Cross-border human trafficking journalism fellowship being launched

KATHMANDU, June 26: Impulse NGO Network (INGON), a non-profit organization, is launching two fellowship programs viz.: a one-year fellowship for early-career journalists and a four-week fellowship for mid-career journalists from India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Myanmar with an aim to build digital journalism skills and conduct sensitive and major in-depth reports on cross-border human trafficking in and across the neighboring countries.

Impulse NGO Network, founded by Hasina Kharbhih in 1993 to address the issue of unsafe migration, exploitation and human trafficking, is working against human trafficking across the eight states of North-East India, and to countries that India shares borders with, such as Nepal, Myanmar, and Bangladesh. Over the past 20 years, the organization has helped reintegrate into society over 70 thousand survivors of human trafficking and exploitation.

Organizing a press conference at the Reporters Club Nepal on Tuesday, the organizers informed that, the INGON will award four fellowships to one journalist from each country. The fellows, then, will be trained in digital reporting, with a specific focus on cross-border human trafficking.

The applications for fellowship are open from 1 June 2018 to 9 July 2018, according to the organizers.

The Fellows will participate in a two-day orientation and training and workshop which will be led by experienced journalists and technical experts from each of the four countries. The workshop will aim at building awareness and sensitization to the issues of human trafficking and challenges of conducting in-depth, ethical and impactful reports.

ONE-YEAR FELLOWSHIP

Throughout the one-year fellowship, journalists will be mentored by experienced journalists and receive guidance and training from experts in areas of gender, psychology and law. Fellows will be exposed to cross-country reporting, inter-related issues of human trafficking which include unsafe migration, an understanding to the economic situation of states/provinces, districts, townships and villages affected by cross-border human trafficking.

FOUR-WEEK FELLOWSHIP

Likewise, under the four-week fellowship, journalists will build their networks across the different countries and will work with local journalists and experts to conduct their reports. Experienced journalists from a core committee will act as mentors to the fellows, providing them with professional guidance and support throughout the fellowship. Fellows will also engage with technical experts—lawyers, police officers, psychologists and gender specialists—and receive training in these areas to report sensitively and effectively on human trafficking.

ELIGIBILITY

For one-year fellowship, an early-career journalist must have at least 2-3 years experience on journalism and reporting,

One should be skilled in a range of media (print, digital, audio and video),

Should be ideally already working with new media platforms or news organizations,

Freelance journalists must be able to demonstrate links with media house and previously published works,

Must be able and willing to work in a partner country outside of their own for at least one month of fellowship,

Must have strong social media presence or be willing to actively engage in social media as part of the fellowship,

Similarly, for four-week fellowship program,

One should have at least 3-5 years of journalism or reporting experience,

Should know English language, but can work and publish in his/her local language,

Should demonstrate sensitivity to knowledge of issues related to human trafficking,

Obtain a recommendation from publisher/editor and agreement to undertake the fellowship and publish stories,

Receive consent from their respective Editor(s) to travel to two different countries to conduct reports on unsafe migration and cross-border human trafficking as part of the fellowship.

SELECTION PROCESS

A panel of journalists from the Core Committee in each country will review fellowship applications in July 2018. Candidates will be shortlisted on basis of their high-quality application, their incisive, in-depth reporting style and experience and their ability to produce impactful reports that can reach a wide audience.

EXPECTATIONS AND TIMELINES

Fellows will spend a total of three months reporting their story, with four weeks dedicated to traveling. Through the fellowship, journalists are expected to:

Bring exposure to the issue of human trafficking with one major in-depth story covering at least two of the four countries (Bangladesh, India, Myanmar and Nepal)

Develop connections with local experts and media in the countries reporting from.

Add to the pool of well-informed and well-connected journalists committed to fighting cross-border human trafficking.

Become part of INGON’s press network to influence a wider network of professional colleagues, civil society, lawmakers, etc., adding to the cycle of change.