2008 AMF Journalism Fellowship application deadline extended
The deadline for 2008 Asia Media Forum (AMF) Journalism Fellowship applications has been extended to Oct. 30, 2008.
The 2008 AMF Journalism Fellowship, launched in partnership with ActionAid, aims to “promote the concept of research-based journalism” in the region. The fellowship hopes to develop and enhance research ideas and concept related to current socio-political issues in Asia.
The fellowship covers three themes: Bhutanese Refugee, Impunity and Flawed Rule of Law in Democratic States of Southeast Asia, and Inclusive democracy: How Nepal could achieve it?
Practicing Asian journalists in any medium (print, TV, radio, or online) can apply for the journalism fellowship, worth £1,000 (1,762 U.S. dollars).
Below is AMF’s press announcement on the fellowship:
2008 AMF Journalism Fellowship
Asia Media Forum (AMF), in partnership with Action Aid aims to provide journalism fellowship of £ 1,000 for the development and enhancement of research ideas and concept related to current socio-political debate among the journalists of Asia Region. The sole objective of this program is to promote the concept of research based journalism in the Asia Region. The Fellowship for 2008 covers following themes:
• Bhutanese Refugee
• Impunity and Flawed Rule of Law in Democratic States of South-east Asia
• Inclusive democracy: How Nepal could achieve it?
AMFC requests proposals from the practicing journalists (print and electronic media) for at least two years. The applicants should be from any Asian Country. Interested candidates with suitable background and experience in the related field can apply and submit the proposal till October 30, 2008. Please note that the story proposal should include copies of i) Work Experience letter ii) CVs of the applicants iii) Letter of reference -2 iv) Letter from Editor giving consent to publish/broadcast the stories, articles, documentary v) A story/article proposal not exceeding 1000 words on the subject he or she is interested vi) Two samples of their published/broadcast work
For Terms of Reference, please visit our website: www.theasiamediaforum.org
Send your applications before October 30, 2008 to :
Asia Media Forum Centre (AMFC)
336, Prashuti Griha Marg
Babarmahal, Kathmandu, Nepal
E-mail : asiamediaforumktm@gmail.com
Terms of Reference for Journalism Fellowship
1. Who may apply?
To ensure a competitive and fair process, the allocation of grants for Journalism Fellowships is application based. Furthermore, the application selection process is made transparent with ample intellectual rigor to ensure that high quality and relevant research is produced, published and broadcast in the organization he or she is working for.
The Forum will accept following types of applications listed below that focuses thematically on topics salient to current socio-economic and political debate of Asia Region. The research theme is listed at the later part of TOR.
1. a. Basic Criteria
Applications are invited from practicing journalists of any Asian Country. He or she should have minimum five years of working experience as journalists in any medium (print, TV, radio or online), either as staff of media organizations or as freelancers. To ensure validity and credibility of the research outcome, the awarding fellowship will be based on sound assessments of scientific quality and its potential contribution to the current policy debate.
For the Journalism Fellowship, important elements of the criteria for selection are as follows:
1. Relevance of issue to be studies in view of the broader topic as given in the call for proposals.
2. A story proposal (in English) based on the given theme by 25 September, 2008. The essay should be no longer than 1000 words, and must altogether introduce the applicant and explain his/her story proposal.
3. Brief resume, with emphasis on current job
4. Two samples of their published/broadcast work (English translations in case of in other languages).
5. Two letters of reference.
6. A letter from the Editor giving consent for publication or telecast of stories as a part of the fellowship and if you are a freelancer, a letter from an Editor of a publication or TV channel willing to publish, telecast your work.
7. Dissemination of the fellowship should be in investigation and research based news stories (5 to 7), articles (2 to 3) format or TV News stories (5 to 7) or a documentary format for electronic media.
2. Themes for Journalism Fellowship
Asia Media Forum Centre (AMFC) has envisaged providing journalism fellowship to the journalist of Asia Region on the indicated themes by announcing call for proposals at least once a year.
Total amount of fellowship: £ 1,000
Time period: 2 -3 weeks
Themes:
The following themes are identified for the study. For generating idea to carry out the research for the applicants, a brief synopsis on the current situation of the identified theme is given below. It is the responsibility of the applicants to create their research proposal under the given theme with consideration of the research findings to the policy implication.
a. Bhutanese Refugee:
Bhutan is the last bastion of hereditary absolute monarchy order with a multi-religious, multi-cultural and multi-linguistic society. It is passing through a vexing period of internal insecurity, political instability and vulnerability created by current ruling elite. In the name of national integration, the government has implemented various racial and discriminatory policies aimed at forceful homogenization of multi-ethnic society. This ‘Drukpanization’ or in other words “debhutanization” policy was designed to wipe out the culture, religion and language of Lhotshampas, Sharchhops and other minority ethnic, religious and linguistic groups. Under this policy, all other ethnic and minority groups are required to assimilate their social and cultural identity as distinct ethnic groups with the society dominated by politically and economically dominant Ngalung or Drukpa ethnic group.
Bhutan is responsible for generating one of the highest per capita refugees (one fifth of the total population) in the world. More than 125,000 Bhutanese people, nearly a fifth of the kingdom’s total population of approximately 782,548 have been forced to leave or forcibly evicted from the country by the Government. As on March 2001, approximately 98,886 Bhutanese refugees were living in seven UNHRC administered refugee camps in eastern Nepal. Rest live scattered in other parts of Nepal. About 25,000 Bhutanese refugees are living in North Bengal, India without any help.
b. Impunity and flawed rule of law in democratic states of Southeast Asia.
Impunity — the failure to bring perpetrators of violations to account — is joined to the failure of States to prevent violations, to protect human rights and to prosecute the suspects and bring them to justice. It is not just a failure of the justice system, but is related in an integral manner to the failure of democratic institutions.
Journalists have become the victims of the pattern in impunity. But the press community is implicated as well in the larger failure of the state to uphold justice and the rule of law when it fails to investigate and to explain the continuing perversion of law by those in power. Both democratic and authoritarian states in Southeast Asia show these weaknesses. This study will help the press in Asia to understand the underlying issues involved in selected countries in the region that exhibit different aspects of impunity.
c. Inclusive Democracy: How Nepal could achieve it?
The concept of inclusive democracy in Nepal came into rise after the failure of Multiparty Democracy system in 1990. The exclusion of low caste group, ethnic groups and janajatis in the state mechanism, decision making and benefit sharing process, social injustice and inequity is the key factor for the birth of Inclusive democracy. The concept of inclusive democracy is based on the equal distributions of powers at all levels and allows active participations of political power of minorities. In context of Nepal, inclusive democracy means sharing of power and authority by all caste/ethnic, gender, linguistic, religious, cultural and regional groups through caste/ethnic, linguistic and regional autonomy and sub-autonomy, proportional representation and special measures under a federal structure of government by using the processes of round table conference, right to self-determination, referendum and constituent assembly. Therefore, for sustainable development of the country, inclusive democracy is the major agenda for creating a good political platform.
Note:
• All applicants will receive a receipt confirming that the application is received and is in process.
• A detail Financial Report with necessary proofs (bills, tickets etc.) should be submitted at the time of completion of research report.
Applications should be sent before October 30, 2008 by mail to :
Asia Media Forum Centre (AMFC)
336, Prashuti Griha Marg
Babarmahal, Kathmandu
Nepal
Or e-mail to
asiamediaforumktm@gmail.com
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