Eighth Global Action-Research Workshop for Young Human Rights Advocates

Dejusticia invites applications for its Eighth Annual Global Action-Research Workshop, to be held in Colombia July 4-11, 2020. The theme this year will be migration and human rights. Get to know what happened and who joined us during the 2019 version of our Workshop:

Workshop Sponsor:

The Center for Law, Justice and Society (Dejusticia) is a Colombia-based NGO working on strengthening the rule of law and promoting human rights in Colombia and across the Global South. We are a think/do tank that produces rigorous research that can contribute to action for social change. We also carry out direct advocacy through campaigns, litigation, education and capacity-building.

Since 2005, we have been working on ten research and action areas: ethnic and racial anti-discrimination; drug policy; economic, social and cultural rights; rule of law; environmental justice; gender; judicial systems; peasants and land; technology and human rights; and transitional justice.

Our methodology is three-pronged. We produce rigorous legal and social science research and aim to contribute to a better understanding of systemic failures and rights violations. We leverage our expert knowledge to contribute to direct action campaigns, litigation or interventions in public policy design and public opinion forums. We promote free access to knowledge for human rights through capacity-building and experience sharing in a variety of formats and with a wide range of stakeholders—from young advocates to scholars and community activists, from judges to policymakers, from transnational advocates to domestic advocates in the Global South.

www.dejusticia.org

Eighth Annual Workshop:

The theme of Dejusticia’s eighth annual Global Action-Research Workshop in 2020 will be migration and human rights. Dejusticia invites applications from young professionals from the Global South who are engaged in advocacy around this theme. Approximately fifteen applicants will be selected to participate in the Workshop. The eighth annual Workshop will take place from July 4-11 in Colombia, combining intensive writing and academic workshops with experiential learning. Workshop sessions will be taught by leading international and Colombian experts.

Objectives:

Dejusticia’s Global Action-Research Workshop seeks to ensure that the new generation of Global South human rights advocates has a strong voice in international discussions. An important challenge for these young advocates is how to increase their influence in international human rights debates. High quality research coming from the Global South on human rights issues is critically important. In recognition of this, and of the need for young advocates to build research and writing skills to address pressing problems in their respective countries, Dejusticia holds an annual Action-Research Workshop directed at young advocates. The objectives are to train these young professionals to effectively design, conduct, and write action-oriented research, as well as communicate their findings in diverse forms. Dejusticia provides ongoing mentorship for participants to work on a research project and publication of their design after they return to their home countries.

Expected Outcomes and Methodology: 

The goal of the Workshop is to strengthen the writing and advocacy skills of the participants, their contribution to their organizations, and their collective contributions to the international human rights movement. Additionally, the 2020 Workshop will be carried out with the aim of advancing creative, collaborative thinking about migration and human rights. Texts produced by the participants will be published as part of Dejusticia’s broader project to document the perspectives of the new generation of human rights advocates. The Workshop will also provide a forum to continue strengthening the alumni network once participants return home. The Workshop’s structure will include intensive writing workshops and group discussion sessions. Workshop content will focus on writing and communication of results of action-oriented research in this field, as well as collaborative problem-solving focused on prospective thinking and imagination.

Participant Profile: 

Dejusticia invites applications from advocates from the Global South who are working on migration and human rights. Applicants must be 35 years or younger and currently affiliated with a human rights organization or related NGO. Applicants should be interested in improving their research, writing, and advocacy skills, and reaching broader audiences with their publications.

Cost:

Travel, lodging, workshop materials, and meals will be covered for all participants. The funds for the Workshop and the project it forms part of are made possible by the generous support of the Ford Foundation.

Application Requirements:

Translation will be provided in English and Spanish throughout the Workshop. Fluency in one of these two languages is required. To apply to the Dejusticia Global Action-Research Workshop for Young Human Rights Advocates, please send the following:

1. A letter of nomination from the applicant’s human rights organization or related NGO. This letter should state the name of the applicant and the affiliation the applicant has with the organization (i.e. lawyer, advocate, researcher, etc.).
2. Written responses to the following questions (please attach as word, pdf, or text document):
   1. Why are you interested in participating in this Action-Research Workshop?
   2. b: What type of human rights issues do you work on? Please describe how your work is related to migration.
   3. What experience do you have conducting research?
   4. What human rights issue/case/project are you working on that you think could benefit from research and publication (please describe in 400-500 words)? The Workshop will mentor participants on the publication of findings for one research project; the project you describe should be something for which you would be interested in such mentorship, should you be selected for participation.
3. Curriculum Vita/Resume (please attach as word, pdf, or text document)

All materials should be sent via email to Natalia Buitrago at [email protected]