Deadline: 25 May 2015
Open to: The candidate must be indigenous with good knowledge of English, French, Spanish and Russian
Fellowship: return flight ticket, living expenses and basic health insurance
Description
The Indigenous Fellowship Programme (IFP) is a comprehensive human rights training programme that was established by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in the context of the first International Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoples (1995-2004). The programme contributes to build the capacity and expertise of indigenous representatives on the UN system and mechanisms dealing with human rights in general and indigenous issues in particular, so they are in a better position to protect and promote the rights of their communities at the international level.
Since the launch of the training programme in 1997, more than 300 indigenous men and women from all over the world have been trained. They provided human rights training to many more in their communities. The IFP is held annually and fellows from the 4 language components (English, French, Spanish and Russian) of the programme are trained together with simultaneous interpretation during 4 to 5 weeks in Geneva. The date of the training programme usually coincides with the annual meeting of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (June/July), thus allowing the fellows to participate more actively in that Mechanism.
Eligibility
- The candidate must be indigenous (non-indigenous persons will not be taken into consideration, even if they have close links with indigenous communities and/or organizations);
- Age should not be a limitation to participation in the programme;
- Formal education should not be a limitation to participation in the IFP given the socio-economic barriers confronted by many indigenous peoples that limit access to formal educational institutions;
- Candidates should agree to train other indigenous persons after the return to their respective communities/organizations;
- The candidate should be proposed and his/her candidacy supported by his/her indigenous organization and/or community. It is desirable that the sponsoring organization has a firm constituency or membership and that it is representative;
- The candidate should have a good working knowledge of the English, French, Spanish and Russian language.
Fellowship
The selected candidates are entitled to a return flight ticket, living expenses and basic health insurance for the duration of the training.
How to apply?
Fellowship applications will only be taken into consideration if they are fully completed. Both parts I and II of the application form must be signed and sent by regular post at the following address:
Indigenous Peoples and Minorities Section
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
UNOG-OHCHR
CH-1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland
Scanned applications are also accepted, although we prefer receiving applications by post. Your scanned application can be sent at the following email: fellowship@ohchr.org Application forms need to be accompanied by an official recommendation letter from the nominating indigenous organization or community.
For more information, please check the official web-page.
