Internews’ Earth Journalism Network (EJN) and O Eco have developed a Fellowship program to bring journalists to the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The Fellowship program will start on June 14th, when the Fellows will arrive in Rio. The days prior to the Rio+20 Summit will include journalism training sessions, pre-Summit conferences, and at least one field trip. The Fellows will cover the Summit itself on June 20-22 and return home on June 23rd.

EJN and O Eco will cover travel to the Summit, accommodation for the duration of the Fellowship program, and a daily stipend.

All applicants must commit to attend for the full length of the Fellowship program and provide a letter of support from their editor/producer/supervisor confirming that:

•They can attend for the entire period of the program
•The material they produce during the program will be published or broadcast by their media outlet.
•This materials can be re-produced on the program’s website, with full credit given to original media outlet.
Freelancers are welcome to apply, but must provide a support letter from a media house that will publish or broadcast their coverage of the Summit.

All applicants must apply online. Currently the partners have funding to support approximately 15 journalists.. Applicants must have a demonstrated commitment to covering sustainable development issues, and be fluent in either English, Spanish or Portuguese (fluency in more than one of these languages is a plus). Applicants with special interest and ability to cover mountain issues, particularly from the Himalayan and Andes regions are also sought. If you apply and are so interested, please also send an e-mail to Joydeep Gupta at jgupta@internews.org.

The deadline for all applications to the Fellowship program is April 25th, 2012 at 23:59 Rio time. This Fellowship program is being carried out with the support of Fundo Vale and an anonymous contributor to Internews.

http://www.internews.org/our-stories/ejn/fellowships-opportunity-cover-rio-earth-summit-summer

Ambassador Gross today announced the winners of the American Embassy’s first Facebook photo contest at the American Corner Dushanbe. The theme of the contest was “Connecting Girls, Inspiring the Future,” in honor of International Women’s Day and National Women’s Month. The contest was co-sponsored by the Serena Hotel and supported by Somon Air.

Throughout March, participants submitted photos showing the empowerment of Tajik girls. More than 70 people participated, submitting over 100 photos. The panel of judges from the U.S. Embassy and Serena Hotel selected four winning pictures.

The three runner-ups were: Fayziddin Niyozov for “Educated Girls – Guarantee for a Developed Society,” Mekhrangez Bakhromi for her photo “The love of nature starts from childhood,” and Vera Karnaukhova for “Our country in our hands.”

The grand prize winner was Erkin Latypov with his photo entitled “A Single Impulse, One Objective!” Mr. Latypov’s photograph captured the energy of Tajik girls playing soccer, highlighting their enormous potential to contribute to a prosperous future in Tajikistan.

Mr. Latypov won the grand prize of brunch for four at the Serena Hotel and his photograph will be featured in Somon Air’s In Flight Magazine in the coming months.

The top entries from the contest will be on display at the American Corner Dushanbe this week. The American Corner Dushanbe is now located on the fourth floor of the new National Library.

http://dushanbe.usembassy.gov/

The International Federation of University Women (IFUW) is proud to announce the Conchita Poncini Jimenez Human Rights Fellowship promoting the use of human rights instruments and agreements for the advancement of women and girls. The award is named in honour of Conchita Poncini Jimenez, IFUW Representative to the United Nations from 1994-2011.

Eligibility:

* The Conchita Poncini Jimenez Human Rights Fellowship is open to women human rights activists, scholars, journalists, writers, or social scientists with a demonstrated commitment to the advancement of women and girls and the attainment of their human rights.
* Both IFUW members and non-members may apply.
* Preference will be given to applicants with at least five years of proven activist and/or research experience in the field.
* All applicants must either have a degree from a higher education institution or an equivalent qualification or have substantial relevant work experience at a significant comparable level.
* The award is open to women of all nationalities.
* Proposals must relate to the use of human rights instruments and agreements for the advancement of women, for example the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) or the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).
* The award may be used for any of the following: a major research project at a university or institution of higher learning in any country; an internship or project to be carried out with an appropriate international or national human rights organization; or study for an appropriate academic qualification (e.g. Masters or PhD) for those with substantial experience of national or international human rights activity but no higher degree.

Terms:

* The CPJ Human Rights Fellow will receive CHF 20,000, payable in two instalments. The first will be paid at the beginning of tenure, the second after submission of a mid-term report.
* The award is non-renewable.
* The award is for 8 to 12 months of full-time work/study or up to 24 months of part-time work/study.
* The CPJ Human Rights Fellow will be expected to:

* Complete the work or study for which the award is given;
* Submit a one-page mid-term progress report;
* Contribute a written report of 3,000 to 5,000 words by the end of the funding period;
* Make an oral presentation at IFUW’s Triennial Conference in Istanbul in August 2013, for which airfare and accommodation will be provided.

* Any changes in a recipient’s plan of research, study or training differing from the application must have prior written approval of the selection committee.
* The financial assistance given by IFUW must be acknowledged in any published material embodying the results of the work carried out.

Application process:

* All applications must be submitted using the official form.
Please read the instructions carefully. Applicants who do not follow the steps outlined in this material will be disqualified.
* Applications and all supporting documents must be sent to cpj-fellowship@ifuw.org no later than 30 June 2012. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
* The period for which an IFUW award is requested may begin no earlier than 1 September 2012 and must be completed no later than 31 December 2014.
* Applicants must complete the official application form, including a personal statement explaining their human rights experience and future plans. They will also be asked to provide a letter of confirmation from their host university/organization/institution, as well as three letters of reference from. Please read the instructions for full details. Applicants who do not follow the steps outlined in this material will be disqualified.
* Applications will be screened by a small panel of IFUW and external reviewers with human rights expertise. A small number will be chosen as finalists. Phone interviews will be conducted with finalists. Applicants will be notified of the competition results by the end of August 2012.

cpj-fellowship@ifuw.org

The International Debate Education Association announces an open call for applications to select youth from Central Asia to participate in Youth in 21st Century: Debating and Producing Media Workshop 2012.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Description:

The media play an important role in shaping the ideas of youth worldwide. The media can validate or ignore social or political issues in a society, cover some issues at the expense of others, and shape perceptions about particular groups or individuals.

The International Debate Education Association (IDEA) organizes a series of workshops that combine debate, discussion, and analysis of the media’s role in society with hands-on training in how to create professional and insightful media projects.

The first two-week workshop was first held in 2010 and since then workshops were held in Southeast Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and Sub-Sahara Africa.

Event Date: 19 th-31th July, 2012

Location: Talisman Village Hotel, Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan

Language of instruction: English (translation WILL NOT be provided)

Fee: This event is free of charge. Air travel, accommodation and meals are provided for participants for the entire event period (19th-31th July, 2012).

Application Deadline: 22 April, 2012

ELIGIBILITY

1.We invite young people from Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to apply.
2.Applicants must be between 18-29 years old
APPLICATION PROCEDURE

1.Download application form here or request one at workshop4youth@gmail.com
2.The application must be accompanied by applicant’s Curriculum Vitae (CV). CV template can be downloaded here.
3.Submit the completed application form and CV to workshop4youth@gmail.com with the subject “youth media application.”_ country of application
IMPORTANT DATES

Application deadline 22 April, 2012

Announce selection results 14 May, 2012

CONTACT US

If you have any questions, please contact:

Afghanistan: Mohammad Yusuf (m.yusufjan@gmail.com)

Kazakhstan: Saule Meirmanova (smeirmanova@soros.kz)

Kyrgyzstan: Elena Tatarkova (etatarkova@soros.kg)

Mongolia: Gerelmaa Amgaabazar (gerelmaa@forum.mn)

Tajikistan: Parviz Aidorshoev (aparviz@osi.tajik.net)

Turkmenistan: workshop4youth@gmail.com

Uzbekistan: workshop4youth@gmail.com

http://www.idebate.org/youthmedia/?page_id=388

Tajikistan — Media Sustainability Index — http://www.irex.org/sites/default/files/u105/EE_MSI_2012_Tajikistan.pdf

IREX

Источник: http://www.irex.org/sites/default/files/u105/EE_MSI_2012_Tajikistan.pdf

IREX designed the MSI to measure the strength and viability of any country’s media sector. The MSI considers all the factors that contribute to a media system—the quality of journalism, effectiveness of management, the legal environment supporting freedom of the press, and more—to arrive at scores on a scale ranging between 0 and 4.

These scores represent the strength of the media sector components and can be analyzed over time to chart progress (or regression) within a country. Additionally, countries or regions may be compared to one another. IREX currently conducts the MSI in 80 countries, and IREX currently conducts the MSI in 80 countries, and produced the first Europe & Eurasia MSI in 2001.

Detailed information is available here: http://www.irex.org/resource/tajikistan-media-sustainability-index-msi

http://www.irex.org/resource/tajikistan-media-sustainability-index-msi

Reporters Without Borders is making a new version of its Handbook for Bloggers and Cyber-Dissidents available to bloggers today to mark Online Free Expression Day.

The handbook offers practical advice and techniques on how to create a blog, make entries and get the blog to show up in search engine results. It gives clear explanations about blogging for all those whose online freedom of expression is subject to restrictions, and it shows how to sidestep the censorship measures imposed by certain governments, with a practical example that demonstrates the use of the censorship circumvention software Tor.

The leaders of authoritarian countries are becoming more and suspicious of bloggers, these men and women who, although not journalists, publish news and information online and who, worse still, often tackle subjects the so-called traditional media dare not cover. In some countries, blogs have become an important new source of news. It is to protect this source that Reporters Without Borders has updated its handbook.

http://en.rsf.org/spip.php?page=article&id_article=33844

The Open Society Documentary Photography Project and Arts and Culture Program announce a grant and training opportunity for documentary photographers from Central Asia, the South Caucasus, Afghanistan, Mongolia, and Pakistan.

The grant is being offered to:

•visually document issues of importance in the region; and
•provide training and support to photographers from the region.
Approximately 10 cash stipends in the amount of $3,500 each will be awarded to photographers to produce a photo essay on a current human rights or social issue in the region.

Grantees will participate in two master-level workshops on visual storytelling through photography and multimedia. These workshops are led by internationally recognized photographers and industry professionals who will then provide ongoing mentorship and support throughout the six-month grant term.

The Open Society Foundations will pay travel and hotel expenses and provide a per diem to cover meals and incidentals for the workshops.

This grant is intended for photographers who are committed to pursuing a career in photography and have prior technical expertise and/or training.

Deadline
The deadline for applying is May 10, 2012 at 5pm EST. The grant will begin in November 2012 and end in June 2013.

More Information
For more information, please see the production grant guidelines: http://www.soros.org/initiatives/photography/focus_areas/production-individual/guidelines

http://www.soros.org/initiatives/photography/news/production-grants-20120321

The Embassy of the United States of America in Tajikistan is now accepting applications for the 2013-2014 Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program.

The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program is for experienced professionals interested in strengthening their leadership skills through a mutual exchange of knowledge and understanding about issues of common concern in the U.S. and the Fellows’ home countries. As a non-degree program, the Fellowship offers valuable opportunities for professional development through selected university courses, attending conferences, networking, and practical work experiences. During the year, Fellows pursue their individual program goals while working closely with their Humphrey colleagues in workshops and seminars. Unlike a typical graduate school experience, the program encourages Fellows to travel away from their host campus to learn more about American culture and to network with their American peers.

Eligible fields:

• Agricultural and Rural Development

• Communications/Journalism

• Substance Abuse Education, Treatment, and Prevention:

• Economic Development/Finance and Banking

• Higher Education Administration

• Educational Administration, Planning and Policy

• HIV/AIDS Policy and Prevention

• Human Resource Management

• Law and Human Rights

• Natural Resources/Environmental Policy/Climate Change

• Public Health Policy and Management

• Public Policy Analysis and Public Administration

• Teaching English as a Foreign Language (Teacher-Training/Curriculum Development)

• Technology Policy and Management

• Trafficking in Persons Policy and Prevention

• Urban and Regional Planning

Appropriate candidates are mid-career professionals in leadership positions who have a commitment to public service and the potential for professional advancement. Prospective Fellows should have a minimum of five years of professional experience, and should have completed a university degree prior to August 2013. They should be interested in the policy aspects of their fields of specialization. Candidates must have completed a university degree program requiring at least four years of full-time study in order to qualify for participation in U.S. graduate study programs. Candidates should be proficient in both written and spoken English. Semifinalists will be required to take the Internet-based TOEFL.

Individuals who have attended a graduate school in the United States for one academic year or more during the seven years prior to August 2013, as well as individuals with other recent U.S. experience (more than six months during the five years prior to August 2013), are not eligible for this program.

To apply: Applicants must apply through the online application system. The online application is available at http://apply.embark.com/student/humphrey/fellowship/

More information is available at http://humphreyfellowship.org/.

Interested persons should submit completed applications online by 5 p.m. local time on June 30 2012. Late applications will not be accepted. For additional information and a complete application package, please contact Shafoat Kabilova via e-mail: KobilovaS@state.gov or telephone: 229-2314; 229-2000

http://humphreyfellowship.org/