"Simply unforgettable. Since I started working in human rights, ten years ago, this is the first time that I feel calm and safe, knowing nobody is going to hurt me or persecute me. Thank you, all of you in the Centre, for this feeling." Diana, Fellow, Spring 2010.
CAHR team and human rights defenders during a training session
From left to right - Rhoda Gbla, Mahendra Kusumawhardana, Amir and Jit Man Basnet.
"I would say it is one of the most useful fellowships I could imagine. Not only the content that I've learnt, but also the connections and friendship that will last for a long time". Sittipong, Thailand
Human Rights Defenders
One of the most important elements in bringing about improvements in human rights at a local level is the presence of active human rights defenders. They often find themselves working in hostile environments and without adequate training and support. Over time, the cumulative challenges of working in such an environment can have a negative impact on the individuals concerned and on their contribution to human rights work.
The Centre for Applied Human Rights has created an innovative response to this challenge through its Protective Fellowship Scheme. Human rights defenders are invited to come to York for periods ranging from three to six months. During this time they benefit both from time away from a difficult environment, and from educational resources designed to increase their effectiveness and their ability to influence policy and practice when they return home. We believe that this Scheme makes a unique contribution in enhancing the sustainability of social activism.
The benefits are three-fold:
- Awardees have the opportunity to acquire new skills as well as take time to recuperate and reflect upon their work, enabling them to return to their activism re-energized
- Enhancing the skills of human rights defenders is a sustainable way to bringing about medium and long-term social change in their home countries
- The Centre for Applied Human Rights benefits from the experience of the awardees, allowing it to create and share knowledge relating to best practice in human rights activism.
So far the Centre has welcomed the following Fellows:
- Spring 2008 (Zimbabwe and Afghanistan)
- Autumn 2008 (Palestine, Indonesia, Iraq)
- Spring 2009 (Nepal, Sierre Leone)
- Autumn 2009 (Kenya, DRC)
- Spring 2010 (Colombia, Kenya, Uganda)
- Autumn 2010 (Iraq, Sudan, China)
- Spring 2011 ( Kyrgyzstan, Thailand)
- Success Stories from past Fellows
Defenders Stories
We are grateful to the generosity of our funders for making this scheme possible: the Sigrid Rausing Trust, the Allan and Nesta Ferguson Charitable Settlement, the Open Society Institute, the Bower Trust, the Barrow Cadbury Trust and the Bromley Trust.
Supported by York Annual Fund
Through TheYorkies , alumni & friends of the University
Please note: Applications for fellowships can only be made via designated nominating organisations. The Centre cannot consider individual petitions.