Call for Applications

“From Diversity to Homogeneity” HIA Poland Fellowship Program 2009/10

Application Deadline: February 15, 2009

Fellowship Program in Poland: June 5 - July 8, 2009
Follow-up Program in the USA: Autumn 2009 or Winter 2010

I. What is HIA?

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III. HIA Poland Fellowship 2009/10

IV. Post-Program Opportunities and Requirements

V. Who can apply?

VI. Costs

VII. How to apply for the program?

VIII. Contact us

I. What is HIA?

 

Humanity in Action POLAND (HIA) is a part of an international charity-based non-profit consortium that organizes educational programs on domestic minority issues and human rights for emerging young professionals in democratic countries. HIA objective is to instill a strong sense of personal and collective moral responsibility for protecting the rights of minorities and upholding democratic values among future decision-makers. HIA Programs are not meant to be hands-on training for human rights activists, but rather to help the Fellows gain a well-informed awareness of minority issues which can, in turn, direct their voluntary and professional careers. Indeed, experience shows that many of the HIA Senior Fellows use the awareness they gained from HIA in community work, further education and career paths in government, non-profit organizations, media and the private sector.

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The HIA five-week fellowship programs organized simultaneously in Denmark, France, Germany, Poland, the US and the Netherlands for university students (annually circa 120 participants) bring together witnesses to the past, experts of the present, and leaders for the future to think carefully and creatively about the challenges contemporary democratic societies face at a time when the relationships among majority and minority populations are under intense pressure.

HIA programs are unique in bringing a transatlantic and pan-European perspective to bear on domestic minority issues. Programs are intellectually rigorous, and socially engaging. HIA Fellows will examine the ways that histories and memories of past discrimination and abuse affect the disposition of contemporary democratic societies in regard to present minority issues. HIA programs draw upon diverse interdisciplinary and intergenerational sources to enlighten young professionals on debates over immigration and integration; xenophobia, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, homophobia, and discrimination, as well as instances of exclusions being the result of the crises of welfare states. 

The HIA fellowship programs provide the gateway to participation in the HIA internships and network of present and emerging professionals and experts. Through long-term engagement with its Fellows, beyond the fellowship programs, HIA promotes a set of common values and understandings concerning the responsibilities of young professionals as citizens and leaders in diverse fields.

III. HIA Poland Fellowship 2009/10

First Phase: “From Diversity to Homogeneity” Fellowship Program in Poland (June 5 - July 8, 2009)

The HIA Poland Fellowship Program 2009 entitled “From Diversity to Homogeneity” will be focused on the heritage of the past multicultural society, twentieth century communist legacy and its influences on the modern Polish mainly homogeneous society. It will provide a platform for meeting, exchanging of experiences in the field of human and minority rights and facilitation for the understanding and cooperation between 21 participants: from Poland (7), Ukraine (4), Germany (3) and the US (7). Program will consist of seminars, site visits, visit to Treblinka Extermination Camp, guided field work, written and oral reports and it will be conducted in English.

HIA Fellows will discuss universal human rights problems in the national context of the Polish state and society together with human rights activists, academics, politicians, minority members and representatives. This phase of the program culminates in a period of research and writing, when international teams of Fellows focus on the past and present minority issues in Poland, producing a written report. HIA publishes these reports on its website. Excerpts from best essays are published in the annual report.

The emphasis will be put on the following issues:

• The relevance of the War, Holocaust and Stalinism and their influence on the collective memories of Poles and their national identity;

• Mechanisms leading to stereotypes, discrimination, and dehumanization: why some people resist to these phenomena, take actions and become heroes?;

• Traces of the invisible minorities' history at the local level (mainly in contemporary Warsaw);

• The place of national and ethnic minorities in the modern majority Polish society, the role of the state in developing/maintaining their identity;

• The place of religion in the Polish public life and its identity building role: to what extent are the rights of the minority religions believers obeyed?;

• The situation of newcomers: asylum seekers, undocumented migrants, people with subsidiary forms of protection;

• The rights of women in the private and public spheres of life (domestic violence, discrimination on the labour market, trafficking in human beings, reproductive rights);

• A life in the closet and out: the situation of homosexuals in Poland;

• Limits of solidarity: is the Polish society enabling or disabling a `normal' life of the disabled?;

• Human rights in the Polish foreign policy: dialogue between Poland and its allies in the EU and NATO on the situation in the East (e. g. in Georgia or Ukraine);

• The domestic system of human rights protection: the role of the state, NGOs & IOs and the media.

Second Phase: Follow-up Program in the USA (Autumn 2009 or Winter 2010)

European participants of the Fellowship Program 2009/10 who successfully participated in the summer program will have the opportunity to take part in a week Follow-up Program in the USA which will expose them to contemporary diversity issues in the US. Moreover, they will have a chance to be introduced to the dynamic HIA network of US Senior Fellows, Board Members, speakers and associates. The program will take place in Autumn 2009 or Winter 2010 (exact dates will be announced later).

Third Phase: Taking Actions

As a requirement of participation, HIA Fellows are obliged to conduct a public outreach initiative—an HIA “Action Project”—in their home communities. The initiative should be inspired by the HIA fellowship experience. These action projects must be implemented within a year after completing the Fellowship Program. Upon successful completion, Fellows are invited to become Senior Fellows and to join the global HIA network of young professionals.

IV. Post Program Opportunities and Requirements

Becoming HIA Senior Fellow

These Fellows who have successfully participated in the Fellowship Program, Follow-up Program in the USA and who have carried out their action project will gain a status of a HIA Senior Fellow. Consequently they will have a chance to apply for HIA Internship Programs, join the HIA network as well as become active members of the Senior Fellows Network.

Internships

HIA Internship Programs provide Senior Fellows with valuable opportunities to gain first-hand experience working in national and international agencies concerned with minority issues and human rights. HIA organizes prestigious internship programs at: the European Parliament, the U.S. House of Representatives, The Danish Institute for Human Rights in Copenhagen, Anne Frank Foundation in Amsterdam and in other renowned organizations and institutions. Over 230 Senior Fellows have completed HIA-sponsored internships since 1999.

Networking & Mentorship

HIA has built a strong network of accomplished young professionals in diverse fields who are actively engaged in minority and human rights issues in Europe, the US, and other parts of the world. Through its network of speakers, board members, and associates, HIA has facilitated access by these Fellows to highly respected local, state, national, and international leaders who serve as advisors and mentors to the Fellows as they pursue their individual careers and engagement projects. Previous Fellows have used the knowledge and experience gained in HIA programs to further their educational and career goals in public service, journalism, medicine, law, education, the arts, and business.

HIA Senior Fellows are expected to become active participants of the Senior Fellows Networks in their respective countries and through the networks collaborate on a variety of important projects to raise awareness of and improve the culture of leadership on pressing minority issues.

V. Who can apply?

Humanity in Action invites applications from students who are serious about both thorough study and proactive, grassroots engagement. Humanity in Action is looking for students from all backgrounds and academic disciplines who are mature, self-reliant, flexible, and comfortable in intensive group activity and interaction. Applicants must speak, understand, and write English fluently. 

Please note that Polish students CAN apply for the Polish program, the American program or for both, but can only participate in one.

Eligible candidates are:

• Polish students,

• Ukrainian students,

• German students (in order to apply please contact HIA Germany),

• Non-Polish and Non-Ukrainian students who study at universities in Poland and/or Ukraine on a permanent basis. However, they must be fluent in Polish and/or Ukrainian and must have lived in Poland and/or Ukraine for several years,

• these who have completed at least two semesters of study and who gained the status of undergraduate students (BA or MA) prior to the beginning of the program (June 2009),

• those students who have completed their undergraduate (BA or MA) studies in 2009.

Please note that short-term exchange students and Ph.D. students are NOT eligible.

If you are in doubt whether you are eligible, please contact Magda Szarota, HIA Poland Coordinator at [e-mail]

VI. Costs

 

The program is free of charge. Additionally HIA covers the following costs and expenses:

1. Within the “From Diversity to Homogeneity” Fellowship Program in Poland (June 5 - July 8, 2009):

- accommodation for participants from outside of Warsaw area,

- food stipend,

- program related travel expenses (field trip costs, monthly city passes),

- group admission tickets,

- research report costs.

2. Within the Follow-up Program in the USA (Autumn 2009 or Winter 2010):

- accommodation,

- costs of flights,

- group admission tickets,

- food stipend.

The HIA Poland Fellowship 2009/10 has been made possible through the generous support of the Foundation Remembrance, Responsibility and The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. State Department.

 

VII. How to apply for the program?

Before beginning your application please check our website, www.humanityinaction.org, for reports, schedule of activities of the 2008 programs and testimonials by Senior Fellows from previous years which may also help you understand the social and intellectual demands of the HIA programs.

The selection process is highly competitive, so please follow the application instructions carefully.

The selection will be made by HIA Poland Admissions Committee on the basis of the written application (1^st phase) and a personal interview with chosen applicants (2^nd phase).

The Admissions Committee will pay attention to motivation, achievements, leadership capacities, study results, the likelihood of the candidate's future engagement with topics relevant to HIA and English oral and written skills.

1st Phase-Written Application:

 

All applications must be in English, must be submitted as a ONE word document (documents send as separate files and/or in PDF format will not be considered) and must include the following:

 

1) Application form (can be downloaded from the website)

2) Curriculum vitae (no longer than two A4 pages)

Please include in your CV the following declaration:

 

“I hereby authorize Humanity in Action to process my personal data included in my CV and Application Form and other program related documents for the needs of the recruitment process and the program in accordance with Personal Data Protection Act of 29 August 1997 (Journal of Laws of 2002, No. 101, item 926, with subsequent amendments)."

 

3) A letter of motivation of no more than 500 words (standard 12 pt, font Arial, double-spaced) in which you explain why would you like to participate in the Humanity in Action program, what you think your personal, intellectual or cultural experience would bring to the program, and what the program would do for you.

4) An essay of no more than 600 words (standard 12 pt, font Arial, double-spaced. Please provide a word count at the end of the essay) in which you discuss the following topic:

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement of Ralph W. Sockman:

`The test of courage comes when we are in the minority. The test of tolerance comes when we are in the majority'.

Use specific reasons and examples from the Middle-Eastern Europe to support your answer.

The essay will be evaluated for insight and the applicant's ability to communicate ideas effectively in writing.

A good essay will:

• state and develop one main point (a clear thesis statement),

• engage the issue raised by the prompt in a creative and critical way,

• express key ideas clearly and concisely,

• use specific examples to illustrate key ideas,

• be free of grammatical and typographical errors,

• use quotes and paraphrases sparingly and cite them clearly when used.

5) An action project: formulate a human rights problem that you see in your local community. Come up with an action plan that you yourself could implement to help solve this problem, and explain what qualifies you to take the lead. (max. 500 words, standard 12 pt font Arial, double-spaced. Please provide a word count at the end of the action project). Please note that this is a SAMPLE action project, so the action project that you will implement after the fellowship program may be a DIFFERENT one.

A good action project will:

• address a well diagnosed, authentic pressing human and minority right issue of your local (or the one that you are well accustomed with) community,

• contribute in an innovative manner to the problem solving process. Remember: you do not need to SOLVE the problem. It is enough if come up with ways of how to DIMINISH the problem effectively,

• be realistic (within your possibilities, resources that you might have etc.) and suggest doable solutions (also in financial terms), e.g. do NOT write that the legal basis in a given country should be changed, because you cannot do it on your own,

• show what qualifies you to take the lead,

• be free of grammatical and typographical errors.

Deadline: February 15, 2009

via e-mail in one word document (documents send as separate files and/or in PDF format will not be considered) to Magda Szarota, HIA Poland Coordinator:

[e-mail]

You will receive a confirmation within 3 days of your application submission. If your DO NOT receive a confirmation, contact Magda Szarota, HIA Poland Coordinator again.

Please note that incomplete applications and those received after will not be considered. There will be no exceptions to these rules.

All applicants will be informed about decisions of the 1^st phase of the application process.

2nd Phase: Personal Interview:

Based on your written application, you may be chosen to attend a personal interview. However, in exceptional cases (e.g. international distance and high cost of travel) telephone interview(s) may be substituted for the direct personal interview at the discretion of the Admissions Committee.

The time and date of the interview will be announced to the chosen applicants via email.

All the 2^nd Phase applicants will be notified about the results of the selection and the decisions will be final.

VIII. Contact us

Please direct further inquiries to Magda Szarota, HIA Poland Coordinator [e-mail]

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