The Foundation for Ecological Security and www.infochangeindia.org invite applications to a special round of fellowships to research and report on the subject of Common Property Resources (CPR).
Common property resources include forests, grazing lands, rivers, groundwater, irrigation systems, tanks, pastures, inland fisheries and coastal fishing, as well as traditional knowledge and seed/genetic resources.
In a world that is moving towards the privatisation of natural resources, and where common lands are erroneously viewed as “wastelands” and diverted for industry or agribusiness, it is important to underline the significant role of CPRs in ensuring food security and cushioning the livelihoods of the rural poor, dalits, tribals and other marginalised sections of society. In Indian villages, the commons provide food, fodder and timber to farming systems, animal husbandry, resource conservation, and recharge of groundwater. The poor derive upto 54% of their income from commons.
We are looking for proposals that explore the importance of CPR, issues related to control, management and governance of the commons, access to CPR, especially for the socially excluded, decentralisation and collective action around the commons, the impact of public policy, etc.
Five fellowships on CPR are being offered. Each fellowship must result in a series of five or more original articles (with accompanying photographs) on the proposed subject of research, totalling 7,500 words or more. The articles must be readable, written in a journalistic and not academic style, combining perspective and analysis with reportage and human interest stories and, when appropriate, views and information from experts. All content must be submitted in English.
All content will be uploaded on www.infochangeindia.org and used in advocacy and other material by FES and CCDS. All content submitted under these fellowships will be under the Creative Commons Licence and may be submitted for publication/dissemination elsewhere after upload on www.infochangeindia.org, with credit to FES and infochangeindia.org as the supporting institutions and the website where the material first appeared.
Duration
Applications to the fellowship must be received before February 18, 2009. The results will be announced by mid-March. Fellows are expected to complete their work in April-May, and submit all content by June 5, 2010.
Eligibility
The fellowship is open to independent journalists and researchers living in India only. Working journalists may also apply, provided their organisations endorse their application and allow them time off for this fellowship if selected.
Last date for submission of applications
All applications must be received by February 18, 2010.
Funding support
These fellowships carry a grant amount of Rs 50,000. 50% of this amount will be disbursed on selection, to fund travel and research expenses. The balance will be released on successful completion of the project, and submission and acceptance of stories. Infochangeindia reserves the right to ask for revisions in articles submitted until its standards for upload are met.
Grants will be withdrawn and the advance refunded by the fellow if the fellow fails to complete and submit her/his project on deadline or if the quality of the work submitted is not acceptable. The decision of the editorial board on the quality of submissions will be final.
Application procedure
All applications must be accompanied by
- A detailed proposal (not exceeding 1,000 words) clearly stating the aspect of CPR that is proposed for research, the applicant’s perspective on this subject, and expected output in terms of X number of articles etc.
- A travel plan, detailing the travel likely to be undertaken for the research, with an estimated budget.
- CV of the applicant.
- Three samples of published work. If any of these are in regional languages, they must be accompanied by a summary of their contents in English.
- Working journalists submitting applications must enclose a letter from their editor stating that they endorse the application and will allow the fellow time off for the research if selected.
- One letter of recommendation from a writer/editor/academician or other appropriate referee endorsing the applicant’s interest/expertise in the chosen subject of research and the candidate’s ability to successfully complete the project.
Address to send applications to
Applications may be addressed to
FES-Infochange Media Fellowships 2010
Centre for Communication and Development Studies (CCDS)
301, Kanchanjunga Building, Kanchan Gully
Off Law College Road, Pune 411 004
Telephone: 020-26852845/25457371
Applications may also be sent by email to mediafellowships@infochangeindia.org. Please ensure that all scanned material is clearly legible and all attachments are zipped into a single file.
About FES and www.infochangeindia.org
These fellowships are part of a series of initiatives designed to build awareness and influence public policy on the management of common property resources.
Foundation for Ecological Security (FES) has been assisting the management and governance of Common Property Land Resources since 1986, working with 1,500 village institutions that manage and govern commons in diverse ecosystems across six states in India. FES will be organising the 13th Biennial International Conference in India in 2011 on the theme of Sustaining Commons, Sustaining Our Future, in collaboration with the International Association for the Study of Common Property (IASC). Find out more about FES at www.fes.org.in
www.infochangeindia.org (managed by the Centre for Communication and Development Studies) is India’s leading online resource base on social justice and development issues.
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