The Humanity in Action Fellowship (Berlin)

FELLOWSHIP

1. The Humanity in Action Fellowships start with 3 weeks of immersive study.

In several cities across Europe and the United States, Fellows gather to study past, present, and future challenges to local communities.

The Humanity in Action Fellowships explore issues of social justice, human rights, remembrance culture, and civic engagement. Fellows first participate in an intensive three-week educational program. Each of our programs is tailored to its location, featuring diverse experts, site visits, and community building. Thereby, Fellows learn about the host society’s present struggles to navigate dominant and minoritized cultures and identities, while also being inspired by what collective action based on intersectional solidarity can look like.

Fellows will also acquire practical skills and work on the development of an Action Project, their own civil society initiative. After the three weeks, they embark on implementing these Action Projects in their own communities.

2. Over the following year, Fellows implement a community based Action Project.

For the next months, Fellows work on an individual Action Project.

Action Projects and Community Support Hubs

Through individual Action Projects, Fellows apply their new knowledge and perspectives in their own communities. Action Projects are as diverse as Humanity in Action Fellows. In the past, Fellows organized lectures, developed podcasts or brought people together through art performances or discussion tables. Planning for the Action Project begins during the in-person program. After the program, Fellows will be assisted by their local Humanity in Action offices.

3. Upon completion, Fellows join our transatlantic network of over 3,000 Fellows and Senior Fellows.

Upon the completion of their Action Project, Fellows—now alumni—are invited to join the Humanity in Action Senior Fellow network.

The Senior Fellow network is the heart of the Humanity in Action community. Our 3,000 Senior Fellows work around the world. You will find them working in government, journalism, medicine, law, education, the arts, business, grassroots action, and many more industries. 

Senior Fellows stay engaged with Humanity in Action long after their Fellowship program. They participate in our Senior Fellow Network activities and often return as speakers during our programs and events. 

They also support one another. Friendships made during the Fellowship last for years and many Senior Fellows find professional opportunities through the community.

Applications for 2025 Fellowships are now open! To learn more about this year's Fellowship programs, continue below.

Applications for 2025 Fellowships are now open!

Don’t miss your chance. Apply for the 2025 Summer Fellowships now.

Have any questions? Join our information webinar on March 16 at 12 pm ET | 6pm CET!

July 7 – 22, 2025 | In-Person Fellowship 

In 2025, our Berlin Fellowship will focus on Germany as an Einwanderungsland, exploring historical lessons and modern strategies for inclusion and belonging through a post-migrant lens.

Against the backdrop of ongoing global migration and debates about national sovereignty, the importance of fostering inclusive communities and protecting the rights of all individuals becomes ever more urgent. The Berlin Fellowship program will delve into the historical and contemporary dynamics of migration, the significance of borders, and the evolving concepts of citizenship and belonging in Germany and beyond.

How do our memories and interpretations of past migrations influence our responses to current challenges, such as rising anti-immigrant sentiments and the integration of newcomers? How does the discourse on security play into this? How can we promote a sense of belonging and inclusivity in increasingly diverse societies, while combating discrimination and fostering social cohesion? What does a commitment to democracy, human rights, and pluralism look like in practice?

Berlin, with its complex history of division and reunification, offers a compelling environment to examine these questions. As a city that has been shaped by migration, both forced and voluntary, it provides a rich context for understanding the impact of borders on identity and belonging in both a local and global context. The remnants of the Berlin Wall remind us of the human consequences of dividing lines, urging us to reflect on how contemporary borders affect individuals and communities.

Through a combination of lectures, workshops, and community projects, the Fellowship bridges historical understanding with contemporary action. The Fellowship adopts an interdisciplinary approach that enables a comprehensive understanding of migration’s complex dynamics, bridging macro-level structural analyses with individual human experiences and lived realities.

What to expect?

18 Fellows from different countries will gather in Berlin for anintensive 2.5 week educational program. Past Fellows have described it as a challenging and rewarding journey of personal and collective growth, meaningful connections, and collaboration across difference.

The daily program consists of guest lectures and workshops, site visits to memorials and museums, group discussions, reflections, and community building. You will get the opportunity to learn from eyewitnesses, alumni, activists, decision-makers, scholars, and your peers. The in-person program is a full-time commitment with some obligatory program on the weekends.

After the in-person program, you will be assisted by Humanity in Action’s staff to help you develop your Action Project and give back to your community.

The Structure

1. Travel to Berlin | July 6, 2025
2. The Berlin Fellowship | July 7 – 22, 2025 (in-person in Berlin, Germany)
   18 Fellows will gather in Berlin for a daily full-time program, to learn from local experts, community members, and each other. There is some obligatory programming on the weekends. 
3. Action Projects | September 2025 – December 2025 (virtual)
   From September 2025 to December 2025,  Fellows work on their independent Action Project.