The Human Rights Center was established in 1988 at the University of Minnesota. The Center fosters study, applied research, curriculum development, practical training, documentation, dissemination, and outreach on many aspects of international human rights. The term "international human rights" describes those civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights guaranteed by the International Bill of Human Rights [2] and other international instruments. [3] The Fellowship Program is designed to promote those rights by providing practical training, on the one hand, and assistance to host organizations, on the other. Fellowships will also foster links between communities in the Upper Midwest and human rights concerns and activities throughout the world. Participants are expected to return with a deeper commitment to a lifetime of work in human rights as professionals, community leaders and activists, teachers, and volunteers. Grant recipients should also plan to bring these international human rights experiences home through creative presentations and outreach initiatives in their local communities in the Upper Midwest. The human rights movement itself can benefit greatly from collaboration among individuals from different social, economic, and cultural origins, and those persons with both rural and urban backgrounds. The Center has received generous support from the Otto Bremer Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Mansfield Foundation, the McKnight Foundation, the Medtronic Foundation, the John Merck Fund, the Laura Jane Musser Fund, the Open Society Institute, and other donors.

Awards

Awards will ordinarily range from $1,000 to $4,500, with grants averaging about $3,200. Fellowship money will help pay transportation, lodging, and food expenses incurred during the fellowship period, but will not support the family of the grantee. Grants may be used for the summer or during a similar period of the fall, winter, or spring.

Applicants are encouraged to apply to other funders for additional support, if needed. If you are a university student, check what other programs your university may sponsor.

Eligibility

Applications are encouraged from residents of the Upper Midwest with a particular focus on Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Applicants must submit with their application a written commitment from the proposed sponsoring organization indicating that the organization will accept the fellow if funding can be arranged. The placement must relate to the purposes of the Human Rights Center, to the applicant's experience and training, and to the applicant's future goals. Applicants must have adequate proficiency in the relevant languages.

Types of Placements

Applicants are encouraged to arrange placements outside the United States, but placements with local, regional, or national organizations will be considered, so long as there is a significant human rights aspect to the organization's work. In writing to any organization, the applicant should make clear that the funding has not yet been decided. The applicant should ask if the organization would be willing to accept them if funding can be arranged by the University of Minnesota Human Rights Center.

Individuals who receive fellowships should be integrated into the regular work of the host organization, so that the applicant learns how the organization functions and assists in their work. This program does not provide an institutional setting to pursue academic projects or papers. Fellowships constitute a subsidy to the receiving organization. Hence, the Human Rights Center will consider, inter alia, the nature of the work pursued by the proposed host organization.

Past projects [5] have focused on many aspects of human rights work, including providing direct assistance to survivors of human rights abuses and their families, documenting human rights abuses, assisting asylum applicants, lodging complaints with international bodies, providing medical care to refugees and torture survivors, and organizing public awareness campaigns.

The Human Rights Center will organize an orientation session for participants undertaking international placements before their departure. This preparatory training will address such issues as witnessing human rights abuses, interviewing survivors, adjusting to new living conditions and cultural situations, and issues related to re-entry.

The Selection Process

A primary criterion for selection is a demonstrated interest in, and commitment to, the promotion of international human rights. Because one goal of the program is to deepen the understanding of international human rights in US communities, applicants will be required to propose how they plan to bring their human rights experiences home, whether through teaching, volunteer projects, public speaking, slide shows, or other community activities.

A subcommittee of the Human Rights Center's Advisory Board will select the grant recipients. Awards will be determined by considering an individual's qualifications and interests together with the needs of the supervising organization. Announcements of fellowship grants will be made the beginning of April 2006.

Application Procedures

Applications must be received by Monday, February 27, 2006 by 4:00 p.m Central Time. The application form and description of the necessary supporting materials are attached. You are welcome to duplicate the application form, or call the Human Rights Center to request more applications. Please contact the Human Rights Center (612-626-2226) or hrfellow@umn.edu if you have any questions.

Reporting Requirements

Within a month of completing the project, the grant-recipient will submit a report to the Human Rights Center. The report will describe the activities undertaken, an assessment of the value of the experience for the individual's training, and a brief accounting of how the grant monies were spent. Participants should also request a letter from their supervisor in the host organization evaluating their work.