Martin Alexanderson, a human rights defender and an ardent advocate of minority rights, tragically passed away in 2001, at the age of 38 years only. On a mission for the Swedish organisation ”Save the Children”, he was killed in a car crash in Finland, leaving wife and a young son in deep despond. In 2007, his parents, Thomas and Lilianna Alexanderson, instituted a fund in memory of their son to be held in trust by the Raoul Wallenberg Institute. Under the agreement, ”The Martin Alexanderson Research Scholarship for Human Rights Studies” shall be awarded someone planning to carry out a study in the field of human rights, preferably in respect of Roma populations or of anti-Semitism, and who is well qualified for the task.
The scholarship amounts to SEK 30,000 and is awarded annually by the Board of Trustees at the Raoul Wallenberg Institute.