Roma Health Fellowship Program for EU advocacy extends deadline to 12 June

The European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) has launched a one-year fellowship program for 2015-2016 to mentor and train two advocates for Roma health in the EU with the support of the Open Society Foundations’ Public Health Program. The program is intended to empower Roma Health Advocates from Central and Eastern Europe to engage with EU policy designers and increase the capacity of the Romani community to provide leadership at EU level on health issues affecting them.  

Through the fellowship, the fellows and the organizations sponsoring them will develop skills for working at EU level and will develop contacts and cooperation with the most important EU bodies, such as the European Commission and European Parliament, as well as NGO networks at EU level. The program will provide the activists with technical assistance tailored to their needs.  

That assistance will include mentoring and training in EU health policy processes and in the design of an advocacy strategy to promote particular issues at EU level. It will mainly involve electronic communication between the fellows and EPHA staff.  

Candidates must be from Central and Eastern European Countries, must be fluent in English, must be active in civil society on Roma health issues, and must have a university degree. The fellowship will last from June 2015 – June 2016.

The deadline for applying is Friday, 12 June 2015 at 17:00 CET. Interested candidates should send their CV, a motivation letter, and a cover letter from the organization where they currently work explaining their interest and how their organization could benefit from this experience.

Currently unemployed applicants should provide a reference letter from either a previous employer or a university professor. Applications should be sent to romahealth@osi.hu and zoltan@epha.org with “Roma Health Fellowship Program- application” in the subject line by Friday, 12 June 2015.

EPHA and the OSF Roma Health Program will pre-select candidates based on the applications received without regard to race, religion, color, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, or disability. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a telephone/Skype interview.