The Justice and Peace Netherlands is launching a new call for human rights defenders at risk to participate in the Shelter City initiative around March 2021. The Shelter City provides temporary safe and inspiring spaces for human rights defenders at risk where they re-energise, receive tailormade support and engage with allies.

The term human rights defender is intended to refer to the broad range of activists, journalists, scholars, writers, artists, political figures, lawyers, civil rights defenders, independent media professionals, civil society members, and others working to advance human rights and democracy around the world in a peaceful manner.

Shelter City offers the human rights defender a shelter for three months, during which they will rest, re-energise, gain new skills, extend their network and raise awareness about the situation in their country. At the end of the programme, participants are expected to return with new tools and energy to carry out their work at home.

From March 2021 onwards, several cities in the Netherlands will receive human rights defenders for a period of three months.

Shelter City & COVID-19

Please note that the current situation of the coronavirus (COVID-19) may pose certain challenges to the stay of human rights defenders in the Netherlands in 2021. These challenges can include:

• Limitations and/or changes in the programme that they can offer human rights defenders during their stay in the Netherlands;
• New measures and restrictions (including a lockdown) taken by the Dutch government;
• Cancellation of flights to the Netherlands;
• Postponement of return to the home country after 3 months because of travel restrictions;
• Participants might be requested to self-quarantine for 10 days upon arrival in the Netherlands (the Shelter City programme will be adapted accordingly) and to take other preventive measures due to COVID-19 (including a COVID-19 test before travelling to the Netherlands).

Eligibility Criteria

In order to be eligible to the Shelter City programme, applicants must meet the following conditions:

• They implement a non-violent approach in their work;
• They are threatened or otherwise under pressure due to their work;
• They should be able to be relocated for a period of maximum 3 months. Limited spots are available for people who are not able to stay for the full 3 months;
• They are willing and able to return to their country of origin after 3 months;
• They are willing to speak publicly about their experience or about human rights in their country to the extent that their security situation allows;
• They have a conversational level of English (limited spots are available for French or Spanish speaking HRDs);
• They are willing and able to come to The Netherlands without accompaniment of family members;
• They have a valid passport (with no less than six months of validity) or be willing to carry out the procedures for its issuance. Justice and Peace covers the costs of issuing a passport and / or visa (if applicable);
• They are not subjected to any measure or judicial prohibition of leaving the country;
• They are willing to begin their stay in The Netherlands around March 2021.
• By conversational English they mean that participants’ level of English allows them to actively participate in training, speak about their work, communicate with the host city, etc.
• Note that additional factors will be taken into consideration in the final round of selection, such as the added value of a stay in the Netherlands as well as gender, geographic, and thematic balance. Please note that can only accept human rights defenders currently residing in a third country under exceptional circumstances.

For more information, visit Shelter City.