2020 EaP Civil Society Fellowships – Call for Applications

Published by Bojana

Deadline: 13 January 2020
Open to: nationals of one of the Eastern Partnership countries which propose a set of activities aimed at addressing problems in the lives of the applicants’ communities, regions and countries
Benefits: the maximum amount of financial support available within the Fellowship Programme is EUR 5,000 per person

Description

The European Union is committed to supporting civil society in Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries. Developing the leadership capacities and skills of future civil society leaders is one of the commitments made by the European Union in its policy on achieving ’20 Deliverables for 2020’.

This support is an investment in the development of young civic activists or civically minded individuals from the EaP region, who display interest and ability in taking leading roles in the development of their societies. The Eastern Partnership Civil Society Fellowships are an integral part of the European Union’s Eastern Partnership Civil Society Facility.

Fellows are invited to participate in different capacity and skills development activities, and receive up to 5,000 EUR to develop and conduct their own civic activities, under the supervision of a mentor or within a certain civil society organisation in the European Union or the EaP region. Examples of supported projects include: an audit of public transport and accessibility issues, advocacy on financial crimes, improvement of quality of local playgrounds, e-democracy, development of capacities of professional associations, etc. Fellows received access to trainings, summer schools, internships, as well as a relevant network that may help them achieve their leadership potential. They were selected based on their qualifications, leadership potential and level of community engagement.

Eligibility

There are three sets of eligibility criteria, relating to:
(1) the applicants:
(2) the actions:
(3) the costs.

Eligibility of applicants – In order to be eligible for a fellowship the applicant must:

  • be a natural person;
  • be a national of one of the Eastern Partnership countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine);
  • be born on or after 01/01/1985;
  • not previously have benefited from the fellowship within this programme;
  • have a proven track record of:

a. working in a civil society organisation, including Trade Unions or professional association or
b. taking a leading role in his/her community by advancing issues related to health, environment, social development, transparency, etc. in one form or another;

  • have a good working level of English, as well as have appropriate language skills for the chosen location of the proposed action;
  • assume responsibility for the action proposed and show commitment for the action proposed.

Eligible actions – The proposed action should focus on a set of activities aimed at addressing problems in the lives of the applicants’ communities, regions and countries by promoting reforms and increasing public accountability and/or monitoring of the performance of governmental institutions. The result of the proposed action should also have a positive influence on the development of the applicant’s leadership skills. The proposed Action should be implemented within 6 months (starting in March – April 2020) and include realistic and ideally sustainable results.

The fellowship programme will provide support in the following broad areas of activities:

  • Research or monitoring of how public services are delivered at national / community level;
  • Drafting policy papers and recommendations for decision-makers;
  • Supporting mentoring and job shadowing schemes in order to build capacities that can be transferred to other members of the organisation;
  • Advocacy campaigns on issues of public concern;
  • Better tailoring civil society organisations’ activities to citizens’ needs;
  • Developing new solutions for e-transparency and e-participation;
  • Bringing civil society and authorities together to develop common solutions;
  • Strengthening organizations’ capacity to act effectively;
  • Cooperation between civil society organisations, including trade unions and professional associations on issues of common interest;
  • Other areas of activities relevant to the fellows’ communities.

Eligibility of costs – The proposed budget for a fellowship action should be realistic and be based on the objectives and activities set out in the fellowship action proposal.

The proposed budget should not exceed EUR 5,000.

Benefits

The maximum amount of financial support available within the Fellowship Programme is EUR 5,000 per person.

How to apply?

Applications for 2020 Civil Society Leadership Programme are accepted via the online application system or by email sent to fellowships@eapcivilsociety.eu.

For further information check the official website.