MINELRES: MRG: Invitation to apply for Minority Rights FCNM Training 2005
MINELRES moderator
[email protected]
Tue Dec 21 12:36:02 2004
Original sender: Chris Chapman <[email protected]>
Dear colleagues,
Minority Rights Group International (MRG) is inviting suitable
candidates to apply for its 2005 Framework Convention on National
Minorities (FCNM) Training which will take place in Strasbourg, France
from 23-28 February 2005.
Please could you help us to publicise this training programme by
forwarding this mail to organisations that would be eligible to apply.
Many thanks in advance.
The training is open to NGOs from Albania, Armenia, Austria, Cyprus,
Finland, Germany, Ireland, Malta, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russian
Federation, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovak Republic, Sweden, Switzerland,
Ukraine and United Kingdom. The training is also open to NGOs from
Kosovo.
Attached is an application form and information about the training, the
funding available and the application process. Please note that all
applications must be received by MRG no later than 5 January 2005.
Successful applicants will be notified by 12 January 2005.
If you require any further information, please contact me.
Regards
Neil Clarke
Programme Assistant
Minority Rights Group International
54 Commercial Street
London
E1 6LT
Tel: + 44 020 7422 4211
Fax: + 44 020 7422 4219
Email: [email protected]
www.minorityrights.org
---
APPLICATION FORM FOR THE TRAINING SEMINAR ON
THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE'S FRAMEWORK CONVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF
NATIONAL MINORITIES
23-28 February 2005, STRASBOURG, FRANCE
To be returned to Neil Clarke on or before Wednesday 5th January 2005
at:
Minority Rights Group International
54 Commercial Street
London E1 6LT, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7422.4211
Fax: 44 (0) 20 7422.4219
E.mail: [email protected]
IMPORTANT:
1) The training is open to NGOs from countries whose state reports are
due in 2004 only. The training is open to NGOs from Armenia, Austria,
Finland, Germany, Ireland, Malta, Norway, Romania, Russian Federation,
Slovak Republic, Switzerland, Ukraine, Albania, Poland, Serbia &
Montenegro, Sweden and United Kingdom. The training is also open to
NGOs from Kosovo. MRG will not consider applications from other
countries.
2) Please give as much information as possible which you consider to be
relevant. Accompanying information such as leaflets about your
organisation is welcome but make sure you put the most essential
information in the actual application form. Please write clearly in
capital letters, if hand-written.
SURNAME ___________ FIRST NAME ___________
I. CONTACT DETAILS
Name of Your Organisation: ___________
Address of Your Organisation: ___________
Town: ___________Country: ___________
Telephone: ___________ (office) ___________ (home/mobile)
Fax: ___________ E-mail: ___________
II. PERSONAL BACKGROUND: Please note that we will strive for the group
as a whole to be mixture of people from different countries, for at
least 70% of the participants to come from minority communities, and to
achieve gender balance.
Date of Birth: ___________Gender: _________
Citizenship: ___________Passport Number: ___________
Do you consider yourself a member of a minority or indigenous group? If
yes, please identify the group to which you belong: ___________
Usual languages spoken: ___________
Proficiency in English language: ___very good ___good ___fair
Education: ___________
Previous training, including MRG trainings: ___________
(You can enclose a CV if available)
III. ORGANISATIONAL BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE
What are your organisation's main activities?
__________________________________________________________________
How long have you been involved with your organisation and what is your
role? __________________________________________________________________
Is your organisation involved in human rights and/or minority rights
activities?___________
Please list or attach a separate description
__________________________________________________________________
Have you been active in other organisations concerned with human rights?
___________
Please describe: _________________________________________________
If you are not working full time for your organisation please indicate
your other main professional activity, if you think this is relevant.
___________________________________
Are you familiar with and/or do you have experience of working at the
international level?
Please describe. _________________________________________________
Are you or your organisation already involved in work on the Framework
Convention for the Protection of National Minorities? ___ If so please
describe
__________________________________________________________________
What topics concerning the protection of minorities and the Framework
Convention would you be interested in learning more about?
_____________________________________________
IV FOLLOW-UP
Are you willing to train others in your organisation / community on the
issues covered in the training seminar? ___________
Please indicate in what way your organisation or community would benefit
from your participation in this training.
________________________________________________________
Is your organisation willing and interested to participate in the next
monitoring cycle of the implementation of the Framework Convention in
your state?___________
If so, please describe what type/s of activities do you feel would be
most beneficial? This can include being in dialogue with your
government about implementation of the Framework Convention and
participating in the state report process, producing and submitting a
shadow report or other information directly to the treaty monitoring
body, advocacy on implementation, or other.
__________________________________________________________________
Date: ___________ Signature: ___________
(Applicant)
Endorsement of the group/organisation
I support the participation of the above candidate in MRG's Framework
Convention training. I confirm that our organisation is, in principle,
interested to be involved in monitoring the Framework Convention, and
that the above candidate will have organisational support to take this
work forward.
Date: ___________ Signature: ___________
Print name: ______________________
(Head of the group/organisation)
V. IMPORTANT INFORMATION
1. Please make sure that your application reaches MRG by Wednesday 5th
January. We will begin selection promptly on Thursday 6th February, and
will not accept late applications. You can send your application by post
/ fax / or email. If you send it electronically, we will either need
the signature of the Head of your Organisation electronically, or a
short email from them saying that they support your application (please
see the endorsement statement we need which is on the application form),
if that is easier. If easier, you can fax the last page. If you have
any questions, please contact Neil Clarke at [email protected] tel
+44.20.7422 4211, fax +44.20.7422 4219 or Chris Chapman, +44 20 7422
4222, [email protected]. If you do not receive an
acknowledgement of your application within 48 hours ( or at the latest
1pm on Wednesday 5th January) we have not received it and you will need
to send it again. We have had a lot of virus problems with our email,
and in this way would like to make sure applications are not lost.
2. We need a recommendation from a human / minority rights activist who
knows your work. This needs to indicate in what capacity they know you,
and why they recommend that you participate in the FCNM training.
Ideally this will be the person who has passed this application to you.
Please make sure that their recommendation reaches Neil at MRG by 5th
January.
3. We plan to notify all participants of the outcomes of their
applications by Friday 14th January. If you will be away from your
office around the 14th January, it is important that you ask someone in
your office to check your e-mail/fax, to see whether you have been
selected for the training and to reply to confirm that you will attend,
or that you give us alternative contact details for these few days. We
will also need right away further information if you need a visa to
France. IF YOU ARE SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE AND DO NOT CONFIRM YOUR
ATTENDANCE BY 21st January, MRG WILL ASSUME YOU WILL NOT ATTEND.
4. Please ensure that the form is accompanied by information on the
group/organisation, such as a description of the nature and past/current
activities of the group/organisation.
5. Please inform us if you do not wish to receive information by post.
6. If you have applied to MRG's previous Framework Convention training
seminars and were not selected and would like to be considered again,
please fill out another application form. We will not automatically
consider previous applicants, but please do feel free to apply again.
---
Programme Description
As part of ongoing work on the Framework Convention for the Protection
of National Minorities, Minority Rights Group International is
organising a Training on the Framework Convention for the Protection of
National Minorities. The training is organised in cooperation with the
FCNM Secretariat of the Directorate General of Human Rights of the
Council of Europe, and will be held in Strasbourg from 23rd to 30th
February 2005. The training is for minority based and interethnic human
rights NGOs from countries whose state reports are due in 2005 only.
The training is open to NGOs from Albania, Armenia, Austria, Cyprus,
Finland, Germany, Ireland, Malta, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation,
Serbia and Montenegro, Slovak Republic, Sweden Switzerland, Ukraine and
United Kingdom. The training is also open to NGOs from Kosovo.
The deadline for applications is Wednesday, 5th January 2005. An
application form is attached.
Costs of travel, accommodation, and subsistence will be covered by MRG
for all selected applicants.
The objectives of the training will be to:
- provide information on the content of the Framework Convention and its
monitoring mechanism;
- identify ways in which NGOs can best contribute to the monitoring of
the implementation of the Convention, both at the domestic level and at
the level of the Council of Europe;
- provide opportunities for participating NGOs to make contact with
other NGOs working on minority protection, Council of Europe staff,
members of the treaty monitoring body, and their government
representatives to the Council of Europe; and
- develop follow-up activities, focusing on involvement in state
reporting process, producing shadow reports, and related advocacy.
The programme will include presentations, case studies, discussions,
small group and individual work. It will include an overview of
international instruments and mechanisms for minority protection,
including in-depth consideration of the Framework Convention, its
monitoring mechanism and opportunities for civil society to contribute.
Methodologies will be participatory and the focus will be on practice.
There will be task groups on the development of NGO advocacy strategies
to contribute to effective monitoring of State compliance and drafting
additional information/shadow reports.
MRG will invite representatives of 25 NGOs from the target countries
listed above.
Participants will be selected on the basis of their organisations'
institutional capacity and commitment to raise awareness of minority
rights and monitor implementation of international instruments,
specifically the Framework Convention, and their own professional
experience.
Priority will be given to NGOs who:
- prioritise advocacy for protection of minority rights (international
experience is not needed, but experience and organisational commitment
to working on minority protection at the domestic level is key)
- are interested in producing shadow reports on the Framework Convention
and being involved in the state reporting process.
NGO representatives applying to the training have to be staff members of
their organisations, and should have:
- experience in advocacy work;
- commitment to human and minority rights;
- in-principle support from the management of their organisation to take
forward work on monitoring the Framework Convention;
- very good English language skills. Unfortunately, the budget does
not allow for interpretation costs and therefore participants should
have very good English language skills to be able to participate
actively in discussions.
MRG will aim for a mixture of people from different countries, at least
70% of whom will be from minority communities, and a gender balance. MRG
will select participants on the basis of their application and the above
organisational and professional selection criteria.
MRG will not select more than one participant from any one
organisation. The training is not open to organisations from which 2 or
more persons have participated in MRG's Strasbourg FCNM training since
2000. Anyone not sure how many persons from their organisation have
participated in MRG's previous FCNM trainings can contact MRG to double
check.
For more information, please contact Neil Clarke on
[email protected], tel +44.20.7422.4211, fax +44.20.7422.4219, or
Chris Chapman on [email protected], tel +44.20.7422.4222.