Journalism Fellowship West Africa
We are pleased to announce the launch of a new fellowship aimed at supporting journalists in investigating illicit economies and instability in West Africa. The initiative seeks proposals for in-depth investigative pieces, specifically from Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria. Deadline: 20 August 2024.
Journalism Fellowship West Africa
The Fellowship is part of the GI-TOC's flagship Resilience Fund, which provides grants and support to civil society individuals and organizations working to counter the impacts of criminal governance and violence across the world.
We will select and support seven proposals in total to investigate different contexts of illicit economies and instability through the following mechanisms:
Grants: This fellowship aims to address lack of financial support by providing grants for each successful applicant of €8 000 to journalists who submit successful proposals that link organized crime to instability issues.
Capacity building: The grantees will have access to specially tailored capacity-building sessions. The Resilience Fund will provide each fellow with a mentor to support them in navigating their specific challenges and help them with opportunities to raise the profile of their work. The Resilience Fund’s liaisons will support the fellows by providing one-on-one project management technical assistance when needed.
Networking and collaboration: The fellows will have opportunities to meet virtually at workshops, trainings and dialogues facilitated by the Resilience Fund, the GITOC West African Observatory of Illicit Economies and our partners. They will be invited to join the Resilience Fund Community Platform, which will give them access to funding opportunities, global dialogues and multilateral engagement after the Fellowship ends. There may be opportunities for in-person engagement.
Supporting journalists to investigate illicit economies and instability
The Journalism Fellowship is part of a programme titled ‘Support to the Mitigation of Destabilizing Effects of Transnational Organised Crime (M-TOC)’, which combines traditional security responses with community-driven resilience measures, informed by cutting-edge research and investigative journalism on the intersection of illicit economies and instability. M-TOC is an ECOWAS project commissioned by the German Federal Foreign Office, implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, and the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GITOC), from 2024 to 2025.
The security situation in much of West Africa and the Sahel has deteriorated. The region has seen a surge in coups d’états and the growing influence of non-state armed groups (NSAGs), including criminal networks, violent extremists and insurgents. These groups are consolidating territorial influence and expanding their areas of operation. Illicit economies, such as illegal gold mining, cattle rustling, arms trafficking and kidnapping, particularly in the borderlands, play a critical role in this dynamic.
Journalists play an essential role in communities’ and policymakers’ understanding of the dynamics that underpin these illicit economies by reporting on the relationship between illicit economies and conflict, which is crucial to developing crime-sensitive conflict responses.
The fellowship grants are aimed at supporting local journalists – in print and broadcast media – to cover the local dynamics of illicit economies, conflict and instability in the northern areas of the targeted countries. Fellows will be encouraged to use a range of audio-visual media to enhance the impact of their investigations and diversify their outputs.
Selection criteria
This fellowship is designed for journalists from Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, Benin and Nigeria. Applicants must therefore be based in, and a national of, one of these countries. Preference may be given to those based in or reporting on the northern areas of these countries.
Proposals should demonstrate a clear understanding of illicit economies within a conflict ecosystem, and show knowledge of local socio-political landscapes. Applicants must also exhibit awareness of security risks associated with reporting on these topics.
The Resilience Fund invites applications from all ethnic backgrounds, ages, religions or other defining characteristics. Applicants must have full or professional working proficiency in English or French.
Applicants will be shortlisted for interviews based on the following four criteria:
- Contextual relevance
- Narrative development
- Solution feasibility
- Capacity to build community resilience
Each grantee will be awarded a total of €8 000, payable in two instalments of €4 000. The use of these funds should adhere strictly to the principles of professionalism, integrity and transparency; be consistent with the plan proposed in the application; comply with the terms and conditions of the grant agreement; and be used to engage in collaborative activities with other grantees.
How to apply (ONLINE FORM)
Candidates should submit an application through the online form available at the end of this section.
Please make sure that your responses are clear, succinct and do not exceed the maximum of words stablished.
You will not be able to attach any documents to your application. Please make sure that you have included all relevant information in the online form. It will not be possible to edit it once it has been submitted.
Applications will not be received by email. They must all be submitted via the online form.
If you have technical issues uploading your application or if you have any questions, please contact: fellowship@globalinitiative.net
