The Civil Society Development Foundation (CSDF Romania) is pleased to launch the second phase of the Black Sea NGO Fellowship Program.

The program runs under the aegis of the Black Sea NGO Forum with the financial support of the Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation. The initiative aims to increase the level of mutual knowledge, dialogue and cooperation among NGOs in the Black Sea region.

The second stage of the program (May 2011) is directed towards NGO professionals from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia and Ukraine. 4 fellows from these countries will have the possibility to undergo an exchange and study program of up to 4 weeks in Romania, hosted by Romanian NGOs with excellent experience in policy and advocacy work.

The program includes:

1 week study-visit program to introduce the participants to the Romanian political, economic and social realities, as well as to the governmental and NGOs structures, from the perspective of the European integration. During this period the fellows will participate to meetings with experts and representatives from the Romanian Presidency,  Government, Parliament, journalists and civil society leaders.

1 to 3 weeks of learning-by-doing and sharing experience of advocacy and policy work in well established Romanian NGOs (including watchdog or think-tank organizations) working in the following fields: democracy and citizen participation, good governance and transparency, human rights, environment, social services and child protection, youth, education and culture.

During this period the fellows will be placed in a host NGO in Romania relevant for their field of work (in Bucharest or throughout the country).

The program is opened to candidates aged 25 – 35, employed fulltime in a NGO on a management position. Background in policy, advocacy and research represents an advantage.

Applications should be sent to the following address: [email protected]. The deadline for the submission of the applications is 14 March 2011, 12.00 GMT.

The application forms and more details can be found here: http://www.fdsc.ro/pagini/black-sea-ngo-fellowship-2011-policy-an.php