Apply for One Humanity Fellowship 2026 – Three-Month Program for Writers and Multimedia Producers

Application Deadline: August 21, 2026 (11:59 PM EDT)

About the Fellowship

The One Humanity Fellowship is a three-month program for writers and multimedia producers with a genuine commitment to human rights, civic life, and the stories that rarely make the front page. We pair emerging storytellers with editorial support to develop and publish original pieces across our thematic areas. Fellows publish at least five pieces on a biweekly schedule throughout the three-month period. This is a program for those who have something to say and want support saying it not just a byline opportunity, but a genuine editorial relationship. We accept storytellers of any format: journalistic and analytical pieces, personal essays, photo essays, short-form video, audio, and social media stories.

What Fellows Receive

• Publication of your work on WAOH’s website and distribution to the global newsletter readership
• Editorial mentorship from WAOH’s experienced editors
• Expert mentorship in your field, matched to your area of interest within WAOH’s thematic areas
• A guest speaking opportunity – fellows may be featured on a WAOH webinar to speak on a topic in their field of interest and expertise
• A cohort community – fellows interact with one another throughout the program, building connections across regions, formats, and perspectives
• A stipend of $500 for your time and work

Programme Details

• Duration: Three months
• Start Date: October 2026
• Accepted Fellows Announced: Second week of September 2026
• Application Deadline: August 21, 2026 (11:59 PM EDT)

Who Should Apply

The fellowship is open to emerging writers and multimedia producers at any career stage. You do not need a journalism degree or formal training. What matters is:

• A genuine engagement with human rights or civic issues
• A distinct voice or visual perspective
• Willingness to commit to the programme’s duration and regular deadlines

We actively seek applicants from underrepresented regions and communities — particularly those whose stories rarely surface in international media.

Why This Fellowship Matters

The One Humanity Fellowship provides a platform for emerging writers and multimedia producers to tell stories that rarely make the front page. By pairing fellows with editorial and expert mentorship, the programme supports the development of original, impactful work on human rights, civic life, and the stories that matter. For emerging storytellers at any career stage who are committed to human rights and civic issues, this fellowship offers:

• Publication on WAOH’s website and distribution to a global readership
• Editorial and expert mentorship
• A guest speaking opportunity on a WAOH webinar
• A cohort community of fellows across regions and formats
• A $500 stipend for time and work

Thematic Areas

Fellows work within WAOH’s five thematic areas. The list below illustrates possible topics that fall under each theme, but these are not rigid assignments. Fellows are expected to bring their own angle, region, and community to these issues.

1. Responding to Threats Against Democracy: Discussions around the degradation of democratic principles around the world, relating to political developments, media suppression, and the targeting of freedom of expression.

Possible topics:

• The Gen Z revolt against cronyism youth-led anti-corruption protests in India, Nepal, Indonesia, and beyond
• Democratic backsliding: how elected leaders dismantle the institutions that brought them to power
• Disinformation, AI-generated content, and the battle for truth
• Faith under nationalism: what happens when religion becomes a tool of the state
• Oligarchy and the concentration of wealth in the hands of tech billionaires and political elites
• Corporate impunity: when companies break the law and governments look away

2. Moving Beyond Polarization: Lessons involving how to unite differing perspectives and identities, relating to politics, religion, advocacy, and more.

Possible topics:

• Online hate and the real-world consequences of digital dehumanization
• Cancel culture, accountability, and what restorative justice actually looks like
• The lived experience of religious minorities in secular states
• Islamophobia in the West: from foreign policy to your next-door neighbor

3. Fighting for Human Rights: Analysis of war, genocide, systemic oppression, and other developments that harm communities.

Possible topics:

• Deportation and family separation
• Climate migration: people displaced not by war but by flood, drought, and rising seas
• Undocumented and essential: the workers who keep economies running
• Wars the world stopped watching: ongoing conflicts such as those in Sudan, Myanmar, and the DRC
• Fast fashion, exploitative supply chains, and the hidden cost of cheap goods
• Voting rights, electoral integrity, and what makes an election free and fair

4. Building Inclusive Societies: Explorations of how to move forward and support social change efforts in climate justice, health care, education, etc.

Possible topics:

• Youth-led peace movements and what solidarity looks like across borders
• The global mental health crisis among young people anxiety, depression, and the social media connection
• Cost of living as a health crisis: how poverty shapes physical and mental wellbeing
• Maternal mortality as a human rights failure why women are still dying in childbirth in 2026
• The collapse of global reproductive health programs and what it means for women and girls on the ground
• Caring for ageing parents while navigating economic precarity the sandwich generation across cultures

5. Finding What Sustains Us: Stories of why we live; a spotlight on the beauty of cultures and communities around the world.

Possible topics:

• Indigenous voices
• Second-generation immigrants navigating identity, belonging, and dual loyalties
• The diaspora experience: maintaining culture and community across borders
• Sports, music, and art as tools for bridging divides
• One Piece, protest flags, and pop culture as a language of resistance
• Fandoms, pop culture, and the politics of who gets to belong

How to Apply

Application Link: Click here to apply