Call for Participation at the Human Rights Research Academy for Practitioners in Zimbabwe

The Research Academy for Practitioners forms part of RWI’s Zimbabwe Human Rights Capacity Development Programme 2024-2026 funded by the Embassy of Sweden in Zimbabwe.

Aim and Scope 

• The overall objective of the Research Academy is to develop the human rights research capacities of Zimbabwean researchers, focusing on strengthening their abilities to plan, design and develop human rights related research. During the Research Academy, particular attention will be given to applied research approaches and methodologies, strenthening the capacity of participants to propose innovative solutions to issues affecting individuals or sectors of the Zimbabwean society. To that end, each participant is required to submit a proposal of a human rights research project that he or she would like to further develop during the Research Academy. Linkages with RWI’s thematic focus areas (access to justice, business and human rights, human rights and the environment and non-discrimination and inclusion) are encouraged.

Funding Information

• A research grant of USD$ 300 (up to a maximum of SEK 3000) will be awarded to each researcher to conduct the research. Research projects will be carried out in the period between July and November 2024.

Structure, Methodology and Pedagogy 

• The Research Academy for Practitioners will consist of two sessions. The first session takes place 22-23 July 2024 in Harare. During this session, participants will present and discuss their project proposals and receive feedback from international and local experts, as well as peers, and participate in lectures and seminars in which research planning and design and research will be explored and discussed. Ethical considerations in human rights research and human rights principles and values in research will also be explored. Participants will be actively engaged during the different sessions, contributing to their substantive content by sharing their own research ideas and providing feedback to their peers’ project proposals.
• The second session of the research academy will take place over three days 25-27 November 2024. During this session, participants are expected to present and discuss their research papers and policy briefs focusing on the project’s main conclusions and recommendations.
• Pedagogy 
  • During the Research Academy, participants will actively work on their research projects, critically discussing their main components with senior scholars, practitioners and peers in both sessions. These two sequential phases will provide participants with the opportunity to reflect on how to strengthen the different components of their projects (focusing on their project design) and to discuss and further develop their substantive content and result of their projects.

Expected Outputs 

• Peer and mentorship support will be offered to all participants throughout the research academy. Participants are expected to participate in both sessions of the research academy.
• As a final output of the conducted research, each participant is required to produce and submit an advanced draft of the paper (5000 to 8000 words), together with a short policy brief (1500 words), no later than 11 November 2024. Participants are expected to present and discuss their papers at the two sessions of the research academy, to be held in Harare, 22-23 July and 25-26 November 2024. Participants are also expected to present and discuss their policy brief in a workshop that will be held immediately after the research academy on 27 November 2024.
• Participants are expected to submit a final version of their policy brief to RWI on or before 12 December 2024.

Eligibility Criteria

• Individuals from government departments, justice sector institutions, independent commissions, civil society organizations, independent research centres and any other practitioner working professionally with human rights in Zimbabwe are eligible to apply individually. Applicants must demonstrate necessary support by their immediate manager/director (or equivalent).

For more information, visit RWI.