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Hubs and Ambassadors Committee
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EMAlumni Christmas Drinks gathering in Brussels on 20 December 2024.
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During our board meeting, the Hubs & Ambassadors Committee came up with the idea of having one or two people from each graduating year who can serve as a point of contact. It’s totally up to you how you choose to take on this role, and there’s no pressure. However, we’d be happy to share tips from other years on how to organise reunions, and it would be great to have someone who can help spread information about EMAlumni Association activities, job opportunities, and announcements from the Global Campus to their classmates. If you’re interested, the call is below.
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EMAlumni Ambassadors – Get Involved!
We’re looking for EMAlumni Ambassadors to represent each graduation year. As an ambassador, you’ll be the main point of contact for your year, helping to keep alumni connected, share updates, and even organise meet-ups or reunions.
To make things easier, we’ll provide templates and ideas for organising reunions and celebrating milestone anniversaries (5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years).
If you’re interested, simply add your name to the sheet linked below:
📌 Sign up here
Feel free to share this with other alumni from your year!
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Painting by Afghan artist Sediqa Naderi, featured in the 2024 calendar by the EMAlumni X Afghans in Crisis Network (AiCN) Campaign.
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During the last weeks, the advocacy committee has been focusing on the second topic our members selected: Afghanistan. We are currently preparing an open letter to encourage the EU to keep supporting women in Afghanistan. We will launch the letter during a webinar on women’s rights that we are organising with local and diaspora activists. Stay tuned!
We had our second meeting on 27 January, where we reminded our members of the work plan for 2025, discussed the next steps for our letter on Afghanistan, discussed an idea for an “advocacy day” and agreed on the next date for our quarterly meetings.
The advocacy committee is always open to any supporting members of the EMAlumni Association who want to commit to work with us as little or as much as they can to fight for human rights in Europe and beyond. Are you our next member? Join us!
Suggested reading and viewing:
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The EMAlumni fundraising campaign to fully fund a scholarship for the 2025-2026 academic year is still on, and we need you!
Let’s recap what we are aiming for
🎓 What? Our goal is to raise €6,450 to fully fund a scholarship for the 2025-2026 academic year. This will enable one future student from an underrepresented region or vulnerable community to join EMA and pursue a career in human rights. To date, we have raised almost €2,500.
📢 Why? Freedom of expression is an essential human right, yet it is increasingly undermined by distorted interpretations that erode its true purpose: protecting freedom and dignity for all. Every person has the right to hold opinions, share ideas, and receive information freely, without interference or fear.
While freedom of expression is vital, it is not absolute. It can be restricted for legally justified reasons, such as public health, national security, public order, or protecting the rights of others—for example, prohibiting hate speech, which has grown exponentially on social media platforms without adequate moderation.
For human rights and environmental defenders, freedom of expression is crucial for exposing abuses by states or corporations. Yet, in many places, speaking up can lead to imprisonment—punished simply for the words spoken or shared.
To support this vital cause, the EMAlumni Association has launched a scholarship. This scholarship aligns with the work of our 2024 EMAlumni Award winner, Andra Matei, founder of Avant-Garde Lawyers (AGL), who champions freedom of expression and the power of diverse voices in human rights advocacy.
🔜 When? The fundraising campaign ends in March. If you’d like to participate, now is the right time! No matter how much you can give, this campaign demonstrates the power of alumni and donors coming together to achieve something meaningful—both for a future student and for human rights.
By donating, you’re not just funding a scholarship—you’re empowering the next generation of human rights defenders.
Many thanks from the EMAlumni Association!
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Mental Health Support Group
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Merel Cosijn (Board Member), Gonçalo Quitério (Board Member), Hélène Bauwens (President), and Mélina Pelé (Secretary-General) at the EMA Careers Day 2024/2025 on 16 January 2025.
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Every year, the EMAlumni Association is invited by the EMA programme to participate in Careers Day. A panel of EMAlumni, experts in various human rights fields, share their career paths with current students.
This year, the Secretary-General and co-chair of the Mental Health Support Group addressed topics such as emotional overload, high-level anxiety, burnout, and secondary traumatization—challenges inherent to human rights careers.
Explaining to young, motivated students the potential toll of their career choice on their mental health and well-being is no easy task.
However, the Mental Health Support Group firmly believes that prioritizing the mental health of human rights practitioners is essential—starting from the very beginning of their careers.
🌱Raising awareness about emotional overload, secondary trauma, vicarious traumatization, and empathy fatigue
🌱 Destigmatizing mental health challenges
🌱Preventing the loss of valuable human rights expertise due to burnout, depression, resignations, or career changes
🌱 Normalizing the need for support
On that note, we are excited to announce the launch of a new page on the EMAlumni Association website, dedicated to the activities of the Mental Health Support Group.
There, you’ll find a list of EMAlumni you can reach out to for support, along with useful resources.
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A Human Rights Based Approach to AI
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The Global Campus of Human Rights has a new Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) exploring the profound impact Artificial Intelligence (AI) can have on human rights, both positively and negatively, and how to navigate its promises and perils. Join the free course starting on February 17th!
Congratulations to all the experts involved in its development, including EMAlumni Line Gamrath Rasmussen (Coordinator) and Rikke Frank Jørgensen (Lecturer), who both graduated in 2001. |
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Mostar Summer Youth Program
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Want to spend two or three weeks in one of the most beautiful cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina? Want to engage with young people from Mostar and deliver a summer program as either a teacher or program manager? Read more below.
As part of Global Campus Alumni cross-regional small grants, the ERMA Alumni Network (EAN) is looking for Global Campus alumni who would be interested in either managing or teaching at a Mostar Summer Youth Program.
About the program: The Mostar Summer Youth Program (MSYP) is a free summer educational program that provides youth aged 14-19 from Mostar and the surrounding area with opportunities to improve their self-confidence and key skills. The program empowers participants in their educational, social and professional ambitions, and also, aspires to be a hub for youth leadership, volunteerism, and entrepreneurship.
Dates: 23 June – 11 July, 2025. We are looking for a Program Manager and a Teacher (you would design and teach your own course for 2 weeks).
Application form: https://shorturl.at/tUoUS
For more info on each of the roles, see here.
Application deadline: ASAP as applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
If you have any questions, please write to the EAN coordinator at marija.ivanovic@cis.unsa.ba
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#ActionAgainstEcocideDiaries
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Alumni of the Global Campus of Human Rights in all regions are invited to take part in the #ActionAgainstEcocideDiaries campaign, a photojournalism contest raising awareness about the urgent need to combat ecocide.
The goal of this initiative by the Global Campus Alumni (GCA) is not just to document, but to spotlight local, grassroots actions combating ecocide, inspiring others to join the fight. Submitted entries will be featured in a GCA social media campaign and collected in a digital booklet, with the best submissions showcased in a photo exhibition at a Global Campus event in 2025.
How to participate: Submit a story (250–500 words) and 2-7 high-resolution images capturing the value, loss, and action around natural areas at risk. Read more information on how to participate. |
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Your small annual contribution helps us connect alumni and organise events for you. Join us in shaping the future of our association - become a supportive member today!
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Chat with EMAlumni on WhatsApp
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Did you know that you can find the EMAlumni community directly on WhatsApp? We have a group chat for all EMAlumni, those in Brussels, and one specifically for engaging in advocacy. Admission is only by invitation from another member. Get in touch with us, and we'll gladly send you a link to join.
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