NEW YORK, May 7, 2024 — IIE today announced that the USAID/El Salvador – Central America and Mexico Regional Mission (USAID E-CAM) awarded it the Support for Human Rights Defenders Activity. The five-year activity will provide one- to two-year fellowships for up to 40 human rights defenders — including jurists, judges, journalists, university faculty/researchers, activists, and civil society members — from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua facing threats in their home countries due to their anti-corruption work. The activity provides them the opportunity to safely continue their anti-corruption work on a fellowship at a U.S. higher education institution. The activity is a part of USAID/E-CAM’s Regional Anti-Corruption Action Network (ReACCión) program, which is working to fight corruption in the target countries.
Leveraging its international network of 16 international offices — including those in Washington, D.C., New York, and Mexico City — IIE will serve as USAID/El Salvador’s implementing partner. IIE’s expert services will include application operations, merit-based selection, and award administration. The activity builds on IIE’s extensive portfolio of workforce development, university partnerships, and local capacity-building programs. It also advances the organization’s commitment to promoting access to higher education opportunities worldwide. IIE has implemented more than 100 USAID projects in more than 30 countries over the last four decades. Learn more about the history of USAID programs managed by IIE at https://www.iie.org/programs/usaid-programs/.
About the Institute of International Education
The Institute of International Education (IIE) is the leader in designing and implementing international education strategies and program services. We work with governments, policymakers, educators, and employers across the globe to prepare students and professionals for the global workforce and equip them to solve the increasingly complex challenges facing our interconnected world. With support from donors, we also create initiatives that assist students, scholars, and artists whose lives and work are threatened; expand teaching and learning across cultures; and provide opportunities to underserved populations. A not-for-profit organization founded in 1919, IIE has an extensive network of 16 offices and affiliates worldwide and over 1,600 higher education partners. Visit iie.org.