Dear friends and colleagues:

I am delighted to announce that the application for the 2006 session of the annual Human Rights Advocates Program (HRAP) at Columbia University is now available. I would like to take this opportunity to ask you to disseminate this information and application to human rights advocates based in the Global South as well as grassroots activists in the United States. The Program, Human Rights Advocacy and the Global Economy, is exclusively for activists working on problems that result from the impacts of the global economic system.

I write to you in particular because the Program has had a very low number of applications from the Middle East and North Africa for the past few years. I ask you to encourage groups and individual human rights leaders in these regions who might benefit from the Program to consider submitting an application.

The Program features a four-month residency at Columbia University in New York City with a structured curriculum of advocacy, networking, skills-building, and academic coursework.

HRAP is designed to prepare proven human rights leaders from the Global South and marginalized communities in the U.S. to participate in national and international policy debates on economic globalization by building their skills, knowledge, and contacts. An equally important part of the program is to promote debate and dialogue on the global economy between these grassroots leaders and the faculty and students at Columbia University, as well as in the NGO, policy-making, and corporate communities.

The Program is designed for lawyers, journalists, teachers, community organizers, and other human rights activists working with non-governmental organizations who work on human rights issues. The current focus of the Human Rights Advocates Program seeks to cover key impacts of the global economy, particularly on the following issues:

• Labor rights
• Migration
• Health
• Environmental justice
• Corporate social accountability
• International financial institutions

Activists working in the above areas from a gender perspective are strongly encouraged to apply.

Participants are selected on the basis of their previous work experience on human rights and the global economy, commitment to the human rights field, and demonstrated ability to complete graduate level studies. Full-time students or government officials will not be considered. Advocates must secure institutional endorsement from their organizations for their participation in the program and must commit to returning to that organization upon completion of the Program. Activists must also be originating from and residing in either the Global South or the United States. Fluency in English is required.

This extremely competitive program will admit up to ten applicants. The program will take place from the middle of August to the middle of December 2006.

The completed application is due by February 28, 2006. Please note that late or incomplete applications will not be accepted.

For further information or to download additional copies of the application, please refer to our website at .

Yours sincerely,

Margaret Ladner Director,
Human Rights Advocates Program
Center for the Study of Human Rights
Columbia University