Beirut - While young people have the potential to play a significant role in supporting societies and finding solutions to humanitarian crises, youth in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region faces enormous political, social, and economic challenges, and are often denied the chance to participate in defending their own rights. In addition, the support provided to them is typically temporary and tied to projects that are not sustainable. Therefore, the key strategy and philosophy of Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor is to enable victims to empower themselves and their communities, as well as transform these victims from passive recipients of support into active human rights defenders.

Based on this principle, Euro-Med Monitor launched the Youth for Rights Fellowship in early 2023 to strengthen the ability of young people from the MENA region to defend human rights within their communities. It will enable them to be active participants in human rights work, and provide them with potential job opportunities through an extensive network of international, regional, and local human rights organisations.

Euro-Med Monitor is launching the second cohort of the four-month programme in Lebanon, Beirut, beginning in June and concluding in September 2023. The programme will offer intensive trainings in international law, international humanitarian law, human rights advocacy mechanisms, and the most important skills required to work in human rights organisations, such as research, documentation, lobbying, and advocacy. Also included is a practical training period during which applicants work with partner organisations to put their newly acquired skills into practice while being supervised by specialised trainers and legal experts.

The fellowship extends over four months, and is divided into two phases:

Phase 1:

Eight weeks long, the first phase consists of theoretical learning and in-depth lectures on a variety of topics related to international law, international humanitarian law, and the procedural mechanisms for defending human rights, as well as the practical steps needed to accomplish this.

Phase 2:

The second phase is also eight weeks long, and involves programme participants in human rights work by providing them with practical training at one of Euro-Med Monitor’s partner organisations. Assigned mentors will provide trainees with personalised support, offering one-on-one guidance throughout the training period. At the end of this phase, each trainee will write a case report about a human rights issue, citing specific violations in the MENA region.

By the end of the programme, participants will have:

  • Acquired skills required to promote and defend human rights in their communities.
  • Acquired knowledge and skills needed to work in the human rights field, including research, documentation, lobbying, and advocacy, as well as improved their chances of obtaining job opportunities at international, regional, and local human rights organisations.
  • Produced a report on an individual case, or on multiple human rights violations, for publication on the websites of Euro-Med Monitor and an assigned partner organisation.
  • The option to join Euro-Med Monitor’s vibrant community of over 1,000 members across the world.

The programme will accept 20 fellows from the MENA region into its first cohort. Fellowship applicants must:

  1. Be between 21–29 years of age.
  2. Hold a bachelor’s degree in human rights, international law, international relations, English language, media, public relations, or any other relevant field.
  3. Be currently unemployed.
  4. Be a citizen of a fellowship-eligible country or territory (Middle East and North Africa - MENA region).
  5. Have an excellent command of both Arabic and English (spoken and written).
  6. Have good computer skills.
  7. Have a solid background in human rights and international law.
  8. Commit to attending all training sessions, meetings, and lectures (in person for members in Lebanon and online for those abroad).
  9. Commit to completing a two-month internship at a partner organisation, and performing all tasks and activities related to the fellowship.

Application process

Applicants for the 2023 Youth for Rights Fellowship must submit a resume and cover letter that includes the following:

  • Background information on the applicant’s studies, experiences, and interests.
  • The applicant’s motivation(s) for applying to the programme.
  • How will the applicant put their fellowship experience to use in the future?

Kindly submit your application to YouthForRights@euromedmonitor.org by no later than Saturday, 20 May 2023 under the subject ‘Youth for Rights Fellowship’. We look forward to reviewing your application.