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Call for Proposals Closed: CRY Media Fellowship 2011-12

Growing up in War

CRY - CHILD RIGHTS AND YOU welcomes applications from media persons with published material for its new media fellowship initiative, titled Growing up in War.

Although specific instances on the impact of conflict on children have been documented and highlighted, there is little or no concerted advocacy effort made for the rights of such children.

CRY's media fellowship initiative Growing up in War aims to consolidate the point of views of children living in and with areas witnessing long-term conflict. The initiative is with the hope that its outcomes will enable us to lobby for the fundamental rights of children living in conflict-affected areas.

Objectives

To publish and present through the media the impact of long-term conflict on children in India, including showcasing instances of violations of their basic rights
To have documented evidences collected via children's voices which we hope will help in CRY's efforts to lobby for better protection of the rights of children living in conflict-affected areas.

In India today, the impact of conflict on children, is made nearly invisible by the focus on other prevalent issues that seek attention. CRY's initiative is an attempt to start a dialogue towards a more child-centric advocacy in India.

Children in conflict-affected areas in India: A brief note

Children living in conflict-affected areas are less likely to go to school and complete their education. They are also less likely to have access to healthcare, nourishing food, clean water and basic sanitation.

Besides such indirect impact, there is the direct fallout of (armed) conflict on children in the form of deaths, disability, injuries and trauma. In areas that are seeing long-term conflict, children are more vulnerable to morbidity and early mortality from preventable diseases and undernutrition.

On the whole, children from these areas have a lesser chance of growing up to become health, happy adults, who play a constructive role in their societies.

ACCORDING TO 2006 ESTIMATES by UNICEF, more than 1 billion children under the age of 18 were living in areas in conflict-affected areas or emerging from war. Of these, an estimated 300 million were under age five, and more than 18 million children were refugees or internally displaced. Armed conflict, whether among civilian groups or between the State and communities, is widely understood to result in a broad denial of basic rights.

In India, an estimate of the exact numbers of children living in conflict-affected areas is not directly available, atleast from official (Government of India) sources. Many such areas, over a period of time, see the cessation of basic child rights-based services such as Anganwadis, schools and health centers, a fact that seems too small to see, in the larger context of violence.

Obscured by the immediate realities of violence and counter insurgency operations, all of India's conflict-affected areas show a marked absence of special child-centric plans to help children deal with the deep social and psychological impact, both from experiencing hostility first-hand, bereavement, or from the loss of care, protective environments and safe spaces.

Our collective failure at addressing the needs of children living in such conflict areas is something that needs to be challenged and corrected.

With this imperative in mind, the current fellowship Growing up in War, is to make a beginning in drawing mass awareness to the plight of children living in the country's three most conflict-affected zones:

The so-called 'red corridor' area of central India covering districts across Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Maharashtra;
The north-east states of India; and
Kashmir.

Essential deliverables of the initiative:

A detailed plan covering:
1. Documentation of the situation of children living in conflict-affected areas.
2. Case stories of children in the CRY-supported project areas.
3. Case stories on violations or the lack of basic child rights such as access to an education/ to free quality schooling, healthcare, and nutrition.
4. Possible names of mainstream print media in which the final stories may be published by the Media Fellow.
Photographs with complete captions accompanying the documentation

To apply, please send the following (essential requirements):
- A proposal outlining your approach towards fulfilling the deliverables
- Your selection of conflict-affected zone (one or more than one)
- A two-page CV
- A sample of your published/ unpublished article(s) or paper(s) on the issue of child rights, especially those that demonstrate an outcome of your interaction/ engagement with children
- Preferred language for the initiative is English

It is expected that the potential fellows ascribe to CRY's core values: Integrity, Equality, Justice, and Dignity.

Selected fellows will participate in an initial orientation on the topic, about CRY, child rights as well as a brief training on how to interact with children by a child psychiatrist.

CRY and its supported projects and programmes in these areas shall provide support in terms of boarding, lodging, and travel.

Fellowship grant size: Upto 2 fellowships for a grant size of Rs. 45,000/- plus travel and lodging/boarding costs will be awarded. These will be support grants and the fellows are free to continue their primary occupation. Proposals beyond Rs. 45,000/- for the additional costs will not be reviewed.

Duration: Three months

Ownership:
While CRY will retain authorship of the final report - content, information, insights gathered, photographs, it will ensure an appropriate acknowledgement to the fellow. Should the fellow wish to publish in part or full any content / use the photographs, he/she may do so but only after seeking a prior written approval from CRY. In addition he/she will need to ensure an appropriate acknowledgement to CRY in that publication or display.

Dissemination:

At the end of the CRY media fellowship initiative titled Growing up in war, CRY will use the content, photographs in its communication to create awareness about the issue as well as to lobby for better protection of the rights of children living in conflict0-affected areas. The Media fellow is expected to publish stories from collected case stories in mainstream publications as identified in the plan.

Last date of application is 5^th June 2011

Please email your application to fellowship@crymail.org

In absence of internet access you may send your application by post to
Sangeeta Kapila
GM, Communications
Child Rights and You - CRY
189/A Anand Estate, Sane Guruji Marg,
Mumbai - 400011

NOTE: CRY reserves the right to discontinue or make changes to this fellowship initiative without any prior notice.