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OSJI
Fellows Programme at Central European University
The Open Society Justice Initiative (OSJI), an operational
programme of the Open Society Institute (OSI), and the Central European
University (CEU) have announced the Justice Initiative Fellows Program for
2006-2008. The aim of the programme is to support and further develop a
network of lawyers and activists working on human rights-related issues
internationally.
The Human Rights Fellows Programme is a two-year programme
of study and practical work experience. Up to 10 applicants will be
selected in 2006 to participate in the programme. Applicants from the
following regions are eligible: Central and Eastern Europe, the former
Soviet Union, Africa, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Central/South
America.
Applicants must be nominated by a non-governmental
organization (NGO) concerned with human rights that will sponsor the
applicant as a Justice Initiative Fellow with a defined role within the
organization. Applicants selected for the Fellowship will be required to
sign an agreement with the Justice Initiative committing themselves to the
programme for two years. The first year is spent at Central European
University, the second in the applicant’s home country, working with the
nominating NGO.
Fellowship applicants must demonstrate a strong commitment
to human rights, and have a university degree and a high degree of
proficiency in English. Criteria for selection will include the
applicant’s experience, his or 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.
Human Rights Fellows will reside for one year in Hungary at
CEU’s Legal Studies Department. They will undertake a degree programme (an
M.A. or LL.M. in Human Rights, depending on their undergraduate degree),
in which they will be required to fulfill the requirements of the Human
Rights Programme 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 programme, 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. Human Rights
Fellows will return to their 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, and providing training and education.
The Justice Initiative will pay a local salary during the
second year 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.
Application Procedure
Applicants must submit their applications to the
CEU Admissions Office
(1051 Budapest, Nador Street 9, Hungary). They must meet the general
CEU Admissions
requirements,
which can be viewed online (http://www.ceu.hu/admissions.html),
as well as the CEU Legal Studies
Department Requirements
(http://www.ceu.hu/legal/admissions.html).
In addition, applicants must include the following with their application:
1. 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 he or she returns from the 12-month
training programme in Hungary. The nomination letter should also indicate
a monthly salary gross rate in USD (including all taxes and fees) that
will be offered to the applicant by the NGO in the event that he or she is
selected for the programme (provided to the NGO by the Justice Initiative
in the form of a grant).
2. A copy of the applicant’s Bar Association membership (if
applicable), or the date scheduled for examination.
3. Proof of English Proficiency (if available). If no
language test has been taken, a test will be carried out during the
application procedure (exact dates to be determined). For applicants from
the former Soviet Union and Central and Eastern Europe, language tests
will be carried out by local Soros Foundation/Open Society Institute
coordinators. For all other applicants, the relevant sections of the
general admissions guidelines apply (see also:
http://www.ceu.hu/admissions_apply.html).
4. A statement of purpose for applying to the Justice Initiative
Fellows programme.
5. A proposal of project activities that the candidate
plans to work on with the nominating NGO during the second year of the
fellowship.
The deadline for receiving applications at CEU is
January 6, 2006.
For information regarding the first year of the programme,
contact: Anna Mentsl,
Special Programs Coordinator, Legal Studies Department, Central
European University, Budapest 1051, Nádor u. 9, Hungary, tel: +361
327-3205, e-mail:
mentsla@ceu.hu, web:
http://www.ceu.hu/legal
For information about the overall programme and the second
year commitment, contact:
Rita Bakradze,
Fellows Program Coordinator at Justice Initiative, Budapest 1051, Nador u.
11, Hungary, tel: +361 327-3102; fax: +361 327 3103; e-mail:
rbakradze@osi.hu, web:
http://www.justiceinitiative.org
For more information about the programme visit
http://www.justiceinitiative.org and
http://www.ceu.hu/legal/osji_prog.html
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