Fully Funded Fellowship in Human Rights for People of African Descent in Switzerland 2021

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is offering the Fellowship program for people of African descent. The Program is a three-week intensive learning opportunity for people of African descent, who are engaged in promoting the rights of people of African descent. It takes place once a year at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva.

About the Program:

• The program aims to strengthen participants’ skills to contribute to the protection and promotion of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of people of African descent in their respective countries. 
• The participants are equipped with the tools necessary to enhance the development of legislation, policies, and programs; to strengthen the collaboration of civil society with governments, and to undertake local awareness-raising activities.

• Each fellow is entitled to a return ticket (economy class) from the country of residence to Geneva.
• Basic health insurance. 
• A stipend to cover modest accommodation and other living expenses for the duration of the Programme.

Benefits:

The Fellowship program provides the participants with the opportunity to:

• Learn about and deepen their understanding of the international human rights law and the UN human rights system, the international framework to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance, and intersecting issues with a focus on people of African descent.
• Strengthen skills in developing project proposals, delivering presentations and submitting information to human rights mechanisms.
• Gain first-hand exposure to human rights mechanisms.
• Meet with a wide-range of actors.

The candidate must be an individual of African descent living in the Diaspora.

• The candidate must have a minimum of 4 years of work experience related to the rights of People of African Descent.
• The programme is bilingual in English and French. The candidate needs to have sufficient command of one of the two languages to be able to participate fully in the programme.
• The candidate has to submit a letter from an organization working on issues related to People of African Descent or minority rights certifying their status.
• The candidates must be available to attend the full duration of the programme. The selected fellows will be expected to participate in different activities and to strictly follow the programme.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights:

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) represents the world's commitment to universal ideals of human dignity. HCHR leads global human rights efforts speaking out objectively in the face of human rights violations worldwide. It provides a forum for identifying, highlighting and developing responses to today's human rights challenges, and act as the principal focal point of human rights research, education, public information, and advocacy activities in the United Nations system.

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