SEAPA now accepting applications to 2007 Journalism Fellowship Program

BANGKOK – The Southeast Asian Press Alliance announces the opening of applications for the 2007 SEAPA Journalism Fellowship Program. The Fellowship theme for 2007 is, “Human Rights Versus a Culture of Impunity in Southeast Asia.”

Journalist nationals of all Southeast Asian countries (Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Singapore, Vietnam, Laos, Burma, Brunei Darussalam, and East Timor) may compete for 15 Fellowships available for the summer of 2007. To be eligible for the Fellowship, applicants must have at least five years’ experience as journalists in any medium (print, TV, radio or online), either as staff of media organizations or as freelancers. They should have some background or experience in writing on social, political, and/or economic issues in their countries and interest in writing in-depth human interest stories or investigative pieces.

Based on professional credentials and story proposals, the Fellowship Program will afford Fellows limited travel to a second Southeast Asian country where they can spend up to three weeks researching and writing/producing a story of their choice.

Fellows are allowed to produce stories in their own native language for publication/broadcast in their home countries, but familiarity with spoken English will be a consideration for acceptance into the program, given the cross-border coverages and in light of pre- and post-coverage workshops that Fellows will be taking part in.

Theme for 2007

Every summer since 2002, the SEAPA Journalism Fellowship Program has invited and challenged the region’s journalists to tackle the common issues affecting the different nations of Southeast Asia.

For the 2007 Fellowship Program — scheduled to run for five weeks from the first week of May to the first week June — SEAPA has chosen the timely theme of, “Human Rights Versus a Culture of Impunity in Southeast Asia.”

In 2007, Cambodia will underscore the importance of the need for justice, of the imperative to confront human rights violations, when the Khmer Rouge Tribunal (KRT) is finally convened and allowed to play its part in (hopefully) bringing closure and healing to a nation. All throughout the rest of Southeast Asia, meanwhile, each nation finds that confronting rights abuses with justice, and fighting a culture of impunity itself, is vital to true human and national development. Whether its theme reminds about the massacre of East Timorese under Indonesian rule, the disappearance of human rights workers in Thailand, the arrest and killing of student activists in Burma, or the unabated killing of journalists in the Philippines, the 2007 Journalism Fellowship Program will as always be a rich venue for reflective journalism and discussions. It will highlight the virtues of journalism’s freedom to shed light, support justice, and establish truth as a fundamental foundation for any society seeking stability and progress.

To apply, interested individuals must submit:

o A story proposal—in English—based on the theme, “Human Rights Versus a Culture of Impunity”, by March 7, 2007. The essay should be no longer than 500 words, and must altogether introduce the applicant and explain his/her story proposal.

o Brief resume, with emphasis on current job

o Two samples of their published/broadcast work.

o Two letters of reference, including one from their supervising editor (in the case of media staff members) stating that they have permission to compete for and take part in the Fellowship Program, which will run from the first week of May to the first week of June 2007.

Applications may be emailed to seapa@seapabkk.org.

Applicants may also submit their applications and material via post to the following address:

SEAPA

2nd Floor, TJA Building, 538/1 Samsen Road

Dusit, Bangkok 10300 Thailand

The deadline for applications is March 7, 2007

Fellows will be announced in the last week of March 2007.

For more details about the SEAPA Journalism Fellowship Program and its requirements and mechanics, visit the SEAPA website at www.seapa.org, or the SEAPA blog at www.seapa.wordpress.com. For questions or concerns, please email seapa@seapabkk.org, with the subject heading of “SEAPA Journalism Fellowship 2007”.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For questions, please email:

Mr. Roby Alampay or Ms. Rosario Liquicia

seapa@seapabkk.org

or call the SEAPA Secretariat in Bangkok at

+662-2435579

[tags]philippine journalism, journalism, journalism fellowship, human rights, southeast asia[/tags]