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Human Rights Defenders

Reconceptualising Exile

In 2022, the Global Campus of Human Rights and Right Livelihood launched the “Reconceptualising Exile” programme. This initiative gathers human rights activists and scholars from around the world, who have been forced into exile by repressive regimes.

The aim of this programme is three-fold. First, we provide fellows with holistic support in their hosting countries, ensuring they can thrive personally and professionally. Our second aim is to build a supportive network among the fellows, amplifying their influence and fostering solidarity. Finally, we connect the fellows with partner institutions to support their research and solutions for counteracting repressive regimes.

Support and Empower

We provide ad hoc support—financial, legal, and psychosocial—to the programme fellows who have been forced to flee their home countries due to their human rights work. Our goal is to enhance their resilience by recognising and mitigating the stress and trauma related to living and working in exile.

Collaborate and Connect

Through workshops, conferences, policy dialogues and more, we foster a support network that extends across borders.
Our goal is to amplify the collective influence of human rights activists in exile and link them with local, regional and international movements to advocate for common causes.

Visit nochildbehindbars.com

Inform and Disseminate

We incorporate research in our programme to gather and share learnings and solutions.
Our goal is to counter repressive governments’ use of exile as a means to silence human rights experts and defenders, empowering those under oppression.
Through collaboration with a network of NGOs, universities and research institutes, our fellows have launched and advanced impactful projects in their home countries.
These partner institutions are vital for their diverse expertise and commitment to social progress and include:

 

Our partners have also enabled us to provide tailored, high-quality support to the fellows. Notably, Open Briefing has contributed instrumental training in cross-cultural and trauma-sensitive communication and psychosocial programmes to enhance fellows’ well-being and resilience.

Contact

If your organisation would like to be part of our network or receive further information on the programme, please reach out to:

Julia Runte
Project Officer for the Threatened Students and Scholars Programme
Global Campus of Human Rights
julia.runte@gchumanrights.org

Please note that we are not receiving applications for this programme.

Nelson Mandela World Moot Court

The Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition is a prestigious global event that unites law students from around the world to engage in simulated court proceedings addressing cutting-edge human rights issues. Established in 2009 to honor Nelson Mandela’s legacy, the competition challenges participants to present compelling legal arguments before panels of distinguished judges, including renowned human rights experts and officials. 

Organised by the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria, with support from the Global Campus and in partnership with the United Nations, it serves as a transformative platform to educate and inspire future human rights defenders while fostering cross-cultural dialogue and legal excellence. The final round is held at the United Nations Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, offering participants a unique and meaningful experience.

Visit the Moot Court Competition website

Diplomatic Conferences

Organised by EIUC (the predecessor of the Global Campus of Human Rights) in partnership with the Working Party on Human Rights (COHOM) of the Council of the EU, the Diplomatic Conferences provided a crucial platform for dialogue on global challenges. Held over a decade until 2016, these events brought together diplomats, policymakers, academics, and practitioners to address themes such as the rights of migrants and refugees, regulatory developments in business and human rights, the EU’s role at UN human rights fora, transitional justice, economic and social rights, the global economic crisis, and counterterrorism strategies. Beyond raising awareness of these pressing issues, the conferences contributed to actionable strategies, fostering international cooperation and driving policy changes to strengthen human rights frameworks.

Past Global Classrooms:

  • Just Transition: Conditions for Change of the Global Order (2024, Bishkek) – Programme
  • Internal Displacement (2022, Pretoria) – Programme
  • Covid-19 Pandemic and Economic and Social Rights (2021, online) – Programme
  • Children Deprived of Liberty (2020, online) – Programme
  • New Technologies and Human Rights (2019, Buenos Aires)
  • The Influence of Diaspora on Democracy-Building Processes: Behavioural Diversity (2018, Yerevan)
  • Securitisation and the Impact on Human Rights and Democracy: Human Security in time of Insecurity (2017, Bangkok) – Programme
  • Intractable human rights situations and failed international responses to crises (2016, Venice) – Programme
  • The impact on human rights of foreign debt and economic crises (2015, Venice)
  • The Universal Periodic Review (2014, Venice)
  • The Millennium Development Goals (2013, Venice)
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