that he or she is selected for the program (which would be provided to the NGO by COLPI in the form of a grant).

The DEADLINE for receiving applications is February 5, 2001. Please note that the application deadline in the CEU form does not apply. If you have questions regarding the first year of the program, please contact Maria Balla, Program Coordinator, CEU Legal Studies Department, CEU, Nador u. 9, Budapest 1051, tel: (36-1) 327-3204, fax: (36-1) 327-3198, e-mail: Ballam@ceu.hu.  For more information about the second year of the program, please contact Eszter Filippinyi, Program Coordinator, COLPI, Nador u. 11, Budapest 1051, tell: 361 327-3102; fax: 361 327 3103; e-mail: filippinyi@osi.hu. More information about COLPI  can also be found on the Internet: www.osi.hu/colpi.

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