core sector communique

The Eleventh CSE Media Fellowship

Justice at bay: the Forest Rights Act

December 15, 2010-February 15, 2011

Millions of people are linked to forests, some derive their livelihoods from them, others call them home. The forests, however, are subjected to continuous exploitation due to varied reasons beyond the realm of sustainance, rendering the forest dwellers most vulnerable.

To protect these communities against harassment, eviction, displacement and encroachment, the Forest Rights Act was introduced in December 2006. For the first time in history, these villagers were given legal rights to their homeland and awarded the responsibility of managing the forests and forest resources.

Industry and the state, however, continue to have a vested interest in forests. Corporates entice the state with their ambitious proposals and dreams of development, fell the forests, dig out the minerals and leave without reclamation displacing the entire forest community.

Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) offers a media fellowship to journalists to study, investigate and report on the implementation, violation and drawbacks of the Act, and its fallouts on forest dwelling communities.

Duration

Two months – December 15, 2010 to February 15, 2011 – with one month of travel time and another month for research, writing, publication and submission of stories and features.

Compensation and funding

Selected fellows will each receive a stipend of Rs 40,000 (subject to tax deductions at source) to support research, travel and writing between the given period.

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

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 region on which the proposal is focused, (b) the subject/s and story ideas that the applicant proposes to focus on, (c) tentative travel plans and (d) a list of people who might be interviewed.

Last date for submission of applications

October 31, 2010

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:

Papia Samajdar

Assistant Coordinator

Media Resource Centre

Centre for Science and Environment

41, Tughlakabad Institutional Area

New Delhi 110 062