Nominations open: 15 May 2026
Nominations close: 14 June 2026
Award ceremony: 3–4 October 2026, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Contact: alumni@erma-programme.eu
I About the Award
25 years ago, ERMA welcomed its first cohort of students to Sarajevo — a city still carrying the weight of a recent war, and yet choosing, deliberately, to become a place where human rights and democracy would be taught, debated, and lived. ERMA was born out of the conviction that knowledge, critical thinking, and solidarity could help rebuild societies.
Since 2000, over 650 graduates have carried that conviction into the world — into courtrooms, field offices, newsrooms, classrooms, parliaments, and community centres. Into places where human rights work is difficult, thankless, and sometimes dangerous. Into the quiet, sustained work that rarely makes headlines but changes things, nonetheless.
The EAN Human Rights Award is a peer recognition from the community, for the community. For the graduate who best embodies the spirit and values of ERMA — a voice and an ambassador of everything ERMA and its graduates stand for.
The award honours a graduate whose work has made a genuine and demonstrable contribution to human rights and democracy in South East Europe. ERMA was established to support the development of human rights standards, democratic institutions, and the rule of law in the region, and the award reflects that mandate.
We are launching this award at a time when human rights work is more important than ever — when democratic standards are being tested, institutions challenged, and hard-won progress questioned. This award is EAN’s way of saying that work matters, and that the people doing it deserve to be seen. The inaugural laureate will be the first in the history of an award that EAN intends to continue.
Graduates based anywhere in the world are eligible. The work must be directly connected to or have a measurable impact on human rights and democracy in South East Europe — through advocacy, law, research, policy, activism, journalism, civil society, academia, international or public institutions.
We are asking you to nominate the ERMA graduate whose work, in your view, best reflects what this programme stands for.
II What the Laureate Receives
- An invitation to speak at the 25th Anniversary Ceremony in Sarajevo on 3–4 October 2026, in front of the full ERMA community — or to deliver a video address if they cannot attend in person.
- A long-form interview published through the Global Campus of Human Rights and GCA platforms, conducted and published following the award announcement at the ceremony.
- An invitation to deliver a guest lecture to the incoming ERMA cohort in the 2026/27 academic year, as a practitioner voice addressing the next generation of human rights professionals from the programme that shaped them.
III Eligibility
Who Can Be Nominated
Any graduate of the ERMA programme, from any cohort (2000/01 onwards), regardless of seniority, based anywhere in the world, working in any field related to human rights and democracy in South East Europe.
Who Can Nominate
Any ERMA alumnus or alumna, without a specific position or role within EAN. The number of nominations is not limited. Self-nominations are not accepted.
IV Award Criteria
The Award Committee evaluates nominations across four criteria, assessed through deliberation rather than numerical scoring.
1. Impact
Has the nominee made a tangible, demonstrable difference in human rights, democracy, or the rule of law in South East Europe? We look for evidence that their work has changed something: a policy, a community, a legal precedent, an institution, or a life.
2. Commitment
Does the nominee’s work reflect sustained dedication to the values of ERMA? The award honours a body of work or a defining contribution. We are looking for graduates who have chosen, consistently, to stay in this field and fight for a better tomorrow.
3. Courage & Innovation
Has the nominee approached human rights challenges in creative or courageous ways? This includes advocacy under difficult conditions, litigation against the odds, community organising in hostile environments, research that challenges dominant narratives, journalism that takes risks, or social innovation to tackle human rights issues.
4. Inspiration
Does the nominee’s example inspire others? Is this a story our community wants to carry forward? This may be through mentoring, movement-building, giving voice to those unheard, or demonstrating that ERMA’s values can be lived every day.
V Selection Procedure
Phase 1 — Nomination Collection (15 May – 14 June 2026)
Nominations are submitted by alumni via the online form. Each nomination includes basic information about the nominator and the nominee, and a short statement explaining why the person deserves the award. EAN reviews submissions for completeness.
Phase 2 — Nominee Application & Award Committee (14 June – 5 July 2026)
EAN contacts all nominees directly and invites them to submit their own application: a short bio, a personal statement, and supporting materials. The Award Committee — composed of representatives from ERMA teaching and managerial staff, the alumni community, and the Global Campus of Human Rights — reviews all complete nominations and selects the winner through deliberation.
Phase 3 — Announcement & Invitation to ERMA 25th Anniversary (3–4 October 2026)
The winner will be publicly announced after the Award Committee deliberation and invited to speak at the 25th Anniversary Ceremony in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
VI How to Nominate
Nominations are submitted via the online form, available at this LINK. The form takes approximately 10 minutes to complete.
Before submitting, we encourage you to inform your nominee.
Deadline: 14 June 2026 | Contact: alumni@erma-programme.eu