Shelter City York: Nominations for Fellowships

Shelter City York: Nominations for Fellowships

University of York’s Centre for Applied Human Rights (CAHR) is currently accepting nominations for human rights defenders in need of a temporary relocation to a safe space as part of the Protective Fellowship Scheme for Human Rights Defenders at Risk and Protective Writing Fellowship for Human Rights Defenders.

Photo by Arnaud Roelofsz

The Protective Fellowship Scheme for Human Rights Defenders (6 months)

The Protective Fellowship Scheme for Human Rights Defenders at Risk is aimed at strengthening the capacity of human rights defenders at risk. It is open to all human rights defenders who work in difficult environments or who are directly at risk.

The scheme ordinarily offers a six-month fellowship at the University of York, where fellows engage in human rights research, develop their research capacity, and engage in learning and teaching. During this time, they will also conduct advocacy to further their work; expand their networks of contacts in the United Kingdom and Europe; and share their work with staff, students and the general public. The scheme runs annually from September until March.

The Protective Writing Fellowship for Human Rights Defenders (3 months)

The Protective Writing Fellowship is a new initiative aimed at strengthening the capacity of human rights defenders at risk who are in leadership positions within local human rights movements and organisations. It builds on and complements our Protective Fellowship Scheme for Human Rights Defenders at Risk, which we have run since 2008.

The Protective Writing Fellowship offers a three-month fellowship at the University of York to experienced human rights defenders in key positions in their local human rights movement, providing these individuals with space for reflection and for development of strategic thinking. At CAHR, fellows engage in human rights research and develop their research and writing capacity.

During this time, they will have opportunities to engage with UK-based scholars on a human rights research topic of their interest; expand their networks of contacts in the United Kingdom; and share their experience with staff, students and the general public. The scheme runs annually from April until July.

How does the nomination process work?

CAHR accepts up to ten human rights defenders as visiting fellows every year across the two schemes:

• Protective Fellowship Scheme for Human Rights Defenders at Risk
• Protective Writing Fellowship for Human Rights Defenders

Applications for these fellowships can only be made via a nominating organisation.

Nominations to the fellowships are accepted from recognised civil society organisations and inter-governmental organisations working in human rights and/or specifically with human rights defenders. A reputed civil society organisation who knows an individual’s human rights work can act as their nominating organisation.

Organisations cannot nominate their own employees or volunteers and we cannot consider individual petitions.

For nomination forms and queries regarding the schemes, please contact HRD-fellowship@york.ac.uk.

Nomination deadline

The call for nominations for both fellowships is open until 16 February 2025.