ARThink South Asia Fellowship Program

September 19, 2013 By Sonia Pun

Deadline- 15 November 2013

Applications are being accepted for ARThink SouthAsia (ATSA) Fellowship Program which is designed to develop skills, knowledge, networks and experience of potential leaders in the cultural sector of South Asia. The purpose of this program is to encourage applicants for describing their project in as much detail as possible to allow for an understanding of the scope of the project and skills they need to develop for its successful implementation.

The course structure for the fellowship is as follows-

A 2-week residential course from 4 to 18 May: The residential course includes a balance of theory and professional training and consists of five to six intensive modules which embrace the latest thinking in culturalmanagement. The 3-day modules lay the ground work in strategic planning & project management, financial planning, and marketing & communication. These are supplemented with 1-day workshops on cultural policy,fundraising, HR, and digital media. The faculty is a mix of Indian and international professional trainers and academics. Evening lectures are formulated to give the fellows a targeted real world perspective. Participation in the residential programme is mandatory.

• A secondment/internship in Germany/UK/South Asia over the Fellowship year: Each participant is offered a funded four-week secondment/internship best suited to his/her interests and project objectives in a cultural organization in Germany/UK/South Asia during the Fellowship year.
• A concluding seminar in May 2015: The Fellow subsequently attends a concluding seminar at the end of the Fellowship year to present and share updates on his/her project and learnings of the secondment with the new batch of Fellows.
• Independent evaluation: The Fellowship programme (2010, 2011) has been evaluated independently by Sue Hoyle, Director of the Clore Leadership Programme, UK.

Eligibility & Criteria-

• Applications from practitioners working across a wide range of creative and cultural activity, as also from those whoare working outside it who demonstrate knowledge, understanding and passion for culture are accepted. Artists and persons with unconventional careers and experiences are also invited to apply.
• Minimum graduate degree from a recognized university or equivalent professional qualifications and experience of at least 3 years either in employment or freelance
• Submission of an on-going project
• Two letters of recommendation (from educational/professional sources)
• Open to South Asian residents only

For more information, visit this link

Population Institute hosts journalism contest

http://ijnet.org/opportunities/population-institute-hosts-journalism-contest-worldwide

Population Institute


Journalists who cover global population issues can compete for the Global Media Awards.

The Population Institute awards are designed to promote accurate and broader media coverage of population and development issues.

The categories are: print; book; radio show; film, video or documentary; TV show; editorial cartoon, editorial/commentary and blog entry; and social media campaign. The entries will be judged on their potential to educate and inform policymakers or the general public about issues related to population growth.

Eligible works must have been published or aired between Sept. 1, 2012 and Aug. 31, 2013.

The deadline for entries is Sept. 27.

For more information, click here

World Press Photo offers Tim Hetherington grant

http://ijnet.org/opportunities/world-press-photo-offers-tim-hetherington-grant-worldwide

Professional photographers worldwide who have participated in a World Press Photo competition between 2008 and 2013 can participate in this contest.

World Press Photo and Human Rights Watch created a grant worth EUR20,000 (US$26,520) to honor Tim Hetherington, a photojournalist killed in Libya in 2011.

The grant will be awarded to a photographer to complete an existing project on a human rights theme. The application process is open to all professional photographers who have participated in a World Press Photo competition between 2008 and 2013.

The annual grant seeks to reward a career history of documenting critical human rights stories and an ability to draw together diverse elements into a compelling multimedia feature.

The deadline is Oct. 17.

For more information, click here.

Sports journalism training at Youth Olympic Games

http://ijnet.org/opportunities/sports-journalism-training-youth-olympic-games-open-worldwide

Aspiring reporters ages 18 to 24 representing Africa, the Americas, Asia, Oceania and Europe can apply for this program in Nanjing, China.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is seeking entries for the IOC Young Reporters Program, a sports journalism training program that will be run during the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games Aug. 16 – 28.

The program will bring 30 young reporters to Nanjing, offering lodging in the Youth Olympic Village alongside the athletes, access to all the sports, and specialized media training from senior sports journalists.

The program will offer intensive class and field training in written, photographic, television, radio and new media reporting of sport as well as guest speakers representing key international media organizations and senior Olympic officials.

Interested applicants can contact their country's National Olympic Committee.

The IOC will cover the cost of airfare, accommodation, meals and full tuition.

Journalism students or full-time news professionals are eligible.

The deadline to apply is Nov.1.

For more information, click here.

Vancouver Film School offers scholarships

Filmmakers around the world can submit their videos to win a tuition scholarship.

http://ijnet.org/opportunities/vancouver-film-school-offers-scholarships-worldwide

Vancouver Film School (VFS) is accepting entries for its contest on inspirational videos, based on one line from the VFS Manifesto.

Videos should be no longer than 90 seconds, and must be uploaded via YouTube. The video must be created for this contest and not have been previously published, broadcast, or received a prize.

Scholarships will be awarded based on the applicant’s talent, creativity, discipline, and focus, as well as other selection criteria outlined for this scholarship.

The winners can qualify for: full-tuition scholarship; full-tuition social sharing scholarship; early-bird scholarship; up to CAD$500,000 partial-tuition early-bird scholarship. The scholarships are available for all 13 VFS programs.

Scholarship winners are responsible for their own travel, accommodation, and student visa costs.

The early bird deadline is Sept. 15. The final deadline is Oct. 15.

For more information, click here.

Postgraduate scholarships in UK offered to journalists

International journalists can apply for the Chevening Scholarship Program.

http://ijnet.org/opportunities/postgraduate-scholarships-uk-offered-journalists-worldwide

Chevening Scholarships are the UK government’s global scholarship program, funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and partner organizations for outstanding scholars with leadership potential.

The scholarships are offered for many fields of study, including journalism and media. The program provides full or part funding for full-time courses at the postgraduate level, normally a one-year master’s degree, in any subject and at any UK university.

Applicants must have an excellent undergraduate academic track record and two to five years working experience. Applicants must also be fluent in English.

The application deadlines vary from country to country, but most of them are in November.

For more information, click here.

SAWM Statement on Sunila Abeysekera’s demise

SAWM Sri Lanka is deeply saddened by the demise of Sunila Abeysekera and wish to acknowledge her significant influence on the media in Sri Lanka, in particular the work of women writers, artists, performers and filmmakers.

Internationally recognized as for her tireless campaigning as a pre-eminent human rights activist, Sunila remained deeply committed to justice and sought redress against various types of human rights abuses in her island home and elsewhere. In recognition of her mammoth contribution to the field of human rights and for constantly broadening its scope, the United Nations presented her with the coveted Human Rights Award in 1999 followed by the Human Rights Watch.

As one of the founders of the Women and Media Collective, she was the energy and inspiration behind many of the earliest initiatives to address issues of women’s representation and portrayal in the media in Sri Lanka – just as she continued to be an inspiration to hundreds of women in the media and the arts. Her contribution to Sinhala theatre and cinema is visible in her many writings on these subjects, mostly on aspects of artistic portrayals, women’s representation and sexuality.

She was also a member of the Board of the Urgent Action Fund for women’s human rights, part of the coordinating group of the feminist dialogue process at the World Socialist Forum and of the Women’s Human Rights Defenders International Coalition.

In addition to her advocacy on women’s rights, she was one of Sri Lanka’s most outspoken and principled human rights activists, championing freedom of expression and the rights of media workers, taking up issues of media rights violations at the highest levels in the pursuit of justice.

Many of the membership of SAWM have been personally influenced and inspired by Sunila Abeysekara, as a mentor and friend, and a guiding light in times of need.


SAWM Sri Lanka

Sunila Abeysekara, died in hospital in Colombo

Media Release

Sri Lanka's UN Human Rights Award winner Sunila Abeysekara, died in hospital in Colombo this afternoon ( 9th Sept ) after a long battle with cancer. A founder of Sri Lanka's Feminist movement, Abeysekara, 61 years, was a leading Socialist, activist for minority rights, women's, worker's and peasant rights. In recent years, she was prominent on Sri lankan human rights issues at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. In the 1980's as Sri Lanka's internal conflict worsened, she helped found the INFORM human rights group which built a reputation for informing the world on the Sri Lankan crisis. She also helped found the Women and Media Collective, and Mothers and Daughters of Sri Lanka. Abeysekara became a leading activist in the global Feminist, women's, gay and lesbian rights movement.

Public policy fellowships open to journalists

http://ijnet.org/opportunities/public-policy-fellowships-open-journalists-worldwide


Journalists, scholars and public officials worldwide who are interested in public policy can apply for a fellowship.

The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars is accepting applications for its 9-month residential fellowship program in Washington, D.C.

Fellows will conduct research and write in their areas of interest, while interacting with policymakers, Wilson Center staff and other scholars in residence. The center accepts policy-relevant, non-advocacy fellowship proposals that address key challenges confronting the United States and the world.

Fellowships include a maximum stipend of US$85,000 and 75 percent of health insurance premiums for fellows who elect center coverage, along with travel to and from the fellowship location.

The application deadline is October 1 at 11 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

For more information, click here.

Screening grants available for human rights films

http://ijnet.org/opportunities/screening-grants-available-human-rights-films-worldwide


Film festivals, mobile cinema projects, outreach programs and educational activities at schools and universities are eligible for financial support.

Movies that Matter offers up to EUR5,000 (US$6,675) and advice to initiate human rights film festivals and help circulate and exhibit human rights films in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Middle East.

Applications must be submitted and executed by a local organization. A filmmaker distributing his/her own film(s) can also be supported, provided that the project is executed in close cooperation with a local organization.

The deadline is Sept. 15.

For more information, click here.

Survey on violence against female journalists seeks participants

http://ijnet.org/opportunities/survey-violence-against-female-journalists-seeks-participants-worldwide


News media workers, particularly women journalists, are invited to participate in the survey.

The International News Safety Institute (INSI) has launched a global survey on violence against women journalists in collaboration with UNESCO as part of promotion of the safety of journalists and the issue of impunity.

Attacks take the form of sexual assaults, rapes, cyber-bullying, emotional harassment and threats against loved ones. Many of these crimes are not reported because of powerful cultural and professional stigmas, said Hannah Storm, Director of INSI.

Women working in the news media are especially invited to participate in the survey, although men with information to add are also welcome. The survey can be accessed here.

The survey closes Sept. 20.

For more information, click here.

GEO-5 travel award for journalists and bloggers

http://ijnet.org/opportunities/geo-5-travel-award-journalists-and-bloggers-worldwide


Bloggers and journalists from all around the world are encouraged to submit their work.

The United Nations Environment Programme UNEP announced a two-category competition for the best published (1) newspaper or magazine article, and (2) blog post, on a topic related to the GEO-5 related to the Latin America and Caribbean region.

Entries can be in Spanish or English (regional languages in which GEO-5 is currently available).

In addition to the prize in each category there would be up to US$1,500 in travel funding to cover environmental issues in a region where the winner wouldn't have the chance to cover otherwise.

Articles or blog posts published between June 1 and September 30 2013 can be submitted.

They can focus exclusively on issues relating to GEO-5 or they can relate to issues in the report to important environmental challenges at the regional, national or local level.

The deadline for submitting your work is October 15.

For more information, click here

Philanthropy photo competition

http://ijnet.org/opportunities/philanthropy-photo-competition-open-worldwide

Professional, amateur and student photographers can participate in a contest.

The PhotoPhilanthropy Activist Awards identify outstanding work done by photographers in collaboration with nonprofit organizations worldwide. PhotoPhilanthrophy believes in the power of photography to inspire hope and understanding and to connect people around the world.

In previous years, work was submitted on behalf of 435 non-profit organizations from 88 different countries. Each photographer whose work is accepted receives a page on the website and exposure to a growing audience of concerned and committed global citizens.

Submissions must be in the form of a photo essay and photos must depict the work of a charitable organization (designated 501(c)3 in the U.S., or international equivalent).

There is a US$15,000 grand prize plus a US$2,000 prize each for the top amateur and student photographer.

The deadline for entries is Oct. 1.

For more information, click here.

RSF-JDS: BBC reporter interrogated even as Pillay slams Colombo of turning authoritarian

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03 SEPTEMBER 2013

BY RSF | JDS

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and its partner organisation, Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka (JDS) vehemently condemn the summoning and questioning of the Vavuniya Reporter of the BBC Tamil Service, Ponniah Manikavasagam by officials of Sri Lanka’s anti-terrorism unit on Monday (02) and urge the authorities to ensure his safety.

The BBC Tamil Service reporter Manikavasagam has been summoned and interrogated by the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) with regard to the telephone conversation he had with two prison inmates at Colombo Magazine prison, where hundreds of Tamil political prisoners are housed without any legal proceedings for several years. He was not allowed to be accompanied by a legal representative.

“Being a senior journalist, Manikavasagam has all the rights to maintain contacts to discharge his professional duties. The authorities trying to intimidate and behave in a threatening manner should be seen as serious assault on the already worsened media freedom and freedom of speech in Sri Lanka. We urge the international community, especially the United Nation to ensure the safety of Manikavasagam and fellow journalists in the country, which is ranked 162 nd out of 179 countries in the 2013 RSF press freedom index,” the two media rights organisations said in a joint-statement.

“The latest incident clearly shows that Colombo is not taking any international pressure seriously on the issues of media freedom and human rights issues,” they said.

The BBC is yet to issue a statement in this regard.

Manikavasagam has been the BBC Tamil Service Reporter for nearly 15 years and has been covering the island’s bloody ethnic conflict from the volatile Vavuniya district.

The TID questioning Manikavasagam has coincided with the death of a Tamil political prisoner who has been kept in the Magazine prison for over seven years.

According to reports, the victim is identified as Frances Nelson (31) from north-eastern Mullaitivu district. He has contacted his wife Sanjeevani on September 1. However, his wife has been informed about his death on the very next morning while in prison custody.

His wife Sanjeevani, who has been suffering physically, mentally and financially without her husband since his arrest in 2006, has requested the authorities to conduct an independent and thorough investigation into his death. She is so broken that she cannot even undertake a visit to the Magazine prison hospital with her two children.

It is not immediately known whether the death of Frances Nelson and the questioning of Manikavasagam by the TID has any link.  The incident has sent fresh panic waves among journalists in the country in general, and in the region in particular.

The interrogation of BBC Tamil reporter has come barely a couple of days after UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navaneetham Pillai openly blasted the incumbent regime of President Mahinda Rajapaksa as one that is “heading in an increasingly authoritarian direction”.

“The war may have ended, but in the meantime democracy has been undermined and the rule of law eroded,” she stressed, adding that the physical reconstruction “alone will not bring reconciliation, dignity or lasting peace”. She said this while addressing the media in Colombo at the end of her week-long trip on Saturday.

Referring to the incidents where a number of human rights defenders, priests, journalists, and many ordinary citizens who met with her or planned to meet her were subjected to harassment and intimidation by police or military officers both before and after her visit, Pillai publicly warned that it was “utterly unacceptable at any time”.

Over 30 media workers have been killed, abducted and made to disappear while media institutions have been bombed and burnt, forcing many to flee the country. Sri Lanka’s only provincially produced newspaper, Jaffna based ‘Uthayan’ alone, has come under brutal attacks over 37 times and at least five of its journalists have been killed since 2002. While all these crimes were committed in an extremely militarised area, no one so far has been brought to book to date.

It is notable here that Reporters Without Borders and Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka issuing a statement prior to UN rights chief's visit, urged the High Commissioner “to be firm in securing a transparent commitment from the Sri Lankan government to bring justice to those who have been victims of grave crimes against media freedom”.

“As long as crimes against the media and its workforce go unpunished, while perpetrators feel safe with the implicit assurance of impunity, media freedom in Sri Lanka is facing a grave threat. We urge Navi Pillay to remind Sri Lanka’s leaders of their accountability in delivering justice,” said the two organisations.

Reporters Without Borders | Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka

Movies that Matter for Promotion of Human Rights

August 29, 2013 By Sonia Pun

Deadline- 15 September 2013

Participants around the world are invited to submitapplications for grants offered by Movies that Matter.

Movies that Matter promotes human rights film screenings worldwide, offers advice and assistance and stimulates the exchange of knowledge and experience.

While production of films about human rights continues to flourish, there are many parts of the world where the resulting documentaries and feature films are hardly shown. Movies that Matter specifically focuses on filmprojects in developing countries -defined as DAC countries- and areas where freedom of the press is at stake. Many of the supported activities take place in upcoming democracies.

To promote human rights film screenings worldwide, Movies that Matter has provided an additional incentive for the wider distribution of human rights films.

Through its Support Programme, Movies that Matter offers modest financial assistance (up to € 5,000) to human rights film events in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Eastern Europe.

Eligibility-

Participants around the world can participate in this program

For more information, visit this link.

Human rights fellowships

Recent graduates in journalism, international relations or law at the master's level or beyond are eligible for a human rights fellowship program.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) presents the Alan R. and Barbara D. Finberg Fellowship. Fellows will work with HRW in New York or Washington for one year monitoring human rights developments worldwide, conducting on-site investigations, drafting reports, media outreach and more.

Fellowships begin September 2014 and offer a US$55,000 salary with benefits.

Ideal candidates possess a strong background in human rights with an intent to pursue a career in the field. Requirements include research and field experience, analytic skills and English fluency. Proficiency in a second language is a plus.

Applicants must submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, two recommendation letters, an unpublished writing sample and a graduate school transcript.

The deadline to apply is Oct. 16.

For more information, click here.

http://ijnet.org/opportunities/human-rights-fellowships-open-worldwide

Grant available for reporting on forest conservation

Environmental journalists worldwide can apply for a US$20,000 grant to cover the next big idea for forest conservation.

Mongabay.org is launching a competitive grant for in-depth reporting on key environmental themes. The first opportunity under the Special Reporting Initiatives (SRI) program will deal with innovation in tropical biodiversity conservation.

The author of top proposal will receive US$15,000 as a stipend and up to US$5,000 for reporting and travel costs. The fellow will have three months for travel and research and three months for writing. He or she can work from anywhere in the world.

The deadline to apply is Sept. 30.

For more information, click here.

http://ijnet.org/opportunities/grant-available-reporting-forest-conservation-worldwide

Grants for projects on peace building

Journalists, filmmakers and activists can submit project proposals on peacebuilding and conflict resolution for up to US$50,000 in funding.

The Journalists and Writers Foundation (JWF) is seeking peace project proposals. JFW aims to promote peaceful coexistence through dialogue and understanding at the global, regional and local levels.

Some possible themes include: peace education; pluralism and multiculturalism; early warning and conflict prevention; post-conflict reconciliation; and gender equality and empowerment.

Peace Projects will fund projects up to US$50,000. Most successfully implemented projects will receive additional rewards up to US$30,000.

Nonprofit organizations and individuals, including but not limited to academicians, activists, artists, community organizers, educators, filmmakers, journalists, scholars, social workers and students, are eligible to apply.

The deadline is Sept. 30.

For more information, click here.

http://ijnet.org/opportunities/grants-projects-peace-building-available-worldwide

The UNESCO-Hamdan Prize for Effectiveness of Teachers

August 30, 2013 By Sonia Pun

Deadline- 31 October 2013

Nominations are accepted for UNESCO-Hamdan bin Rashid Al-Maktoum Prize offered for outstanding contribution made by the applicants. Winners will have the opportunity to win prize of up to US $270.000 which will be divided between three winners.

It intends to attract high-level international educationexperts to judge the applications for participation andnomination in accordance with the criteria and principles adopted in the statutes on the basis of credibility, fairness and impartiality.

Objectives-

• To contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals as proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly on 8 September 2000 and the Education for All Goals
• To raise the profile of teachers internationally and enhance awareness of teacher issues
• To develop the quality of teacher-related practices by rewarding, supporting and disseminating outstanding teacher-related practices in developing countries and marginalized communities
• To highlight the pioneering role of the United Arab Emirates in promoting education quality and to extend the successful past experience of the pre-existing Hamdan Award at the global level
• To enhance the profile of UNESCO and its programmes and priorities
• To support lesson sharing and dissemination of successful practices regarding teachers

Eligibility & Criteria-

Candidates may be organizations, international or national non-governmental organizations (NGOs), institutions or local, national or regional communities applying for the Prize. Candidates cannot be individuals.

For more information, visit this link.

Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities Centennial Challenge

August 30, 2013 By Sonia Pun


Deadline- 14 October 2013

The Rockefeller Foundation has announced 100 Resilient Cities Centennial Challenge which aims to enable 100 cities to better address the increasing shocks and stresses of the 21st century. The mission of this program is to receive technical support and resources for developing and implementing plans forurban resilience.

For the purposes of this challenge, a city will be defined by a population with over 50,000 inhabitants with a municipal government, or other elected or appointed chief executive office uniquely assigned to govern that population. Applications representing regional or metropolitan areas are permissible, but one municipal government must serve as the lead organization in the challenge application process.


Eligibility & Criteria-

• Challenge applicants may include municipal governments or major institutions (e.g., a nonprofit organization, university, chamber of commerce, or research center) that have a predominant affiliation/association with the city and demonstrate collaborative partnership with a municipal government. Strong preference will be given to municipal government applicants, unless circumstances do not allow for a city to represent itself.
• All applicants will be required to submit a letter of support from the senior-most representative of their city’s government, whether elected or appointed.
• To be eligible for consideration, each applicant must agree to any and all legal terms and conditions of the challenge, which will be posted when we begin accepting full applications in August 2013.

For more information, visit this link.

World Bank’s Youth Summit 2013 and Development Case Competition

September 2, 2013 By fundsforngos

Deadline: September 8, 2013

The 2013 Youth Summit is a World Bank Groupsponsored event that will be held on October 3rd, 2013 in Washington DC using a development casecompetition as a platform for discussion and results. It is an event that will engage young staff at the World Bank directly with youth from around the world under a common theme: Youth Entrepreneurship: Cultivating an innovative spirit to alleviate global youth unemployment.

Several subtopics have been identified along this theme and continue to pose serious challenges to the development community, including education, youthemployment and
millennial communication. Participants of the competition can compete individually or join in teams of 2 – 5 people and submit proposals that create socially innovativesolutions to four real problems facing development practitioners today. The winners for each of the four development cases will be invited to 2013 Youth
Summit to share their proposals and gather with other youth from around the world for a day of learning and networking.

a) Increase the visibility of youth both within the World Bank and at a global level ;
b) Connect young change makers with young World Bank staff;
c) Recognize and learn from efforts by other young social innovators around the world;
d) Crowd source a knowledge exchange to solve global youth development issues ; and
e) Catalyze youth ideas to supplement current World Bank Group and private/multi sector firm social impact projects orprograms.

Any young person within the WBG or around the globe can participate in the competition. Non-WBG participants can be working professionals, college students or any young person in the world with the drive to innovate. For the purpose of this competition, ‘young person’ will be understood as a person between the ages of 18 to 35.

Submissions are accepted from both individuals and teams with a maximum of 5. In the vein of knowledge sharing, we encourage teams try to include both students and professionals within the groups.

Persons and teams outside the World Bank Group are highly encouraged to participate in this competition

For more information, visit this link.