European Parliament Sakharov Fellowship 2026 (Funded) – YOA

Deadline: February 15, 2026

Applications are open for the European Parliament Sakharov Fellowship 2026. The European Parliament’s Sakharov Fellowship presents as much as 14 human rights defenders chosen from non-EU international locations the OPPORTUNITY to observe a two-week intensive coaching in Brussels and at one other location in an EU Member State.

The empowering programme for human rights defenders has been organised yearly since 2016 additional to an initiative taken by the Sakharov Prize Community on the twenty fifth Anniversary Conference of the Sakharov Prize. Unlike the Sakharov Prize, the Sakharov Fellowship will not be an award for achievements within the discipline of human rights. It goals at growing capacities of human rights defenders to advocate for and impact constructive change to human rights.

The programme presents an induction to EU insurance policies and mechanisms in help of human rights defenders and offers first-hand perception within the human rights work of the European Parliament and the EU. It contains conferences with Members of Parliament, officers of the EU establishments, and the Brussels-based human rights neighborhood. Human rights practitioners and specialists will share instruments for enhancing the work of human rights defenders in workshops on communication and advocacy, safety and security, disinformation, resilience and effectively-being, and documentation of human rights violations. The Fellows may also have area for particular person advocacy, networking and communication actions.

The Fellows develop into part of Parliament’s Sakharov Community of human rights defenders. As such, they’ll preserve hyperlinks with the work of the European Parliament and can proceed liaising with EU Delegations of their respective international locations. Beyond the coaching, they’re anticipated to behave as multipliers sharing greatest practices and lending peer-to-peer help.

Benefits

• The Fellowship covers return journey from the nation of residence, lodging throughout the programme and a each day residing allowance.

Eligibility

• Open to human rights defenders from non-EU international locations;
• Candidates ought to have a confirmed file in campaigning for human rights in an NGO or different organisation or in a person capability.
• They should have a excessive degree of English, ample to observe and contribute actively to the programme.

Application

Applications shut at midnight of 15 February 2026 (CET). Successful candidates will obtain affirmation by e mail, newest by 9 March 2026. Given the excessive variety of functions, unsuccessful candidates can’t be knowledgeable of the explanation why they weren’t shortlisted or supplied a fellowship.

Click here to apply

For extra info, go to Sakharov Fellowship.