European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR)
Scholarship for the Legal Training Program
Deadline for application: 15 May 2016

Starting a career in international human rights work can require more than just having the requisite passion, motivation and skills. The European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) and the Kreuzberger Kinderstiftung, the scholarship sponsor, recognize this. There continue to be barriers to entry into the profession that go against the spirit of our work, i.e. when economic or social considerations prevent potential participants from taking part in our programs.

With this in mind, the Kreuzberger Kinderstiftung scholarship for ECCHR’s Legal Training Program offers young people with limited financial means and/or from underrepresented geographic and social backgrounds the chance to gain professional experience in human rights work.
Who can apply?
The call for applications is aimed at students and young professionals (max one year after graduation) who wish to apply for ECCHR’s Legal Training Program but whose personal and financial situation would make it impossible to participate on an unpaid basis. If this does not reflect your situation, we would ask you to refrain from applying for this scholarship.

The scholarship is open to all nationalities. For non-EU citizens the final acceptance is dependent on the issuance of the appropriate visa.

We wish to expressly encourage candidates from the Global South as well as refugees and others with a migration background. For refugees there is flexibility regarding the requirement that applicants must have graduated in the past year.

What form does the scholarship take?
Duration: Scholarships are generally granted for a four to twelve month full-time internship. The weekly working hours may in some cases be adjusted according to the availability of the candidate. Start and end dates are flexible, but please take note of the application deadlines (below).

Payment: ECCHR hires scholarship holders as paid interns. Payment is in accordance with the minimum wage (currently EUR 8.50/hour gross pay), including statutory social insurances. For scholarship holders from abroad the Kreuzberger Kinderstiftung will also make a once-off payment for travel costs from the candidate’s place of residence to Berlin and back. We cannot provide accommodation but are happy to give advice on looking for housing. 

Scholarship sponsor: The Kreuzberger Kinderstiftung is offering up to six scholarships for 2016. Scholarship holders will be in contact with the Kreuzberger Kinderstiftung and will report on their experiences with ECCHR.

What are the professional requirements?
Applicants should have the following knowledge and experience:
Education: Ongoing or completed degree in law and/or another relevant subject area. Applicants may set out the relevance of their education history in more detail in their letter of motivation. 

Knowledge: All applicants should have a fundamental understanding of human rights and some experience in dealing with human rights topics. Program-specific background knowledge is also important.

Business and Human Rights: Good knowledge of international debates on the topic of business and human rights and of legal action against companies on a national level.

International Crimes and Accountability: Good understanding of international criminal law (incl. extraterritorial cases at national level) as well as the current legal and political debates on international criminal jurisdiction. Background knowledge of sexualized violence in international criminal law is a plus.

Migration: Good knowledge of European and public international law as well as the relevant fundamentals of refugee law, ideally also practical experience in migration law or refugee protection.

Media and Communication: Some experience in political communication, press work or journalism. Excellent written and oral expression as well as the ability to clearly communicate complicated and legal issues. Confident using social media, ideally some experience in online communication. Flexibility and organizational skills.

Languages: Very good written and spoken English is required. German language skills are desirable but not required. Other languages are a plus (e.g. Spanish, Arabic, Russian and French – depending on current projects).

How to apply?
The scholarship application should be submitted along with the application for participation in the Legal Training Program.

Along with the general application documents we also require a separate motivation letter for the scholarship. All application forms are available to download from our website.

To apply please e-mail the following documents as separate PDFs and without a cover letter:
• ECCHR application form
• Letter of motivation for the Legal Training Program
• CV
• ECCHR questionnaire
• Scholarship application 

Applications should include only these required documents and no further transcripts, references or work samples.

Applications can be submitted in German or English; no advantage or disadvantage arises from the choice of language. Applications in other languages cannot be processed.

Please send completed applications to application@ecchr.eu.

What are the application deadlines?
The next deadline for applications is 15 May 2016. Subsequent application deadlines will be announced on our website/in our newsletters.

We note that in particular for applicants from outside the EU we require a period of at least three months between acceptance into the program and the start of the internship to make the necessary formal arrangements.

Contact
Marie Badarne, Coordinator, Education Program, application@ecchr.eu, +49 (0)30 40607157

•  Announcement on the ECCHR website