Call for Applications: Fellowship Program for Vietnamese Civil Society Members
Published: Jun 1, 2020 Reading time: 4 minutes
Are you a dynamic member of Vietnamese civil society with a passion for human rights and justice?
Are you an advocate for fundamental civil and political freedoms, gender equality, LGBT rights, child’s protection, or climate justice?
Do you have an idea that can potentially make a positive impact on people’s lives?
If the answer to these questions is yes, you are highly encouraged to apply for our Fellowship Program for civil society members in Vietnam.
What is it about?
Our Fellowship Program for civil society members in Vietnam is an educational and empowering program designed for dynamic and active members of independent civil society in Vietnam. Hosted by the Center for Human Rights and Democracy at People in Need, the fellowship is a unique opportunity for Vietnamese civil society members to further develop their professional skills through workshops, conferences, and project management sessions. In addition, participants will learn about the Czech Republic’s history of promotion of human rights and democratic values through interactions with politicians, former Velvet Revolution activists, civil society professionals, policymakers, diplomats and the academic community in Prague.
After the fellowship, participants are expected to continue to enhance their participation and engagement in civil society, and to transfer the knowledge and skills gained through the fellowship to their peers and supporters in Vietnam.
When is it?
September 28 – October 30, 2020
Where is it?
Prague, the Czech Republic
Who are we looking for?
Three to four members of Vietnamese civil society (including overseas Vietnamese) who actively protect and promote human rights and justice in Vietnam. They have engaged in prominent and emerging social and political issues in Vietnam, such as freedom of expression, climate justice, gender equality, access to public services, and so on.
Participants are expected to bring to Prague an idea to protect and promote human rights and justice in Vietnam. These ideas will be the basis for their participation throughout the fellowship.
In addition, participants should:
- Be aged 20-35 by September, 2020;
- Be competent English speakers (no official certificate of English fluency is needed, however, the overall English skills should be comparable to IELTS 6.0);
- Be employees or members of a civil society organization, or independent activists with proven history of participation or engagement in civil society in Vietnam;
- Have at least one year of working experience, including voluntary work, in Vietnamese civil society;
- Have valid passports until the end of December 2020, and the ability to travel abroad;
- Commit to the fellowship as the top priority during the course of the fellowship.
Preferably, ideal participants should:
- Be familiar with the Microsoft Office suite and the Internet;
- Have substantial knowledge of security measures, including digital and physical security;
- Have a substantial network of peers or supporters to foster transfer of knowledge acquired from the fellowship;
- Exhibit sound understanding of cross-cutting topics, including women’s rights, LGBT rights, children’s rights and minority rights.
People in Need seeks to ensure gender balance in the fellowship, taking into account candidates’ different potential contributions – thanks to their diverse interests, skills, expertise and experience, and perspectives – to the fellowship.
How do we select the participants?
Interested individuals can apply for our fellowship program by submitting their application to vietnam@pinf.cz by June 30, 2020 (Central European time).
The application should include:
- CV/Resume, no longer than 2 pages in PDF
- Motivation letter, no longer than 2 pages in PDF, outlining your experience in civil society, your interest, your idea to promote human rights and justice in Vietnam, and how the fellowship will benefit you and your activism
- 2 contacts for reference, preferably individuals working in the field of civil society, human rights and/or justice
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted by July 19 2020. Interviews with shortlisted candidates will take place at the end of July 2020.
Cover of expenses
All costs related to the fellowship – including roundtrip airfares, visa, accommodation, insurance, public transport and allowances – will be covered by People in Need.
Further inquiries can be directed to vietnam@pinf.cz
Note: This is a new call for applications after the postponement of the previous call due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Candidates who already submitted their applications in the previous call (February-March 2020) will be automatically considered for this call without having to reapply.
