EJN Fellowships for Journalists To Cover 7th Global Environmental Facility (GEF) Assembly In Vancouver, Canada 2023

Supported by the GEF, this opportunity enables journalists from low- and middle-income countries – which bear the brunt of climate impacts and are targeted recipients of GEF investments – to cover the Seventh Assembly of the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), keeping their home audiences informed about environmental financing and governance. With the support of EJN mentors, fellows will report on these high-level decisions, interview experts to learn how outcomes will affect their countries’ policies and priorities and affect local communities. 

The Global Environmental Facility (GEF) is a multilateral environmental fund that provides funding to assist low- and middle-income countries in meeting the objectives of international environmental conventions such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), and Minamata Convention on Mercury. 

Since its establishment in 1991, the GEF has enabled environmental action by providing over $22 billion in grants and blended finance. Some of the GEF funding projects include the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), which helps safeguard water resources, agriculture and food security, health, disaster risk management and prevention, infrastructure and fragile ecosystems. The GEF’s new climate adaptation strategy for the 2022-2026 period will support the adaptation needs of small island developing states (SIDS), and support countries to adopt climate-resilient technologies and adaptation solutions.  

This fellowship to the GEF’s Seventh Assembly, which will be held from August 22-26 in Vancouver, Canada, will strengthen journalists’ capacity to cover real-time changes to global environmental and climate financing instruments and their implications.  

The Assembly is the governing body of the GEF that includes representatives of all 185 member countries and is responsible for reviewing and approving proposed amendments to the GEF’s general policies, operations, and documents such as the Instrument for the Establishment of the Restructured Global Environment Facility. 

About Earth Journalism Network (EJN)

Internews initially developed the Earth Journalism Network (EJN) in 2004 to enable journalists from developing countries to cover the environment more effectively. We are now a truly global network working with reporters and media outlets in virtually every region of the world. In our mission to improve the quantity and quality of environmental reporting, EJN trains journalists to cover a wide variety of issues, develops innovative online environmental news sites and produces content for local media – including ground-breaking investigative reports. We also establish netwo... read more

Fellowships

Aim and Benefits of Fellowships

• EJN will cover non-refundable economy-class airfare, accommodation, meals, travel insurance, and transportation costs to participate in the fellowship. Organizers will also reimburse meals and other transport expenses acquired in transit, including COVID testing; facilitate the press accreditation process; and provide logistical support relating to the trip.
• Please note that the process of obtaining any necessary visas is the Fellow’s individual responsibility, though we can reimburse visa costs.
• Journalists awarded fellowships are responsible for their own safety during travel, and for ensuring that they meet any requirements for travel and attendance, which may include proof of vaccine status and/or testing for COVID-19 before and during the conference.
• Selected journalists will get a front-row seat as more than 1000 attendees from around the world, including ministers, prominent environmentalists, government officials, business leaders, leaders of GEF agencies, civil society representatives and Indigenous Peoples, gather to make progress on adaption strategies, private sector engagement, financing solutions, and to forge new partnerships focused on addressing the drivers of ecological challenges under the overarching theme of “Healthy Planet, Healthy People.” 

Requirements for Fellowships Qualification

To be eligible for the fellowship, the applicant must:

• Be a professional journalist from or representing an established media house from a low- or middle-income country. 
• Have previous experience reporting on environmental issues. Experience covering climate and environmental financing is a plus. 
• Have good command of the English language. 
• Be available to arrive in Vancouver by August 21, 2023 and commit to staying to cover the full week of the Assembly and participate in all fellowship activities. 
• Provide a letter of support from an editor or media outlet, committing to publish or broadcast any stories produced as a result of this fellowship. This is expected of both staffers and freelancers.
• Submit recent, relevant samples of their journalistic work, which can be uploaded as documents?or web links. Work samples can be in any language as long as they are accompanied by a short English synopsis.  
• Journalists can be of any age, but preference will be given to youth journalists (age 35 and under). 

Note: You'll be asked to upload these supporting documents once you start the application process, so please have them handy.

EJN reserves the right to disqualify applicants from consideration if they have been found to have engaged in unethical or improper professional conduct. 

Interview date, Process and Venue for Fellowships

Selection 

Applications for conference scholarships will be accepted until?June 12, 2023. Decisions will be communicated before the end of June. 

We are looking for applicants who meet the following criteria: 

• Demonstrated experience covering environmental and climate topics. 
• A clear and well-researched reporting plan for the conference, outlining the kinds of stories they will pursue from — and following — the conference, story ideas with the potential for impact and the audience reach of the proposed media outlet. 
• A relationship with an established media house. We strongly encourage you to provide a signed letter of support from an editor agreeing to publish or broadcast work produced at the conference as part of your application.  

EJN also considers the need to assemble a diverse cohort of journalists from different types of media houses and geographies.  

Application Deadline

How to Apply

• Click the ‘Apply Now’ button at the top of the page.
• If you have an existing account, you'll need to log in. Since we recently updated our website, you might have to reset your password by clicking the “Forgot password?” link in the log in page. If you don’t have an account, you must register by clicking “Log in” on the top right of the page and click the “Sign up” link at the bottom of the page that opens. Click here for detailed instructions on how to create an account, and here for detailed instructions on how to reset your password.
• If you start the application and want to come back and complete it later, you can click 'Save Draft.' To return to the draft, you'll need to go back to the opportunity and click 'Apply now' again to finalize the application.

Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered.? Please consider submitting at least one day in advance of the deadline to avoid any issues.?? 

If you?encounter?difficulties with?submitting?your application or have questions about the grants, please email?[email protected]. Do not contact any other Internews email?regarding?this opportunity, as we will not receive it.???? 

For more details, visit EJN website.