INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY MEDIA YOUTH FELLOWSHIP

Cultural Survival is pleased to announce its fourth call for proposals for the Indigenous Community Media Youth Fellowship which supports Indigenous youth communicators in building their capacity as radio broadcasters and journalists through specific training, community radio visits and exchanges, radio production, conference attendance, and other educational opportunities. Applicants must reside in one of the following countries: Mexico, Central America, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Nepal and northern India.

 

With years of experience coordinating capacity building efforts through workshops, conferences, radio station exchanges, facilitating the development of regional networks, and supporting advocacy efforts to legalize and democratize community media, Cultural Survival elevates the experience, assets, and expertise of the communities that we partner with through our Indigenous Community Media Fund. We believe that it is crucial to listen and respond to the self-determined needs of the communities in order to provide support that is sustainable and most importantly, pertinent to the needs of the community. Indigenous youth are the future of their communities and developing youth leadership is an integral part of ensuring communities’ well being.

 

The Fellowship program provides ten fellowships annually to Indigenous youth communicators between the ages of 17-25. Each fellow receives $2,500 USD to implement their project during a 8 to 10 month period. Applicants must be able to work and travel independently and be responsible for implementing their proposed projects. The fellows will work jointly with a Cultural Survival staff member and a personal local mentor, who will provide support throughout the fellowship process.

The Indigenous Community Media Youth Fellowship Project is guided by the following priorities: 

Project themes to include: 

Land defense

Strengthening and revitalization of Indigenous cultures

Protection and promotion of the human rights of Indigenous Peoples

Promotion and strengthening of Indigenous languages

Promotion of Indigenous women’s leadership and participation

Revitalization of ancestral knowledge

Youth empowerment and participation

 Decolonization approaches

 

If your proposal is a group application, the following are recommended: 

Including the participation of young Indigenous women

Equal distribution of responsibility and resources

 

Your proposal must be designed to: 

Strengthen capacity in journalism

Develop radio content on topics related to (but not limited to) the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), decolonized history of Indigenous Peoples, protection of lands and resources, Indigenous women’s rights, Indigenous youth issues, cultural and ancestral heritage, national legislation affecting Indigenous Peoples’ rights

Build skills in audiovisual technology

Use free, open source software that facilitates the editing and creation of informative content

Support the development of new capacities in the community through training and workshops that help the development of new communication projects

 

Requirements for eligibility: 

Indigenous youth between the ages of 17 and 25

Access to the internet and other forms of communication to creatively collaborate with other fellows and to participate in video conferences

Commitment and motivation to learn about technology, program development, work of other community radios, and the international promotion of Indigenous rights.

Applicants must be able to work and travel independently and be responsible for implementing their proposed projects. The project can be submitted individually or by a collective of youth from a community radio station.

Applicants must reside in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, Chile, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa or northern India.

The project budget must be no more than $2,500 US dollars.

Present a letter of recommendation from either a traditional authority or Indigenous community media authority in your community.

The application deadline is March 5, 2021.