Humanity in Action (HIA) Fellowship programs will take place in Amsterdam, Berlin, Copenhagen, Paris and Warsaw. Polish and Ukrainian applicants are eligible to apply for the programs in Berlin and Warsaw.

The HIA Fellowship in Berlin will take place from June 1 to July 1, 2012.

Participants will join the the HIA International Conference in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina from June 28 to July 1, 2012.

The HIA Fellowship in Warsaw will take place from June 25 through July 22, 2012. This program will open with a three-day orientation in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and also include participation in the Humanity in Action International Conference.

Overview

Intensive and demanding, the HIA Fellowship programs bring together international groups of college/university students and recent graduates to explore national histories of discrimination and resistance, as well as examples of issues affecting different minority groups today.

Each program is highly interdisciplinary, and features daily lectures, workshops and discussions with renowned academics, journalists, politicians, and activists, as well as site visits to government agencies, non-profit and community organizations, museums, and memorials. The programs seek to highlight different models of action to remedy injustice.

The objective of the HIA Fellowship is to facilitate a collective exploration of the social and political roots of discrimination, as well as to provide a forum where potential solutions can be considered and discussed. The programs are also intended to instill a responsibility among HIA fellows to recognize and address the need to protect minorities and promote human rights—in their own communities and around the world.

To this end, HIA senior fellows (alumni of the HIA Fellowship) have an opportunity to participate in HIA's international network once their programs end—and to sustain their engagement in the issues addressed during the fellowship.

A Note About HIA's Focus

HIA's fellowship programs concern human rights activities generally, but they focus specifically on the relationship between majority and minority populations in the five European countries where the programs take place—Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Poland. The programs address a carefully selected range of subjects intended to give the fellows analytical and multicultural skills and perspectives that will aid in their study and work on a broad range of human rights issues in the future.

HIA’s European programs use the legacy of the Second World War and the Holocaust as the main historical foundation for examining contemporary issues, such as the relationships among European immigrant communities and their host societies or current notions of solidarity, especially in Poland. We are particularly concerned with the contemporary causes and consequences of xenophobia as well as religious, ethnic, racial, gender, and national identities present in Europe and especially the five HIA European countries.

The fellowship programs explore national diversity issues in regard to their economic, educational, political, social, cultural, religious, and environmental ramifications. We also use the specific national lens to explore the international implications and repercussions of the treatment of minorities in those countries. It is important for applicants to recognize that these issues—connecting human rights to domestic national policies and attitudes—are central to HIA's mission and educational activities during the fellowship programs. While we recognize the importance of international tensions and the impact of global issues, the HIA Fellowship programs concentrate almost exclusively on issues and problems in continental Europe.

During the fellowships, the five HIA European countries serve as case studies that fellows can later use as they engage with other human rights issues. We discuss other international tensions, such as those pertaining to Iraq, Iran, Darfur, Afghanistan and the Israel-Palestinian conflict, and global issues such as the environment, but we primarily address them as they affect domestic issues in the five European countries and not in regard to their root causes. A wide range of international topics, conflicts, and crises are addressed in HIA conferences, study trips, and internship opportunities for HIA senior fellows, the alumni of our programs, but the fellowship itself—the entry point into the HIA network—adheres to a strong national focus.

This is the HIA method, refined over a dozen years of programmatic development. Those who are primarily interested in universal or global issues are encouraged to focus on the specific scope and purpose of the HIA fellowship programs—and extract learning from the European experience for broader international and human rights considerations and applications through subsequent HIA activities. Those who prefer instead study international conflicts should carefully consider whether the HIA programs are right for them.

Eligiblity

Humanity in Action Poland invites applications from Polish and Ukrainian university students and recent graduates interested in promoting human rights and social justice in their communities and around the world. All majors and academic disciplines are encouraged to apply.

HIA Poland seeks applicants who are interested in deepening their knowledge in the human rights issues (experience in grass-root activism is not a must but would be considered as an asset) and who want to acquire skills related to creating social campaigns (such as communication skills, creative thinking, problem solving etc.). Moreover, HIA Poland looks for fellows who are mature, proactive, self-reliant and those who feel comfortable in an intensive multicultural group activity and interaction.

Eligible applicants are:

• Polish students and recent graduates (no earlier than 2010) of BA/MA/Postgraduate studies;
• Ukrainian students and recent graduates (no earlier than 2010) of BA/MA/Postgraduate studies;
• Proficient in English;
• Not older than 28.

Please note that short-term exchange students are not eligible to apply.

Application Process

Humanity in Action Poland is now accepting applications from Polish and Ukrainian university students and recent graduates for the 2012 HIA Fellowship programs in Germany and Poland. Candidates may apply to either or to both programs, but will only be selected to participate in one of them.

The German Program will take place in Berlin and Sarajevo from June 1 through July 1, 2012. The Polish Program will take place in Sarajevo and Warsaw from June 25 through July 22, 2012.

The application deadline is March 15th 2012 at 9.00 AM (CET).

Admission to the HIA Fellowship programs is competitive. The first selection is made based on the written application, completed online, which must include a curriculum vitae, a personal statement, a response essay, and an Action Project proposal. Please make sure to check the application instructions and guidelines before beginning your application.

Based on your written application, you may be invited for a personal interview with the admissions committee. The interviews will take place in Warsaw in March/April. The exact date and time of the interview will be communicated via email. Under extenuating circumstances, the committee may conduct interviews by telephone or Skype at its own discretion.

In these interviews, the admissions committee will examine the motivation, communication skills, and accomplishments of finalists. In general, final selections are made on the basis of demonstrated commitment to minority rights and social justice, evidence of leadership potential, significant academic achievement, and social maturity. Final decisions will be announced shortly after the interviews.

HIA does not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity, religion, political party, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical or financial ability.

For questions about the application process, please contact us at [email protected]

Costs

The HIA Polish and German programs are free of charge for Polish and Ukrainian participants.

Additionally, HIA covers the costs of participation, accommodation, public transportation (in case of HIA Poland it will be partially refunded) and it also provides a modest meal stipend.

The fellows should plan to bring extra pocket money for meal expenses and for other personal expenditure (such as social activities/outings beyond those organized by HIA. Plus in case of Poland also to cover partially the costs of public transportation within the Warsaw area).

Important: all fellows will be responsible for financing the cost of transportation to and from Warsaw/Berlin. Please note however, that HIA will cover this cost for fellows with documented need.

Program Details

Both programs in Berlin and Warsaw are focused on debates on human rights and social justice in democratic societies and promote teamwork, however the thematic scope of these programs differs slightly. Both programs are comprised of two phases and are conducted in English.

German Program in Berlin
Program Dates: June 1 through July 1, 2012

The German Program focuses on historical and contemporary human rights dilemmas in German society. During the first few weeks of the program, fellows meet with academics, journalists, activists, elected officials, and recognized leaders in human rights organizations. In the second half of the program, fellows develop a simulation game to be used in human rights education. An active learning process, the simulation game entails conducting extensive research in small international teams and engaging in role-play as a group. The larger aim of the simulation game is to understand the political and social dynamics underlying different conflict resolution strategies.

Polish Program in Warsaw : “POLAND in Theory and in Practice: from Resistance to Solidarity, from Transformation to Civic Society”

Program Dates: June 25 through July 22, 2012

The first part of the program focuses on challenges in human rights facing by the Polish society. Thanks to meetings with academics, journalists, activists, officials, and leaders in human rights protection our participants will investigate the mechanisms and roots of the Polish S/solidarity understood not only as a historical movement and the basic principle enabling to achieve some levels of social cohesion within a society, but also as a way of sharing experiences in strengthening civic society and human rights standards in the democracies in the making. Thus, they will have a chance to scrutinize the condition of the Polish system of human rights protection by taking a closer look at the relations between majority and minority populations and to try to uncover diversity within homogeneity. In addition, they will have an opportunity to identify the potential for social change and look for ways leaders and community members can bring about that change.

One of the ways to make a difference in the modern world is to run a well-designed social campaign. Therefore, in the second part of the program we offer our participants a unique opportunity to learn from the experts how to conceptualize, develop and carry out social campaigns. This experience will also help to enhance a variety of skills, such as: research, creative writing, using new media, team-work – which are transferable to all working environments but first and foremost should help to became active in the field of human rights.

HIA Obligations and Opportunities: After the Fellowship

Action Projects
As a requirement of participation, Fellows are obligated to conduct a hands-on outreach initiative—an “Action Project”—in their home communities. The initiative should reflect the HIA fellowship experience. Upon successful completion, Fellows are invited to become Senior Fellows and to join the global HIA network of young advocates.

Professional Fellowship Opportunities

Every year, HIA places more than 50 Senior Fellows in professional fellowship programs and internships to provide practical experience working on human and minority rights. Over 230 Senior Fellows have completed HIA-sponsored internships since 1999. HIA professional fellowship opportunities include the United States Congress, the European Parliament, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, and a wide variety of grassroots and community organizations in San Francisco.

Senior Fellows Associations

HIA Senior Fellows have organized themselves into Senior Fellows Associations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denmark, France, Germany, Poland, Ukraine and the United States. These Associations have developed over the years into a global network of over 1,000 Senior Fellows worldwide, and they make it possible for Senior Fellows to collaborate on a number of important projects to promote a culture of human and minority rights.

For additional information on the HIA Fellowship programs, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected]

You are also invited to:

• contact the senior fellows network ask about their experiences: www.humanityinaction.org/Poland/113-senior-fellows;
• read the testimonials: www.humanityinaction.org/programs/14-hia-fellowship;
• take a look at the last year’s program blog: hiapoland2011.blogspot.com;
• read the article (for those who know Polish): www.edulandia.pl/Studia/1,98676,8235234.html.