The Elisabeth-Selbert-Initiative (ESI) is initiated and funded by the German Foreign Office and implemented by ifa (Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen). ESI supports activists who are committed to upholding human rights. The initiative provides temporary relocation grants for those who, due to their peaceful commitment to human rights, are threatened with physical and psychological violence, arrest, occupational disqualification, and even murder.
Temporary relocations are realized with host organisations. The final decision about the grants is made by an independent committee of human rights experts proposed by the German Federal Foreign Office, ifa, the German Institute for Human Rights and the Forum Menschenrechte (FMR).