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Frank Jennings Fellowship 2026–2027: Human Rights Opportunity in Dublin and Geneva

April 15, 2026

The Frank Jennings Fellowship 2026–2027, offered by Front Line Defenders, is a prestigious early-career opportunity designed for individuals seeking practical experience in the human rights sector. This 12.5-month fellowship combines training, field exposure, and institutional engagement across Dublin, Ireland, and Geneva, Switzerland.

The programme is structured to provide hands-on experience working with human rights defenders (HRDs) and international human rights mechanisms, particularly within the United Nations system.

Programme Structure and Learning Experience

The fellowship is divided into three distinct phases, offering a blend of training and applied experience:

  • Initial Phase (3.5 months in Dublin)
    Fellows begin at the headquarters of Front Line Defenders, where they receive training on:
    • Human rights defenders and their protection needs
    • The UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders
    • The mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur
    • International protection mechanisms and advocacy strategies
  • International Placement (6 months in Geneva)
    Fellows transition to an internship with Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, gaining direct exposure to UN processes and global human rights monitoring systems.
  • Final Phase (3 months in Dublin)
    Fellows return to Dublin to consolidate learning and contribute to ongoing organisational work.

This structure ensures a comprehensive understanding of both grassroots advocacy and high-level international human rights systems.

Fellows will undertake a variety of responsibilities depending on their placement phase.

While in Dublin

  • Supporting Protection Coordinators in communication with human rights defenders
  • Assisting in drafting urgent appeals on behalf of at-risk individuals
  • Maintaining and updating internal databases
  • Contributing to reports, briefings, and documentation
  • Supporting follow-up on ongoing human rights cases

While in Geneva (OHCHR)

  • Monitoring global human rights situations, especially concerning defenders
  • Drafting communications and urgent appeals to governments
  • Analysing government responses to human rights allegations
  • Supporting preparation of reports for the Human Rights Council and General Assembly
  • Assisting in preparations for official missions of the UN Special Rapporteur
  • Liaising with NGOs and civil society organisations

This dual exposure enables fellows to develop both operational and analytical expertise.

Benefits and Compensation

The fellowship offers a competitive and supportive package designed to enable full participation:

  • Annual stipend of €30,629
  • 13 days of annual leave during the Dublin phase
  • Flights between Dublin and Geneva
  • Health and travel insurance coverage
  • Access to an Employee Assistance Programme
  • Monthly well-being support while in Dublin

During the Geneva placement, conditions are governed by OHCHR internship regulations.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must meet strict academic, professional, and language requirements.

Academic and Professional Requirements

  • Recent graduates or candidates within one year of completing a degree
  • Fields of study include:
    • Human rights
    • Social sciences
    • Development studies
    • Humanitarian studies or related disciplines

Skills and Competencies

  • Strong written and verbal communication skills
  • Excellent drafting and analytical abilities
  • Ability to synthesise complex information into concise outputs
  • Solid administrative and organisational skills
  • Computer literacy

Language Requirements

  • Native or near-native English proficiency
  • Fluency in either Spanish or French (mandatory)

Additional Requirements

  • Basic knowledge of the UN system and international human rights law
  • Legal eligibility to work in both Ireland and Switzerland for the full duration of the fellowship

Application Process and Deadline

Interested candidates must submit:

  • A detailed Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • A tailored cover letter

Applications must be submitted via the official recruitment platform of Front Line Defenders.

Key deadline:

  • 14 April 2026 (midnight Irish time)

Late or incomplete applications will not be considered, and candidates are encouraged to apply as early as possible due to the competitive nature of the programme.

VISIT OFFICIAL WEBSITE TO APPLY

Frank Jennings Fellowship 2026–2027: Human Rights Opportunity in Dublin and Geneva

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Nominations open for the Right Livelihood Award 2026 – Reminder: extended to January 30

January 12, 2026

This is a reminder that nominations for the 2026 Right Livelihood Award are open, and the deadline is January 16, 2026 . They are seeking new nominees for the Award who are leading change-makers in their field. Nominations are fully open to the public; therefore, anyone can nominate an individual or organisation creating change through their innovative and life-changing work. To nominate a candidate (preferably in English, but French and Spanish are also accepted), please submit nominations through our online nominations form. Read more about the Award https://www.trueheroesfilms.org/thedigest/awards/97238E26-A05A-4A7C-8A98-0D267FDDAD59.

The Right Livelihood Award recognizes and supports outstanding individuals and organizations driving social, environmental, and human rights change. Winners receive financial or honorary awards, lifelong access to a global network, and international recognition to amplify their impact and protect their work.

For more information, visit Right Livelihood.

https://www2.fundsforngos.org/livelihood-2/nominations-open-for-the-right-livelihood-award-program/

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Call for applications for the 2026 Global South Fellowship programme

January 8, 2026

This opportunity allows human rights defenders to develop their projects and take part in an academic and cultural exchange in a safe space. Apply before January 21. Are you a human rights defender from a country in the Global South who must carry out your work in an emergency or high-risk context? Our fellowship program could offer you a calm and safe space to work; provide you with the opportunity to build bonds of solidarity and companionship; and exchange knowledge with our researchers on tools and strategies for action-oriented research.

We have six thematic lines and areas at Dejusticia to which you can apply.

If you believe your profile and needs are a good fit with our fellowship program, please check our terms and apply before January 21, 2026 (11:59 P.M., UTC-05:00).

We are looking for people with different profiles:

  1. Those who come from an emergency or high-risk context. An emergency or high-risk context may include any of the following:
    • The country/city where the fellow works is experiencing armed conflict, civil unrest, or is under an authoritarian government with an imminent threat to the individual security of the candidate.
    • The fellow and/or their organization has been the target of threats, intimidation, or populist propaganda that poses a risk to their human rights defense work or to their family’s safety.
    • The fellow or their organization has been excluded from funding due to government or private sector influence, or has been subjected to pressure aimed at obstructing the work of the individual/organization.
  2. Those who are at risk of burnout and are seeking a quiet place to continue working on human rights issues, but in a different context.
  3. Those who belong to human rights organizations in the Global South and wish to engage in exchanges and joint research or advocacy work with Dejusticia.
  4. Those who intend to build long-term relationships with other fellows and with Dejusticia. This ensures that our fellowships function as accelerating nodes for connections that will make the human rights movement more coordinated and generate greater impact.

What will fellows receive from Dejusticia?

Dejusticia will cover travel expenses (visa, airfare) and provide a monthly stipend based on the fellow’s profile and experience. While Dejusticia will provide initial support at the beginning of the process—including, during the first two weeks of work, a training space on amphibious research and on Dejusticia’s work—it is important to note that selected fellows will be responsible for managing their stipend to cover their housing, transportation, and food needs.

What will be the commitments of fellows from the Global South?

The fellow will allocate their time at Dejusticia as follows:

  • 65% to develop and implement work associated with a broader project of the host area/line.
  • 25% to continue supporting the work of their home organization remotely.
  • 10% to develop at least one blog post reflecting on their experience or work, to be published on Dejusticia’s Global Blog.

How to apply to the fellowship program

The call will be open until January 21, 2026

Dejusticia will cover travel expenses (visa, airfare) and provide a monthly stipend based on the fellow’s profile and experience. While Dejusticia will provide initial support at the beginning of the process, it is important to note that selected fellows will be responsible for managing their stipend to cover housing, transportation, and food needs. The program also includes one week of in-person training at Dejusticia on action-oriented research tools, writing, among others, as well as an organizational induction.

DOWNLOAD ALL THE INFORMATION TO APPLY HERE
FIND THE APPLICATION FORM HERE

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Apply for ISHR’s 2026 training for defenders

January 7, 2026

Are you a human rights defender working on democratic backsliding and/or racial justice, keen to use the UN to push for change at home? If so, apply for the 2026 edition of ISHR’s flagship training, the Human Rights Defender Advocacy Programme (HRDAP)!

After a successful edition in 2025, ISHR is pleased to launch the new call for applications for the 2026 Human Rights Defender Advocacy Programme (HRDAP26), which will take place both remotely and in Geneva and will be focused on thematic and context area! Below are some important dates to consider before applying:

  • Mandatory distance learning course: 13 April – 8 June 2026 (part time)
  • In-person course in Geneva: 10- 20 June 2026 (full time)
  • Deadline to apply: 15 January 2026, midnight CET (Geneva Time)
  • Programme description with all related information can be downloaded here.
  • Application form can be found here.

What’s new for HRDAP 2026?

For the last 10 years, this flagship training has equipped human rights defenders with the knowledge and skills to integrate the UN human rights system into their existing work at the national level in a strategic manner. 

Following an external review of the programme in 2024, as well as to maximise impact and enhance follow-up, for 2026 the HRDAP selection criteria are evolving: they are based on 2 themes focused on context area and thematic advocacy, according to ISHR’ strategic priorities and opportunities at the UN: democratic backsliding and racial justice. The HRDAP themes will change annually (see the criteria below and the programme description for more details).[see: https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2024/11/27/ishrs-training-for-human-rights-defenders-2025/]

12 participants will be selected for the 2026 edition of HRDAP.

What are HRDAP objectives?

By participating in the programme, defenders will:

  1. gain knowledge and tools, which they can use to ensure their voice is central in international human rights decision-making
  2. explore and compare the benefits of engagement with the Human Rights Council, the Special Procedures, the OHCHR, the Universal Periodic Review and the Treaty Bodies, and examine how they can use them to bolster their work at the national level
  3. develop networks, strategies and advocacy techniques to increase the potential of their national and regional advocacy work.

How is HRDAP organised?

HRDAP topics

Defenders will complete a 10-week hybrid learning programme through a participatory approach, which will include:

  • accessing the HRDAP Platform, where they can complete e-learning courses on each key UN human rights mechanism and on advocacy strategies, and access interactive learning materials and case studies on the ISHR Academy
  • taking part in live Q&A sessions with human rights experts
  • receiving continuous advocacy support and personalised coaching in order to develop concrete advocacy objectives to make strategic use of the international human rights system
  • building networks around the world, and learning from peers from a range of regions working on a range of human rights issues
  • applying their knowledge to case-studies scenarios and enhancing their advocacy toolbox according to their specific needs
  • receiving support and advocacy accompaniment to conduct activities during the 62nd and 63rd Human Rights Council sessions and other relevant opportunities.

Participants will have the unique opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills while being in Geneva as well as to meet and share with their peers and experts. The blended format of the course allows defenders to continue their vital work on the ground, while diving into the inner workings of each key UN human rights mechanism and gaining first-hand experience from advocates and UN staff on how civil society can strategically engage in the international human rights space.  

What are the criteria and themes for selection?

This programme is directed at experienced human rights defenders working in non-governmental organisations, with existing advocacy experience at the national level and some prior knowledge of the international human rights system. In 2026, we will select human rights defenders working on democratic backsliding and racial justice.

Defenders working in contexts of democratic backsliding 

This theme is for human rights defenders working in democratic countries where authoritarian practices are gaining ground. 

We particularly welcome applications from defenders who are: 

  • pushing back against repressive laws, attacks on free expression, or restrictions on the freedom of peaceful assembly and association 
  • documenting abuses linked to police and military violence, arbitrary arrests, surveillance, or harassment 
  • fighting for justice, transparency, and the rule of law, and refusing to let democratic institutions be dismantled without accountability. 

Defenders working on racial justice 

This thematic is for defenders working to dismantle systemic racism and build societies rooted in equality and dignity. We will select applications from defenders focusing on anti-racism, exclusion and police violence, including anti-Black racism as experienced through legacies of colonialism and the Transatlantic Trade in Enslaved Africans, Indigenous (including Afro-Indigenous) communities working on historical injustice and reparations, as well as defenders of migrants and asylum seekers. We also welcome applications from mothers working for accountability for their children, victims of police violence. 

Please read the programme description for more information on the criteria.

https://ishr.ch/latest-updates/hrdap-2026-apply-for-ishrs-training-for-defenders-working-on-democratic-backsliding-and-racial-justice

https://ishr.ch/latest-updates/hrdap-2026-apply-for-ishrs-training-for-defenders-working-on-democratic-backsliding-and-racial-justice

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Salvino Oliveira – how education helped him to go from a Rio Favela to City Hall

December 22, 2025

Salvino Oliveira was honored as a 2025 Young Activist Summit Laureate. | Courtesy of Jefferson Teófilo

On 22 December 2025, Global Citizen published the story of how at 27, Salvino Oliveira went from being a street vendor in Rio’s Cidade de Deus to a city councilor leading education reform. This was followed by him starting his first social project: making tuition free for poor children at 15 years old. In recognition of his efforts towards making education more accessible, Oliveira has been honored as a 2025 Young Activist Summit Laureate. Here, Oliveira shares how education transformed his life,  and why he’s committed to making that transformation accessible to every young person in Brazil’s favelas.

My name is Salvino Oliveira, and I am everything I’ve been.

I say this because my story begins in a tiny house in Cidade de Deus, meaning City of God, a favela in Rio de Janeiro. At 13, I started working to help my family survive: selling water bottles at traffic lights, candy on buses, working as a street vendor, upholsterer, construction helper — anything honest that could put food on the table.​

But Cidade de Deus is more than poverty. It’s the Rio neighborhood with the most public squares, making it a natural place for culture, leisure, and community gathering. It’s the birthplace of funk carioca — the soundtrack of favela resistance and joy. It’s also home to Olympic athletes and artists. These public spaces and that cultural richness shaped who I became, the friends I made, my first loves, the things I believe in.​

Then I got lucky. I was selected by lottery to study at Colégio Pedro II, one of Brazil’s most prestigious tuition-free public schools. In Brazil, elite families typically send their children to private schools, while public schools serve the poor; a few exceptional public institutions, like Pedro II, offer quality education through competitive lottery systems. That education changed everything. It opened a door that seemed permanently locked for someone from my background. At 15, even while working and living with gun violence all around me, I understood that if this access had reached me, I had a responsibility to give it back.​​

At 15, I created my first social project: free tutoring for children in Cidade de Deus.

When I entered Brazil’s federal university system to study Public Administration at Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), a tuition-free institution, like all public universities in Brazil, that social project grew into AfroEducando (later renamed Mais Nós), a community prep course for university entrance exams. Within one year, we had 22 units across Rio’s metropolitan region, all volunteer-run, helping first-generation Black students from favelas access higher education.​​

When the “social bug” bites you, there’s no going back — and so the projects continued. I co-founded Projeto Manivela to train community leaders to engage with the government and turn demands into policies. Then came PerifaConnection, a media platform where young people from favelas across Brazil write columns in major national newspapers about politics, economics, culture, climate, and human rights. The idea was simple and radical: we refuse to let other people tell our story for us. Mainstream Brazilian media have historically portrayed favelas primarily through the lens of crime and poverty. Today, favela youth occupy editorial space in national media, changing how Brazil sees its peripheries.​​

I became an activist in 2018 during the federal military intervention in Rio’s security forces. Working at the Public Security Observatory, I saw firsthand how policies treated favelas like war zones, with heavily armed police operations causing civilian casualties. As I became more visible in my community, friends warned me: “Be careful, you’re an activist now. This can put you at risk.” That’s when I understood that fighting for education and rights in Rio means challenging power structures involving politics, money, and organized crime that often operate in contested urban territories.

https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/rio-favela-to-city-hall-education-oliveira-yas/

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Michele Garnett McKenzie new Executive Director of Advocates for Human Rights

October 20, 2025

Michele Garnett McKenzie

On 17 October, 2025, Minnesota-based NGO Advocates for Human Rights appointed Michele Garnett McKenzie as the new Executive Director.


In accepting her new role, McKenzie said, “I am honored to lead our smart, experienced, and dedicated team at a moment when our work could not be more urgent. My vision is clear: strengthen our capacity to protect human rights, forge strategic partnerships that amplify our collective power, and ensure The Advocates’ independence and resilience.“

https://www.theadvocatesforhumanrights.org/Person/Index?id=3

https://www.einpresswire.com/article/859109580/the-advocates-for-human-rights-selects-michele-garnett-mckenzie-as-its-new-executive-director

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Helsinki+50 Conference, highlighting the role of civil society, on 31 July 2025

July 29, 2025

The Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs published on 25 July 2025:

The Finnish OSCE Chairpersonship will organise a conference on 31 July 2025 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act. The conference will pay tribute to the legacy of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) in Helsinki in 1975 and highlight the role of civil society in advancing OSCE’s principles and commitments. Helsinki+50 Fund will be launched as part of the Conference to support the OSCE’s operational capacity.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act signed in 1975, and its content is now more topical than ever before. The Final Act was a turning point for Europe’s security. As a result, 35 states – including those on the opposing sides of the Cold War – committed to following common principles that laid the foundation for the European security architecture…

The event at Finlandia Hall will be opened by Minister Valtonen, and High-Level Keynotes will be delivered by President of the Republic of Finland Alexander Stubb, OSCE Secretary-General Feridun H. Sinirlioğlu and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy will speak at the conference via remote connection. UN Secretary-General António Guterres will send a video message.

Oleksandra Matviichuk, Head of the Center for Civil Liberties, the Ukrainian human rights organization and Nobel Peace Prize laureate in 2022, and other representatives of the civil society and human rights defenders will also speak at the conference. [see https://www.trueheroesfilms.org/thedigest/laureates/75690f04-7a51-4591-8e18-0826b93959b3]

“The Helsinki Principles are a reminder of what we can achieve through cooperation and trust – and what is at stake if we fail to defend them. Now, more than ever, these principles need their defenders,” Minister for Foreign Affairs Valtonen says.

The Helsinki+50 Fund will be launched as part of the Conference. The fund aims to enhance the channelling of voluntary funding to support work in line with the OSCE’s principles and commitments, and to strengthen the link between donors andthe OSCE.The fund will supplement OSCE’s budget, not replace it.

https://valtioneuvosto.fi/en/-/helsinki-50-conference-highlights-the-role-of-civil-society

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Witness’ Sam Gregory gave Gruber Lecture on artificial intelligence and human rights advocacy

June 23, 2025
Sam Gregory Headshot

Sam Gregory delivered the Spring 2025 Gruber Distinguished Lecture on Global Justice on March 24, 2025, at 4:30 pm at Yale Law School. The lecture was co-moderated by his faculty hosts, Binger Clinical Professor Emeritus of Human Rights Jim Silk ’89 and David Simon, assistant dean for Graduate Education, senior lecturer in Global Affairs and director of the Genocide Studies Program at Yale University. Gregory is the executive director of WITNESS, a human rights nonprofit organization that empowers individuals and communities to use technology to document human rights abuses and advocate for justice. He is an internationally recognized expert on using digital media and smartphone witnessing to defend and protect human rights. With over two decades of experience in the intersection of technology, media, and human rights, Gregory has become a leading figure in the field of digital advocacy. He previously launched the “Prepare, Don’t Panic” initiative in 2018 to prompt concerted, effective, and context-sensitive policy responses to deepfakes and deceptive AI issues worldwide. He focuses on leveraging emerging solutions like authenticity infrastructure, trustworthy audiovisual witnessing, and livestreamed/co-present storytelling to address misinformation, media manipulation, and rising authoritarianism.

Gregory’s lecture, entitled “Fortifying Truth, Trust and Evidence in the Face of Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technology,” focused on the challenges that artificial intelligence poses to truth, trust, and human rights advocacy. Generative AI’s rapid development and impact on how media is made, edited, and distributed affects how digital technology can be used to expose human rights violations and defend human rights. Gregory considered how photos and videos – essential tools for human rights documentation, evidence, and storytelling – are increasingly distrusted in an era of widespread skepticism and technological advancements that enable deepfakes and AI-generated content. AI can not only create false memories, but also “acts as a powerful conduit for plausible deniability.” Gregory discussed AI’s impact on the ability to believe and trust human rights voices and its role in restructuring the information ecosystem. The escalating burden of proof for human rights activists and the overwhelming volume of digital content underscore how AI can both aid and hinder accountability efforts.

In the face of these concerns, Gregory emphasized the need for human rights defenders to work shape AI systems proactively. He stressed that AI requires a foundational, systemic architecture that ensures information systems serve, rather than undermine, human rights work. Gregory reflected that “at the fundamental (level), this is work enabled by technology, but it’s not about technology.” Digital technologies provide new mechanisms for exposing violence and human rights abuse; the abuse itself has not changed. He also pointed to the need to invest in robust community archives to protect the integrity of human rights evidence against false memories. Stressing the importance of epistemic justice, digital media literacy, and equitable access to technology and technological knowledge, Gregory discussed WITNESS’ work in organizing for digital media literacy and access in human rights digital witnessing, particularly in response to generative AI. One example he highlighted was training individuals how to film audiovisual witnessing videos in ways that are difficult for AI to replicate.

As the floor opened to questions, Gregory pointed to “authenticity infrastructure” as one building block to verify content and maintain truth. Instead of treating information as a binary between AI and not AI, it is necessary to understand the entire “recipe” of how information is created, locating it along the continuum of how AI permeates modern communication. AI must be understood, not disregarded. This new digital territory will only become more relevant in human rights work, Gregory maintained. The discussion also covered regulatory challenges, courts’ struggles with AI generated and audiovisual evidence at large, the importance of AI-infused media literacy, and the necessity of strong civil society institutions in the face of corporate media control.A recording of the lecture is available here.

https://law.yale.edu/centers-workshops/gruber-program-global-justice-and-womens-rights/gruber-lectures/samuel-gregory

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Venice School for Human Rights Defenders 2025

April 25, 2025

The Global Campus of Human Rights is accepting applications for the Venice School for Human Rights Defenders 2025. The School, organised in cooperation with the European Parliament, will take place in Venice, at the Global Campus Headquarters, from 15 to 21 June 2025.

The Venice School is devoted to developing human rights defenders’ advocacy skills and expertise and exploring today’s challenges in the field of human rights or other topical issues, allowing participants to examine their causes and possible solutions.

The programme hosts the 2025 selected Sakharov Fellows and will include lectures by Sakharov laureates and Right Livelihood laureates, internationally renowned academics, experts and activists coming from academia, international organisations, civil society and NGOs.

During the training programme, participants will be able to:

  • Share knowledge and expertise which human rights defenders can use to ensure their voice is central in international human rights decision-making processes
  • Develop strategies and techniques to increase the potential of human rights defenders’ national and regional advocacy work
  • Discuss best practices and ways forward through the mutual exchange of experiences
  • Develop networks among Sakharov fellows and other human rights defenders.

Fee information

€ 1,400 (VAT included) that includes:
Tuition fee
Welcome aperitif
Lunches and coffee breaks on class days
Reading material and access to the School’s online learning platform
Certificate of attendance upon completion of the programme
All expenses related to transportation, accommodation and subsistence and any additional cost not listed above must be arranged and covered by the participant.

How to register

Application deadline: 4 May 2025

To apply, fill in the form at this link: https://www.gchumanrights.org/training-and-courses/venice-school-for-human-rights-defenders/venice-school-for-human-rights-defenders-application-form/

Target audience: The training programme is addressed to human rights practitioners from all over the world as well as to graduate students from all academic backgrounds willing to deepen and improve their knowledge in human rights topics.

For more information, contact us at veniceschool@gchumanrights.org or visit https://www.gchumanrights.org/school.

https://reliefweb.int/training/4147334/venice-school-human-rights-defenders-2025

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York Centre for Applied Human Rights offers Sam Pegram Scholarship 2025/26

March 19, 2025

CAHR announces details of the Sam Pegram Scholarship for the 2025/26 academic year

The Sam Pegram Scholarship provides one international student with full funding to pursue an LLM in International Human Rights Law and Practice offered by the York Law School and the Centre for Applied Human Rights.

  • Funding: Full tuition fee waiver, travel and visa costs, accommodation and living costs, and overseas placement. 
  • Academic year: 2025/26
  • Open to: International (including EU) students
  • Qualification level: Postgraduate taught
  • Number available: 1

This is a full scholarship that covers tuition fees, accommodation, travel and visa costs, including an overseas placement to South Africa, and a monthly living stipend for one individual student.

The scholarship is generously provided by The Sam Pegram Humanitarian Foundation in memory of Sam Pegram, a caring, kind and talented young man who tragically died in the Ethiopian Airlines’ Boeing 737 Max crash, in 2019, en route to Nairobi.

After spending two years volunteering and working for humanitarian NGOs in Jordan, Sam came to the University of York to study the LLM in International Human Rights Law and Practice. After graduating, he secured a role as a research policy assistant for the Norwegian Refugee Council in Geneva, where he was working when he died.

Sam was a wonderful presence in the classroom. He was committed, thoughtful and reflexive in his fieldwork. He was deeply committed to humanitarianism, the rights of people on the move, and social justice in a broad sense. He remains deeply missed by his friends and family here at York, in Lancashire where he was from, and around the world.

Through this scholarship, others will have the opportunity to study on this course and make a positive difference for the rights of people on the move and human rights more generally.

Eligibility 

Open to International (including EU) students only.

In order to be eligible, you must also have an offer for a place on this course: LLM International Human Rights Law and Practice

To apply, you must also:

  • have applied to study on the LLM in International Human Rights Law and Practice at the University of York on a full-time basis
  • demonstrate that you have limited financial resources and that you need the scholarship to pursue your postgraduate studies
  • demonstrate a passion for human rights, either through your previous academic studies, professional work, or volunteer activities
  • have a demonstrable specific interest in migration issues, and that you wish to pursue or consolidate a career working on issues affecting people on the move, including generally and in relation to their social exclusion
  • have some lived experience of human rights challenges or migration issues.

How to apply 

Apply online before the deadline on Saturday, 31st May 2025, 11.59pm BST

https://www.york.ac.uk/cahr/news/2025/sam-pegram-scholarship-2025/

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