Upper Midwest International
Human Rights Fellowship Program
The Upper Midwest International Human Rights
Fellowship Program encourages individuals from the Upper Midwest of
the United States to pursue a lifetime of human rights work -- either
as professionals or as knowledgeable volunteers -- by providing them with
opportunities for practical experience. A fellowship placement offers
both training for the individual and assistance to the organization.
The Center has awarded internship/fellowship grants to 170 University
of Minnesota students and 50 community members to work with human rights
organizations in more than 50 countries. Grants ranged between $1,000 -
$4,500 for a total of more than $440,000 to support the 220 internship/fellowship
awards.
The Human Rights Center encourages residents of the Upper Midwest - including
students, teachers, lawyers, community leaders, and other professionals - to
undertake practical experience in human rights organizations. In recent years, most of the program’s funding has been designated specifically for awards to law students, though some awards are still made to persons outside that category, particularly University of Minnesota graduate students in human rights and in the health sciences. The Human
Rights Center awards approximately 25 grants each year. Grants are intended
to cover travel and living expenses incurred during the approximately
ten-week fellowship experience.
The application and guidelines for
the Human Rights Fellowship Program are available by contacting the Human
Rights Center or at: http://www.hrusa.org/field/internships/index.shtm.
The 2006 Upper Midwest Human Rights Fellows and
the Human Rights Center Co-Directors
"I was not only able to learn a great deal about
a country and a people in the process of struggling to attain a democracy,
but I was able to see first-hand what their situation clearly is . .
.. People are beginning to realize that the key to instigating change
and establishing a true democracy [is] . . . through education and the
personal responsibility of individuals. Being a part of promoting that
message to teachers within the Czech Republic was a very fulfilling
experience."
Ann Marie Schultz, Fellow
BohemiaCorps, Czech Republic
U.S. Training - of - Trainers
For Human Rights Education
The Human Rights Resource Center, in collaboration with the Stanley Foundation,
is host to an annual U.S. Training-of-Trainers for Human Rights Education
Institute. Upon completion of the Institute, the 25 participants selected
for this advanced human rights training workshop are expected to conduct
human rights training in their home communities. In addition, each participant
is part of the national training corps of the Human Rights Resource Center.
The application and guidelines for the Training-of-Trainers Institute
is available by contacting the Human Rights Resource Center or at: http://hrusa.org/field/default.shtm
