The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) is inviting applications for a training course for human rights defenders working for human rights defenders working for migrant-led organizations on advocacy for human rights at borders.

Open to human rights defenders working for migrant-led organizations operating in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*[1], Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Türkiye.


[1]*All references to Kosovo, whether to the territory, institutions or population, in this text should be understood in full compliance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244.


WHEN 22/04/2026 - 24/04/2026

WHERE Belgrade, Serbia

ORGANIZED BY The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR)

WHAT
The objective of the three-day training course is to strengthen the capacity of Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) working for migrant-led and/or grassroot organizations to adapt their advocacy strategies and enhance their ability to counter anti-migrant narratives, while also prioritizing their own mental health, essential for both personal and professional sustainability. This event will provide a vital space for reflection, empowerment and well-being for HRDs, who have played and will continue to play, a crucial role in promoting the human rights of migrants through advocacy work.

Topics addressed during the training will include:
Strengthening advocacy skills of migrant-led organizations through strategic messaging, policy engagement and stakeholder collaboration.
Countering anti-migration/anti-migrant narratives by developing rights-based messaging, identifying hate speech and shifting public discourse.
Protecting mental well-being while working in hostile contexts, by addressing burn-out and stress, and by fostering self-care practices and peer-support.

HOW
The training is based on interactive learning methods and requires all trainees' full-time presence and a high level of active participation. Applicants should consider that if their application is accepted, they cannot carry out their other work-related activities during the training sessions. The course is conducted in English by experienced trainers with proven gender and cultural sensitivity. ODIHR covers training materials, travel costs and accommodation.
WHO
Twenty-five participants will be selected in a competitive process according to the following criteria:
  • Working in one of the following OSCE participating States: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*[1], Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Türkiye. Citizenship of the applicant is not decisive;
  • Working for a migrant-led organisation and/or a grassroots organisation focused on human rights at borders;
  • Proven experience and high motivation to carry out human rights-related activities in the migration and refugee context;
  • Proven experience working on advocacy or communication on human rights at borders or the rights of migrants and refugees in general;
  • Priority will be given to applicants with proven experience of working in environments with anti-migrant rhetoric, analysing human rights implications of hate speech or countering anti-migrant narratives;
  • Relevance of the training for applicants’ current and potential future human rights activities in the region and readiness to put the obtained knowledge into practice;
  • Ability to actively participate in English;
  • Availability to attend the training for its full duration and readiness to set aside other work activities during the three days.
ODIHR recognizes as a human rights defender any person promoting and striving for the realization of human rights regardless of profession, age or other status. Human rights defenders carry out their human rights activities individually or jointly with others, as part of an informal group or as a non-governmental organization, and act in a voluntary or professional capacity. The key characteristic that defines human rights defenders is not who they are, but what they do and the principles they stand for.

Migrant-led organisations are defined as organisations established and managed by individuals with direct lived experience of migration, including refugees and asylum seekers. Participants do not need to have a migrant background themselves, but must be employed by or actively working with migrant-led organisations. Grassroots organisations are defined as community-based, bottom-up initiatives that operate locally to support migrants and promote human rights at borders. Participants must be actively engaged in the organisation’s work on migration or border-related human rights issues. The rationale for selecting representatives from these organisations is that they have generally been under-represented in previous training courses, and as migrant-led or grassroots initiatives working at borders, they face distinctive challenges compared to other organisations, including limited access to resources, hostile contexts and restrictive policies.

[1] *All references to Kosovo, whether to the territory, institutions or population, in this text should be understood in full compliance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244.
If you have any questions about the training content or the selection procedure, please contact ignacio.garciamartinez@odihr.pl
The personal information provided will be used by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) for the selection purpose. Provided data is stored internally and access to it is authorized solely on a need-to-know basis. ODIHR does not disclose any personal information to any other outside parties, except when expressly authorized to do so by the user for the purpose of logistical arrangements in relation to organized events by ODIHR. Personal data is kept secure by appropriate technical and organizational measures instituted to protect against unauthorized access, use, modification/tempering, destruction, disclosure, loss or inappropriate or unauthorized transfer.

Question Title

* 1. Name

Question Title

* 2. Surname

Question Title

* 3. Gender

Question Title

* 4. Citizenship

Question Title

* 5. Name of the organization

Question Title

* 6. Is it a migrant-led organization?

Question Title

* 7. Is it a grassroot organization working on rights of migrants and/or refugees?

Question Title

* 8. Job title (if applicable)

Question Title

* 9. Country in which your organization operates

Question Title

* 10. City in which your organization (if applicable) operates

Question Title

* 11. Your contact detail where we should inform you if selected.

Question Title

* 12. Please assess your working knowledge of English

  Fluent Confident Intermediate Basic
Writing
Speaking
Understanding

Question Title

* 13. Please state the mission of your organization (max. 200 words).

Question Title

* 14. Please briefly describe your own areas of activity- including geographical focus - as a human right defender in the migration context (max. 200 words)

Question Title

* 15. Please briefly describe your own experience of advocacy work (max. 200 words)

Question Title

* 16. Please briefly describe your own experience of working in a environment with anti-migrant rhetoric and how this has affected you personally. (max. 200 words)

Question Title

* 17. How would you, as a human rights defender, benefit from strengthened advocacy skills? (max. 200 words)

Question Title

* 18. How are you planning to use the knowledge and skills gained through the training for your human rights activities? (max 200 words)

Question Title

* 19. Do you currently hold a managerial or supervisory role? (please note that this is not part of selection criteria, it is solely intended to assist us in tailoring the training).

Question Title

* 20. Please upload your CV in PDF, DOC or DOCX format

Question Title

* 21. Do you need a visa to travel to Serbia?

Question Title

* 22. Declaration by applicant

Question Title

* 23. Do you agree to be contacted by ODIHR on a different occasion? For example with an invitation to another event or a training course relevant to your profile.

Question Title

* 24. How did you learn about the training?

T