Application Deadline: June 17, 2024
Applications are now open for the 2025 Marianne Initiative for Human Rights Defenders. In 2021, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the launch of the Marianne Initiative for human rights defenders, aimed at better supporting them in their fight, both abroad and in France.
The Marianne Association for Human Rights Defenders was created to federate the actors involved in our country (State, organisations and associations for the promotion of human rights and reception, local authorities, qualified personalities, etc.) and to carry the initiative’s support pillar in France, for the benefit of about fifteen laureates per year (reception, personalised support, networking, etc.).
Each year, a group of about fifteen human rights defenders who have distinguished themselves by their exemplary fight for fundamental rights in their country of origin are welcomed in France. The laureates are selected from among several hundred candidates by a committee of independent experts.
Program Details
- Housed and receiving a grant, they follow a 6-month program of support and training including individual and collective activities allowing them to share their experiences, strengthen their capacities, increase the visibility of their struggles and develop new projects.
Recipients complete a comprehensive program consisting of:
- Training in negotiation, leadership, advocacy, physical and digital security, project management, etc. ;
- Courses from the School of International Affairs of Sciences Po Paris and French language;
- Contact with French or international personalities involved in human rights and development issues;
- Meetings with inspiring personalities and potential partner organizations (NGOs, foundations, institutions, etc.);
- Conferences and cultural activities ;
- Individual interviews to support the activist project;
- Visits to international institutions and organizations;
- Exchanges with members of the program’s alumni network.
For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the Marianne Initiative for Human Rights Defenders