Deadline for applying for CSE's 3rd South Asian Media Fellowship on Water barred: need or greed? extended

Water barred: need or greed? South Asian water bodies, community and 'development'

August 2011 – November 2011

For journalists from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka

In its 58th session, the United Nations General Assembly had proclaimed 2005-2015 as the 'International Decade for Action – Water for Life'. The ‘decade’ is nearing its end, and water and access to it remains a mirage across South Asia. Lack of proper water management, population pressure, pollution, climate change are amongst some of the key reasons for the prevalent situation.

Added to this crippling demand-supply scenario is another aspect: industrial growth and urbanisation rapidly gnawing away at available water sources, leading to strife and conflicts with local communities and farmers.

Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) offers a media fellowship to journalists across South Asia to research, analyse and report on this subject. Some of the suggested topics which may be examined are:

• The state of water bodies (wetlands, lakes, rivers, streams etc)

• Mapping and methods of mapping of water bodies

• Water versus development

• Regulations and laws

• Success stories and best practices

Duration
Three months – August, 2011 to November, 2011 – with one month of travel time and the other two month for research, writing, publication and submission of stories and features.

Compensation and funding
Selected fellows will each receive a stipend of INR 50,000 (subject to tax deductions at source) to support research, travel and writing between the given period.

The stipend will be released in two installments – the first as a travel grant at the start of the fellowship programme and the second after its successful completion.

Who can apply
These fellowships are open to journalists from Bangladesh, Maldives, Bhutan, Nepal, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Sri Lanka only, including freelancers, photojournalists and television/video journalists.

Applications must be accompanied by the following documents:

• Curriculum vitae

• For print journalists, three samples of published work on development issues. By ‘published work’, we mean articles published by / in national or regional newspapers or magazines. Those writing in regional languages must have at least one of their articles translated into English.

• For television and radio journalists, two samples of telecasted / broadcasted programmes on development issues – those telecasting / broadcasting in regional languages must also give a short written summary of the programme along with the CDs of the samples.

• A letter of support from the editor that the output under the fellowship will be published / broadcast (mandatory for all candidates, including freelancers).

• A comprehensive fellowship proposal outlining (a) the subject/s and story ideas that the applicant proposes to focus on, (b) tentative travel plans and (c) a list of people who might be interviewed.

Last date for submission of applications
July 15, 2011

CSE may organise a briefing workshop on the subject closer to the commencement of the Fellowship. The selected Fellows and some other interested journalists will be invited to participate in this workshop.

Fellowships output
Selected applicants from the print media will be expected to generate feature and news article/s totalling 5,000 words or three stories, based on the research carried out under the fellowship. 

Original clippings of these articles will have to be submitted at the completion of the fellowship programme. They will also be expected to take and submit photographs of the areas they travel in for their stories.

Selected applicants from the audio-visual media will be expected to generate either a single film/broadcast or a series of episodes, based on the research carried out under the fellowships. Video and audio CDs of these outputs will have to be submitted at the completion of the fellowship programme.

Applications for the fellowship should be addressed to:

Centre for Science and Environment
41, Tughlakabad Institutional Area
New Delhi 110 062
Ph: 011-29955124, 29955125, Fax: 011-29955879