CEHURD (Center for Health, Human Rights and Development) invites journalists to apply for the 2013 intellectual property and human rights reporting fellowships. The fellowship is a one-year mentoring and capacity-building program for Ugandan journalists to report on issues cutting across intellectual property and human rights.

Purpose of the Fellowship Program

The CEHURD IP and Human Rights Media Fellowship Program aims to enhance the capacity of journalists in the mainstream media to appreciate the links between IP protection and social welfare, and the implications of the on going developments in the protection of IP rights at the different levels, and their implications for public health, access to educational materials, the right to food, and other human rights.

In 2013, the fellowship program will focus on:

• The on going commercial law reform processes in Uganda and the East African region;
• The on going dialogue around a possible extension to the transition period granted to LDCs to comply with the TRIPS Agreement; and
• Alternative models for balancing the rights of IP owners and users, taking the case of the Creative Commons licenses and how it works for journalists and other information users;

Methodology

Successful applicants will attend a- two-day residential orientation training, and will be supported to identify and undertake follow-up activities. Selected candidates will be paired with a supervisor at the media house they are attached to, and linked with experts in the fields of IP and human rights who will provide technical guidance to the candidate to investigate story ideas they identify. The successful candidates will also participate in field visits to key organizations involved in IP work. The follow-up activities will not require full time work and will be supported through small grants.

Eligibility

Interested applicants should:

• be journalists working with or attached to mainstream mass media in Uganda, including national (or East Africa level) newspapers, radio, or television;
• commit to be available for the training, field trips and other follow-up activities between February 2013- December 2013;
• Journalists reporting on policy issues (e.g. covering Parliament), and those with editing roles will have added advantage.

Application process

Interested candidates should express their interest in writing to CEHURD by email to info@cehurd.org with a copy to Primah on kwagala@cehurd.org

Applications should be sent by

Thursday 28th February 2013 and should be accompanied by the following:

• A personal CV clearly showing qualifications, expertise and experience
• brief information on the institution that they are attached to; their employment status and position; and any work they have done themselves related to trade, health, education or agriculture;
• Confirmation that they are available for both the training workshop and the follow-up work.
• Endorsement by the immediate supervisor/editor

Successful candidates will be notified by Thursday 7th March 2013. For details of this call please check here