The Asian Human Rights Commission wishes to forward to you the announcement from the May 18 Memorial Foundation, Gwangju, South Korea regarding applications for the May 18 Academy 2013.
The detailed information as well as downloading of the application form can be found at here.
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The May 18 Academy is an education/training program for domestic/international civil society activists working for human rights, democracy and peace. The May 18 Academy provides special lectures based on the May spirit and is a valuable opportunity to share experiences among activists in solidarity. The Academy is comprised of three parts, two for Korean participants (Academy 1 and 3) and one (Academy 2) for international participants. This call is for international participants for Academy 2 (previously known as the Gwangju Asian Human Rights Folk School till 2011).
Academy 1 : A course for Korean civil society activists which consists of a domestic program and an Asian Civil Society field trip. The program began in 2004 and as of 2011, 164 activists have participated in this program.
Academy 2 : A course for international civil society activists from around the world countries consists of programs to promote better understanding of Korean modern history and of commemoration events for democracy, human rights and peace movements. It is a three-week course with three categories of participants: Senior, Middle Manager and Junior. The program began in 2004 and as of 2012, 191 activists from 28 countries have participated in the program.
Academy 3 : A course for Korean democratization movement commemorative organizations consisting of special lectures on state violence, democratization movements and an Asian Commemorative Organizations field trip.
The May 18 Academy 2 began in 2004. The aim of the May 18 Academy is to introduce participants to Korean history and a variety of democratic movements in Korea including the May 18 Democratization Movement in 1980, through both theoretical and practical experiences. Participants in the Academy engage with Korean modern history of human rights and democracy through a 3 week program of guided fieldtrips to places of significance in Korean modern history, visits with Korean organizations, as well as expert lectures and workshops. The first week is held in Seoul and the following two weeks are held in the May 18 Education Center, Gwangju.
The May 18 Academy 2 strives to contribute to the development of democracy and human rights throughout Asia by hosting 20 invitees from all over the Asia (and sometimes even further afield! As we have have participants from Italy, Australia and Fiji), who have been working for human rights and peace organizations in their respective countries. The emphasis is on organizational partnership, so applicants endorsed by their organization will be given priority in the participant selection procedure. Applicants’ organizations should support their staff’s successful completion of the course from the May 18 Academy by providing expenses for issuing of the travel visa and internal travel expenses in their home country aside from the round trip airfare, Korean domestic expenses and accommodation which are provided by the Foundation for him/her.
The May 18 Academy 2 will be held for 3 weeks: from 29 July to 15 August, 2013.
The May 18 Academy 2 will select 20 participants as below:
ㆍJunior Staff : 8 people (with 2-5 years of experience)
ㆍMiddle Management/Advisory : 8 people (with 5-15 years of experience)
ㆍSenior/Director : 4 people (with more than 15 years of experience)
– Junior staff and Middle Management/Advisory will be put into groups at the beginning of the program. Each group will be assigned a topic and will deliver a presentation at the end for the educational session. They also are given the chance to present the activities of their organizations.
– The lectures are divided and specially targeted for middle management/advisory and junior staff. The foundation offers them slightly separated courses which are customized according to the career-level.
– Meanwhile, Senior/Director participants will each deliver a lecture to the participants about human rights and democracy drawn from their experiences and knowledge as Seniors/Directors in the field.
※ Completing the May 18 Academy, the alumni will have an opportunity to apply for a scholarship in the Master of Arts in Inter-Asia NGO Studies(MAINS) program offered by the graduate school of Sungkonghoe University in Seoul. The Foundation has been supporting scholarships being awarded for 3 Academy alumni every year.
– Applicants are advised to read the guidelines carefully. The Foundation will only consider applicants who successfully comply with the guidelines and rules.
– Incomplete applications will not be considered (See the application form for more details).
– Applicants should ensure that they have no potential visa problems. If an applicant is denied entry to Korea because of his/her personal matters which are not known to the Foundation, the Foundation does not take any responsibilities for the problems he/she faces.
– If an applicant decides not to participate in the May 18 Academy after being selected as a participant, the Foundation will not accept any applications from his/her organization for 3 years.
The May 18 Memorial Foundation will cover the following expenses during the program:
ㆍRound trip airfare
ㆍTransportation expenses in Korea
ㆍAccommodation and food
The following expenses will NOT be covered:
ㆍInternal transportation, including domestic flights in your home country (for example, to/from the airport or to the embassy)
ㆍVisa fee and any other special taxes.
The 20 successful participants are requested to pay the registration fee (50 USD).
About the May 18 Memorial Foundation
The May 18 Memorial Foundation is a non-profit organization established in 1994 to commemorate the 1980 Gwangju Uprising by continuing the Uprising’s spirit of struggle and solidarity and working towards peace and human rights throughout the world. The Foundation carries out numerous projects in various fields, including organizing memorial events, establishing scholarships, fostering research, publishing materials, dispensing funds, building international solidarity, and awarding the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights.
Application deadline: June 30 2013
How to apply: All applicants must submit the completed application form as well as all the accompanying documents. Application forms can be downloaded from the May 18 Memorial Foundation website / or by contacting directly by email, 518.org@gmail.com,518folkschool@gmail.com, and soyheejeong@gmail.com. Please send your completed application to 518folkschool@gmail.com
