- Warriors Without Weapons
- Scholarship Policy
Warriors Without Weapons
Scholarship Policy
Social justice and diversity are fundamental values for us at Instituto Elos. Through the GSA programme, which offers affirmative action scholarships covering up to 100 per cent of the programme’s cost, we aim to include the widest possible range of people and backgrounds united by common goals, guided by criteria of social, territorial and racial justice, and prioritising people from historically marginalised regions, ethnic groups and cultures.
We work hard to ensure that as many individuals and families as possible who identify with GSA, and who are committed to making the world we all dream of a reality, can participate fully and meaningfully.
70 per cent to 100 per cent
this is the range of grants we award
around 40 per cent
of the participants in each edition receive a grant
about 16
people per issue, in absolute terms
How to apply for a scholarship.
Participation in the GSA is subject to successful completion of the programme’s selection process, known as ‘Caminho do Sim’. The scholarship application form is made available to all those accepted onto the ‘Caminho do Sim’ programme at the end of the process.
Along with the notification of the results, successful applicants will receive the application form. From that date, they have around a week to complete it.
All applications are assessed by Instituto Elos’s Scholarship Committee, which is responsible for awarding a score to each application in accordance with the criteria set out below.
The criteria that guide the decision.
Every application is assessed according to these seven criteria and their indicators.
Lack of social protection
Living conditions and access to rights.
Housing conditions, income, support networks, food insecurity, access to public policies
Family structure
Conditions governing liability for the care of children, the elderly and people with disabilities.
Single mother, extended family to support, primary carer for one person
Territory
Residence in outlying or marginalised areas.
Slums, suburbs, high-risk areas, a lack of public policies
Membership of minority groups and intersectionality
Recognition of structural inequalities.
Race, gender, class, disability, immigration, migration, sexuality
Membership of traditional communities and indigenous peoples
Recognition of historical inequalities. If you are unsure whether you belong to a traditional community or an indigenous people, please refer to pages 8 to 25 of the Ministry of Social Development’s Guidelines Handbook.
Indigenous peoples, Quilombola communities, peoples and communities practising African-based religions, Romani peoples, small-scale fishermen, extractivists, caiçaras, benzedeiros, raizeiros, caatingueiros and other peoples and communities
Reasons for taking part
A genuine interest in the programme.
Reports, interviews, performances and scores on the Caminho do Sim
Collective purpose
A desire to contribute to the local area, the community or the group.
Involvement in projects, detailed plans and social commitments
What the grant covers, and what it does not cover.
The scholarship percentages are based on the programme fee. If the programme costs R$ 16,000 and you have been awarded an 80 per cent scholarship, you will contribute the remaining 20 per cent, i.e. R$ 3,200.
Included in the fee
- Educational design and facilitation by the Elos team
- Participation of guest facilitators throughout the online and face-to-face modules
- All educational materials for learning and community mobilisation in the regions
- Accommodation in shared rooms during the immersion programme
- Meals are provided on all immersion days, including breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as snacks on some days
- Transport during the immersion, excluding the journey to Santos and the return journey
- Travel insurance for Brazilian participants. Anyone coming from abroad must bring their own
The grant does not cover
- Transport (by car, bus, plane or ship) between the participants’ homes and the venue where we were immersed in Santos
- Food costs other than those for meals officially provided by the programme
- Costs relating to visas, passports and vaccinations, as well as personal expenses incurred before or during the immersion programme.
It is the responsibility of all participants, including scholarship holders, to access the online modules and arrive at the immersion venue on the specified dates. We know this is a challenge for many people, which is why one of the online modules, the Abundance Game, supports each person in building their network and taking the necessary steps to make their own participation possible.
The registration.
Once accepted onto the Caminho do Sim programme, participants pay a registration fee, which is around 1 per cent of the total fee. This amount is deducted from the total amount payable later on, so it does not represent an additional cost.
For those receiving a 70 per cent or 80 per cent grant, the enrolment fee still applies, because the contribution due is higher than the 1 per cent paid as part of it. Those receiving 70 per cent, for example, pay the 1 per cent as part of the enrolment fee and then make up the remaining 29 per cent.
For those receiving a 100 per cent scholarship, the enrolment fee is waived. These individuals are exempt from any financial contribution to take part.
What we expect from scholarship recipients.
Relationship with Elos
- Maintain active communication with the Elos team, replying to enquiries within a reasonable timeframe. If your schedule only allows you to reply at specific times, please let us know so that we can manage our expectations accordingly.
- Please send the requested documents and sign whatever is required within the agreed deadlines
- To honour the financial commitment made to Instituto Elos by paying the amounts due within the agreed timeframes
Involvement in activities
- Group and one-to-one mentoring sessions for the Game of Abundance
- Attendance at all immersion activities, in the accommodation, in the local area and in the countryside
- Group and individual mentoring sessions on the Path of Expansion
We expect participants to attend at least 70 per cent of the activities on offer. Absences are permitted for health reasons and emergencies.
After the GSA
- Organise a get-together with people from your network to share your experiences
- Organise an information and mobilisation event for future editions, in your country or territory
- To produce a report on these activities, so that we can share it with those who make the grants possible
The route, from start to finish.
- Participation and acceptance on the Path of ‘Yes’
- Scholarship application via the expression of interest form
- Approval and notification of the result
- Enrolment and signing of the contract
- The Abundance Game: the online module prior to the immersion programme
- In-person immersion course in Santos
- Path to Expansion, the online module following the immersion course
- Implementation of post-GSA offsetting measures
Questions about the Scholarship Policy.
We welcome any queries, comments or suggestions regarding the Scholarship Policy. Please email formacao@institutoelos.org.