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Launching the Landecker Democracy Fellowship

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The Alfred Landecker Foundation and Humanity in Action launch a fellowship program for young professionals to tackle the impacts of coronavirus and other current political challenges to democracy.

Inaugural fellowship will unite 30 young leaders from Europe and the United States for a funded part-time program.

June 17, 2020: Humanity in Action today announces the launch of the inaugural Landecker Democracy Fellowship. This annual fellowship program will bring together 30 rising activists, community leaders and young professionals from Europe and the United States. They will be tasked to find innovative solutions to the current disruptions and challenges to democracy and society. We will bring this program to life together with our partners from the Alfred Landecker Foundation, a newly established foundation dedicated to educating current and future generations about the Holocaust and the terrible price paid when intolerance and bigotry reign. For this fellowship, we will collaborate with Purpose, a social change agency with deep experience in policy advocacy.

COVID-19 has amplified structural problems and inequalities that have long existed in Europe and the United States. There is no doubt that the global pandemic has scaled the disparities to a level that is alarming for democratic societies. At the same time, we are witnessing the abominable effects of antisemitism, racial discrimination and the continuous suppression of minority rights. They all underlie the need for civil society to act – certainly not only in the United States, but also in Europe. The attacks on members of the Black community and other People of Color illustrate that living free from fear and discrimination remains a hollow promise. This is why Humanity in Action, together with the Alfred Landecker Foundation, has decided to establish this part-time program for young professionals who want to shape our future.

The one-year-Fellowship will start in October 2020 and seeks to attract candidates from diverse personal and professional backgrounds. The applicants, coming from Europe and the US, should be no older than 40 years and show a strong record of civic engagement or leadership experience in their fields. We are looking for innovative project proposals with which the candidates seek to promote positive change in their respective environments. Once accepted to the program, 30 fellows will receive support through a monthly stipend (10.000 Euro in total), seed funding of 5.000 Euro for their projects, guidance, and on-site training to increase their individual impact on political discourses, policy-making, and social realities. While this is an open call for applications, we have asked a number of established representatives from the political arena, media, the arts and academia to suggest up to two applicants for the program.  The ultimate aim of this program is to create initiatives that strengthen democratic values and communities. At the same time, the fellows enrich their leadership skills and expand their professional and personal networks.

David Kamenetzky, Chairman of the Alfred Landecker Foundation: “This fellowship acknowledges that we have a role to play and an ability to affect positive change at this juncture in history. The time to act is now. We want to support those young people who are determined to work towards and be part of an equitable future.“

Judith Goldstein, Founder & Executive Director, Humanity in Action: “There couldn’t be a more critical moment to task a diverse group of leaders to challenge the state of our democracies. It takes fresh ideas and the drive of young leaders to fight the injustices so prevalent in our societies.“

Applications for the fellowship are welcomed from today, June 17 to August 2, 2020. The program will run from October 25, 2020, to October 24, 2021.

Applications should be submitted at: humanityinaction.org/alfredlandeckerdemocracyfellowship


More about the fellowship

Among other activities, the program consists of six virtual training sessions and two four-day in-person training components in Berlin (March 3-7, 2021) and Amsterdam (May 5-9, 2021). Throughout the year, the Alfred Landecker Fellows meet and cooperate regularly in designated pods, i.e. small working groups clustered around similar topics and/or methods.

Candidates present a project proposal for an impactful political or civic initiative. The implementation of the project needs to be accompanied by various activities leading up to the realization of the core idea.

The project must involve the public as well as specific stakeholders related to the initiative. The fellows work together with influencers, new partners, Humanity in Action alumni, Humanity in Action staff and each other to organize project activities that run simultaneously in various countries.

The fellows come from different backgrounds such as politics, business, the arts, activism and academia. They have vastly different identities and ideas, but share democratic values. Successful candidates are collaborative, passionate and empathic protagonists who feel responsible for leading societal change.

Applicants should

  • have work experience of at least 5 years
  • be no older than 40 years
  • present an innovative project proposal
  • have an outstanding record of political and/or civic engagements, community activism, or social entrepreneurship
  • have an impactful professional and/or community network
  • have demonstrated leadership capacities and experience
  • have a passion for serving the public interest
  • have a high level of emotional intelligence
  • demonstrate strong communication skills and cultural fluency

About Humanity In Action

Humanity in Action is a transatlantic non-profit organization that educates, inspires and connects a vibrant network of over 2,150 young leaders whose empathy and knowledge drive social justice conversations and civic action. The organization supports democracy, pluralism and human rights through intensive educational programs for emerging and established change makers. Through its programs, it fosters environments in which individuals of diverse backgrounds and identities can engage with contentious and challenging ideas and each other.

With headquarters in New York City, Humanity in Action is legally incorporated in six European countries. The intellectual touchstone for Humanity in Action has been the study of acts of resistance— and lack thereof— during the Second World War and the Shoah. Having grown conceptually, intellectually and geographically since its founding in 1997, Humanity in Action’s programs also critically examine Europe’s and the United States’ histories of colonialism and slavery.

In close collaboration with its alumni community and partners, Humanity in Action facilitates and promotes responses to the challenges that democratic societies face as they become increasingly diverse – including Antisemitism, racism and other forms of discrimination, hatred and inequities that permeate our societies.

For more information on Humanity in Action please visit: www.humanityinaction.org. You can also follow us on Facebook (humanityinaction), on Instagram (humanityaction), on Twitter (@humanityaction) and LinkedIn (Humanity in Action).

About The Alfred Landecker Foundation

The Alfred Landecker foundation is dedicated to be an active and innovative force in shaping free and pluralistic societies. With populism and nationalism re-emerging in Western countries, we are convinced that current and future generations need innovative education about the Holocaust and the terrible price paid when intolerance and indifference reign.

As the foundation supports democratic spaces in which the rights of individuals and minorities are protected, it wants to help strengthen the institutions that safeguard these freedoms. This is why the foundation is committed to learn more about the origins of racism, discrimination and antisemitism – in order to fight them more effectively both offline and online.

The Alfred Landecker foundation is based in Berlin, Germany, but seeks to build partnerships and interactions with academics, activists and civil society groups across all Western democracies.

For more information on the Alfred Landecker Foundation please visit: www.alfredlandecker.org. You can also follow us on Twitter (@alfredlandecker) and LinkedIn (Alfred Landecker Foundation).

Contacts:

Alfred Landecker Foundation

Alexander Busold

Humanity in Action

Antje Scheidler