Daily Star - Journalists Fund Accepting Applications For Un Fellowship

BEIRUT: The Dag Hammarskjöld Scholarship Fund for Journalists is now accepting applications from professional journalists from developing countries for its 2010 fellowship program, the United Nations Information Center in Beirut said in a statement on Wednesday. The application deadline is April 9, 2010.
The fellowships are available to radio, television, print and Web journalists, aged 25 to 35, from developing nations who are interested in coming to New York to report on international affairs during the 65th session of the UN General Assembly. The fellowships will begin in mid-September and extend to late November and will include the cost of travel and accommodations in New York, as well as a per diem allowance.
The fellowship program is open to journalists who are native to one of the developing countries in Africa, Asia, South America and the Caribbean, and are currently working full-time for a bona-fide media organization in a developing nation.
Applicants must demonstrate an interest in and commitment to international affairs and to conveying a better understanding of the UN to their readers and audiences. They must also have approval from their media organizations to spend up to two months in New York to report from the UN.
Full eligibility and documentation requirements, as well as the fellowship application form, can be found at www.unjournalismfellowship.org.
According to the UN statement, the journalists who are awarded fellowships are given the incomparable opportunity to observe international diplomatic deliberations at the United Nations, to make professional contacts that will serve them for years to come, to interact with seasoned journalists from around the world, and to gain a broader perspective and understanding of matters of global concern. “Many past fellows have risen to prominence in their professional and countries,” the statement said.
“The program is not intended to provide basic skills training to journalists, as all participants are media professionals,” it added.
This is the 49th year the Dag Hammarskjöld Scholarship Fund has sponsored the fellowship program for journalists. The program is administered on a volunteer basis by journalists at the United Nations, who raise money from foundations, corporations and diplomatic missions to finance it.
Questions about the program, eligibility and application process can be directed to info@unjournalismfellowship.org. – The Daily Star