FW: The Open Society Justice Initiative joins with the Central European University (CEU) to announce the Justice Initiative Fellows Program for 2005-2007.

[Katalin Fabian]

> Subject: The Open Society Justice Initiative joins with the Central European
> University (CEU) to announce the Justice Initiative Fellows Program for
> 2005-2007.
>
> Justice Initiative Fellows Program 2005 - 2007
> Central European University, Department of Legal Studies
> The Open Society Justice Initiative joins with the Central
> European University (CEU) to announce the Justice Initiative
> Fellows Program for 2005-2007. The aim of the program is to
> support and further develop a network of lawyers and activists
> working on human rights-related issues internationally.
>
> The Human Rights Fellows Program is a two-year program of study
> and practical work experience. Up to ten applicants will be
> selected in 2005 to participate in the program. Applicants from
> the following regions and countries are eligible: Central and
> Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, Mongolia, West and
> Southern Africa, the African Great Lakes region, Southeast Asia,
> the Middle East, Haiti, Guatemala, Mexico and Peru.
>
> Applicants must be nominated by a non-governmental organization
> concerned with human rights. The applicant must demonstrate a
> strong commitment to human rights, hold a university degree and
> be highly proficient in English. Criteria for selection will
> include the applicant's experience, his/her potential to
> contribute to the protection and promotion of human rights, and
> the suitability of the applicant's proposed role in the
> nominating NGO. Upon selection, Fellows will be required to sign
> an agreement with the Justice Initiative committing themselves
> to the program for two years. The first year is spent at the
> Central European University, the second in the applicant's home
> country, working with the nominating NGO.
>
> Human Rights Fellows will reside a total of one year in Hungary,
> at CEU Legal Studies Department. They will undertake a degree
> program (M.A. or LL.M. in Human Rights, dependent on their
> undergraduate degree), in which they will be required to fulfil
> the requirements of the Human Rights Program at the Central
> European University. During their stay at CEU the Fellows will
> also participate in a three-month internship placement with
> leading NGOs in Europe from January until March.
>
> The Justice Initiative Fellowship will be administered by CEU
> Legal Studies Department, in partnership with the Justice
> Initiative, during the first year of the program. Financial
> conditions will be identical to CEU policies for full
> scholarship students. Human Rights Fellows will return to their
> nominating NGOs after the first year, where they will spend at
> least one year working in human rights advocacy on a non-profit
> basis: providing legal services, undertaking human rights
> litigation, providing training and education, etc. The Justice
> Initiative will pay a local salary during this second year equal
> to an amount determined to be similar to equivalent work by the
> nominating NGO. This amount will be provided to the nominating
> NGOs in the form of a grant.
>
> Application Procedure
> Application deadline: January 6, 2005
> Applicants must submit their applications to the CEU Admissions
> Office (1051 Budapest, Nador street 9, Hungary). They must meet
> the general CEU Admissions Requirements, which can be viewed
> online (http://www.ceu.hu/admissions.html), as well as the CEU
> Legal Studies Department Requirements h
> (http://www.ceu.hu/legal/admissions.html).
>
> In addition, applicants must include with their application:
> 1. A nominating letter from an NGO describing the reasons for
> nominating the applicant, the expectations the NGO has of the
> project, and contractually committing (to the Justice
> Initiative) to hire the applicant for at least one year after
> s/he returns from the twelve-month training program in Hungary.
> The nomination letter should also indicate a monthly salary
> gross rate in USD (including all taxes and fees) that will be
> offered to the applicant by the NGO in the event that s/he is
> selected for the program (provided to the NGO by the Justice
> Initiative in the form of a grant).
> 2. A copy of the applicant's bar association membership (if
> applicable), or the date scheduled for examination.
> 3. Proof of English proficiency (if available). If no language
> test has been taken, a test will be carried out during the
> application procedure (exact dates to be determined). For
> applicants from the former Soviet Union and Central and Eastern
> Europe, language tests will be carried out by local Soros
> Foundation/ Open Society Institute coordinators. In other
> regions, applicants will be contacted individually.
> 4. A statement of purpose for applying to the Justice Initiative
> Fellows program.
> 5. A proposal of project activities that the candidate plans to
> work on with the nominating NGO during the second year of the
> fellowship.
>
> The Open Society Justice Initiative, an operational program of
> the Open Society Institute (OSI), pursues law reform activities
> grounded in the protection of human rights, and contributes to
> the development of legal capacity for open societies. The
> Justice Initiative combines litigation, legal advocacy,
> technical assistance, and the dissemination of knowledge to
> secure advances in five priority areas: national criminal
> justice, international justice, freedom of information and
> expression, equality and citizenship, and anticorruption. Its
> offices are in Abuja, Budapest, and New York.
>
> More information
> Katalin Horvath, Special Programs Coordinator, Legal Studies
> Department, Central European University, Nador u. 9, Budapest
> 1051, tel: +361 327-3205, email: horvathk at ceu.hu, web:
> http://www.ceu.hu/legal
> Rita Bakradze, Fellows Program Coordinator at the Justice
> Initiative, Nador u. 11, Budapest 1051, tel: +361 327-3102; fax:
> +361 327 3103; e-mail: rbakradze at osi.hu, web:
> http://www.justiceinitiative.org
>
>
> Location: Hungary (open to Applicants from select Countries)
> Deadline: Jan 6, 2005
> Website: http://www.justiceinitiative.org
>
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