United Nation Minorities Fellowship Programme, Switzerland (2016)

The Minorities Fellowship Programme (MFP) was launched by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in 2005. The Fellows are based at the OHCHR Geneva, Switzerland. The MFP is interactive and consists of briefings on several topics (e.g. the UN system, OHCHR work, human rights mechanisms and instruments), fellows also undertake individual and group assignments.

This year, the English and Russian language components of the Minorities Fellowship Programme will run from 7 to 25 November 2016, in Geneva, Switzerland, and fellows will be able to participate in the 9th Session of the Forum on Minority Issues.

Both the English and the Russian language component of the Minority Fellowship Programme gives selected fellows the opportunity to learn more about the promotion and protection of minority rights, OHCHR, and the UN system as well give them an opportunity to attend the 8th session of the Forum on Minority Issues.

Eligibility

- The candidate must belong to a national, ethnic, linguistic or religious minority group (persons who do not belong to a minority group will not be taken into consideration, even if they have close links with minority communities and/or organizations);
- Formal education should not be a limitation to participation in the Minorities Fellowship Programme, if relevant experience can be demonstrated;
- Candidates should have ability, willingness and possibility to train other persons belonging to minorities upon return to their respective communities/organizations and should agree to do so;
- The candidates must have a good working knowledge of the language in which the programme is imparted (English);
- The candidate should be proposed and his/her candidacy supported by his/her organization and/or community. It is desirable that the sponsoring organization has a firm constituency or membership, is representative, undertakes work on minority issues and is composed of persons belonging to minorities;
- The overall goal of the Minorities Fellowship Programme is to offer persons belonging to minorities the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills in the field of international human rights in order to assist their organizations and communities in protecting and promoting human and minority rights. Therefore, it is important that the candidate proposed and nominated by a minority organization or community be someone who will return to his or her NGO to work in this field.

Fellowship
Fellows are entitled to the following: a return ticket (economy class) from the country of residence to Geneva; basic health insurance for the duration of the Programme; a stipend to cover modest accommodation and other living expenses for the duration of the Programme.

Further details:
http://www.mladiinfo.eu