How and when will you begin the selection process?
Timeframe
A key first question in the selection process is when it needs to begin. Once you have specified all the key processes (e.g. dissemination, nomination and selection) and estimated how long they will take, you can then work backwards from the expected date of arrival to establish the date when you need to start advertising the programme. It might be useful to time the arrival of applicants with the beginning of the academic year, or there may be other programmes within the host institution or country that the programme should coincide with.
The time required for the visa application process will need to be factored in and institutions should be prepared to be flexible, with some visas taking longer to secure than others e.g. a student or research visa versus a tourist visa. There may be university procedures that need to be followed too, for example a number of documents must be submitted and approved before a UK university can issue the certificate of sponsorship required for a research visa.
The time between the call for applications going out and the arrival of defenders at the host university is likely to be at least three months, although in many cases it will be much longer.
Dissemination
The selection process begins with dissemination: how will you let people know that they can apply to your programme? If you have decided to include grassroots defenders, how will you reach them? Do you have channels that allow you direct access to potential candidates or are there gatekeeping issues you might need to address? Will you decide to follow a closed, restricted or open process? Snowballing, with partners referring the call to their partners and so on, is one way to increase your reach. Another option is to have a targeted programme, focusing on specific regions, issues or categories of human rights defender. In making these decisions, it can be difficult to ensure a balance between a good-sized pool of candidates and being overwhelmed with applications. Just disseminating your call through trusted partners may be the best way to start a programme.
Nomination
The question of who can nominate candidates is also crucial. Some programmes allow candidates to self-refer whilst others require candidates to be nominated by someone else. If you choose the latter model, who is eligible to nominate potential participants? The nominator could be the defender’s own employer or a third party. It might be INGOs, NGOs, social movements, community organisations, trade unions, embassies, former fellows, etc., either within your own network or more broadly. When seeking nominations through such networks, programme staff should bear in mind that they may be using the same networks for dissemination as other universities/relocation providers, thereby narrowing new ground covered by the call for applications and potentially reinforcing inequalities and patterns of exclusion among defenders.
You may decide certain entities are not eligible to be nominators for your programme, for example political parties. In some contexts, embassies may be suitable nominators, but not in others.
Selection process
Human Rights Defender Relocation Programme, University of the Western Cape
The African Universities Hub for Human Rights (AUH), at the University of the Western Cape, set up a Protective Fellowship Programme (PFP) for at-risk human rights defenders (HRDs) in 2024. The Programme aims to embed HRDs in the academic community for their safety, rest and respite, engagement in collaborative research, training, and networking opportunities. It also facilitates human rights defender interaction with the broader Cape Town civil society thus enhancing networks and wellbeing.
The relocation is held from September to November, coinciding with the final teaching term of the year. The selection process for the first cohort was done through a limited call for nominations, however, in subsequent years AUH plans to openly advertise the Programme. For the first cohort, organisations, universities and individuals working on protecting human rights defenders and human rights in the African continent, and drawn from the AUH's growing network, were requested to nominate defenders needing rest and respite. AUH provides guidance for the nominating organisations and nominees.
Nominees are shortlisted by AUH staff and interviewed and selected by a panel comprising at least one member of the Advisory Group and two staff members. The Advisory Group includes UWC’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Student Development and Support, and two members from outside UWC: an academic with extensive experience in running university-based temporary relocation schemes and an activist-scholar. Shortlisted participants are notified of the outcome of their applications at least two months before the commencement of the Programme. Once at UWC, defenders are treated as Visiting Fellows hosted by the Politics and Urban Governance Research Group (PUG) and the Political Studies Department. This distinguishes them from students who must meet specific requirements for admission.
Supporting documents
The outline of your selection process could also include what documents candidates will be required to submit as part of their application, and how – guidance should be provided in straight-forward language and communication should be via secure digital media from the outset. In addition to an application form or personal statement, some programmes request nomination or referral documentation from third parties to provide a full picture of the applicant’s background and ensure their suitability and fit. It is important to consider both the need for comprehensive documentation to ensure the credibility of human rights defenders, and also that the process does not overburden applicants who are often working in stressful situations or impact on their security. The University of Dundee case study later in this section provides an example of how processes can be rationalised.
Possible application documents
Application form
Personal statement
Nomination form
Work record
References
Copy of passport
Risk statement
Some programmes request copies of passports at the application stage. Where an applicant does not have a valid passport, more support might be needed and greater time should be allowed when estimating arrival dates, even more so if the candidate applying for a new passport is outside of their country of origin. In addition, programmes may be required to ask for information on criminal records, political affiliations, or participation in violence or human rights violations at this stage. This may appear invasive and whilst in some scenarios it will be unnecessary, in others it might be required for visa applications and other bureaucratic processes and can also prevent problems later on. Such information will not necessarily exclude candidates, however, some countries will not grant visas to those convicted of certain offences, such as terrorism, even if these charges are false.
Selection documentation
Practitioners at Risk
In line with Scholars at Risk’s (SAR) general placement criteria for scholars, SAR requests the following materials and information to evaluate eligibility for the Practitioners at Risk program:
Passport (or other official national ID) copy.
Updated CV/professional resume.
A statement of purpose to understand what type of work/project an applicant would seek to undertake at a SAR member university.
Two recent work samples.
Any available language test scores (the majority of SAR placements are at English-speaking institutions; other languages of the network including French and German are considered as well).
Two professional letters of recommendation.
Risk statement.*
Any available risk corroboration (e.g. court documents, police reports, media articles that confirm an applicant’s situation, or other documents that an applicant believes may assist SAR in understanding the threats experienced).
Applicants are asked if they have ever been convicted of a crime. SAR is aware that practitioners may be wrongfully accused of crimes in their countries of origin, and because of this an applicant answering ‘yes’ to this question would not be precluded from being considered for SAR assistance. If a practitioner has been wrongfully convicted of a crime, it is good for SAR to know early on as questions around convictions may come up in a visa process.
In accordance with our values as a network, applicants are also asked if they have participated in violence or human rights abuses against any individual and/or group.
Information about citizenship/residency in other countries; applicants with citizenship or permanent residency in a safe third country are not eligible (for example, dual nationals with one nationality in a country where they would not be targeted/at risk).
*SAR defines qualifying risk as
Threats to a candidate’s life, liberty, physical well-being, or academic/professional career, in violation of internationally recognised human rights standards.
Experienced currently or, for those forced to leave their country because of risk, within five years.
Lack of citizenship, permanent residency, or similar protected status in a safe country.
Streamlining and supporting the selection process
Scottish Human Rights Defender Fellowship, University of Dundee
The Scottish Human Rights Defender Fellowship (SHRDF) was established in 2018 as an initiative of the Scottish Government, hosted by the University of Dundee. A consortium of protection organisations, national civil society organisations and universities came together to develop the Fellowship, and this Steering Committee continues to act as the recruitment mechanism for the Fellows.
Former Fellows are able to nominate, and the Programme actively seeks out specialist organisations working on its current thematic priority areas (LGBTQ+, indigenous and grassroots defenders in 2024).
To improve accessibility and to streamline the process, since 2024, it has been possible for nominating organisations to submit an application without asking the defenders to do a personal statement. Personal statements are only required if an applicant is shortlisted.
Funding from the Scottish Government has allowed psychosocial support to be offered to all defenders shortlisted (up to three times the number of placements available). Applicants also have the opportunity to attend informal drop-in sessions with Programme staff and psychologists in order to make the interview process less intimidating, and unsuccessful applicants are provided with referrals to alternative programmes or suggestions of external funding sources if they still wish to relocate with the SHRDF.