AKFC and CAJ announce third cycle of $25,000 international development reporting fellowship

OTTAWA, Aug. 8, 2016 /CNW/ - Captivating stories from across the developing world are waiting to be told. Make your pitch to tell them.

Aga Khan Foundation Canada and the Canadian Association of Journalists are pleased to announce the third cycle of the Fellowship for International Development Reporting. This unique opportunity challenges journalists to push the boundaries of development reporting and dive into the complex issues facing the developing world.

The $25,000 fellowship offers recipients the chance to undertake a substantial overseas reporting project that helps Canadians develop a greater understanding of development issues. The parameters are simple: story pitches must be about a development issue within a developing country or region. Applicants are encouraged to submit proposals that apply a new lens to daily foreign coverage and explore fresh perspectives on global issues.

Applications are welcome from Canadian citizens and permanent residents with at least five years of experience as working journalists, including freelancers and staff reporters. The deadline for entries is 11:59 p.m. ET on September 12, 2016.

"The developing world is evolving at a rapid pace, and journalists play an important role in making sense of the complex dynamics at work," said Khalil Z. Shariff, Chief Executive Officer of AKFC. "This fellowship supports journalists who want to tell stories that illuminate the process of global development for Canadians."

Three fellowships were awarded in the second cycle: freelance journalist and Ottawa Citizen columnist Shannon Gormley, CTV's Kayla Hounsell, and freelance journalist Marc-André Sabourin. Their reporting projects range from migration and climate change (Gormley) to the long-term impacts of Ebola in Liberia (Hounsell) and low-cost private education in Kenya (Sabourin). They join past fellows Mellissa Fung and Marc Ellison.

"These journalists are travelling to corners of the world mostly forgotten by Canadian newsrooms," said CAJ president Nick Taylor-Vaisey. "And if not for AKFC's continued commitment to development journalism that matters, Canadian audiences may never hear crucial stories like these."

Administration and funding for the program is provided by AKFC with additional funding from the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada. The fellowship selection committee is led by the CAJ. Fellows' work is editorially independent and remains the property of the fellows and any associated media outlet.

Comprehensive information on the program and how to apply is available on both the AKFC and CAJ websites.

AKFC is a non-profit international development agency, working in Asia and Africa to find sustainable solutions to the complex problems causing global poverty. Established in 1980, AKFC is a registered Canadian charity and an agency of the worldwide Aga Khan Development Network.

The CAJ is Canada's largest national professional organization for journalists from all media, representing more than 600 members across the country. The CAJ's primary roles are to provide high-quality professional development for its members and public-interest advocacy.

SOURCE Canadian Association of Journalists

Rosemary Quipp, Public Affairs Manager, AKFC, 1-800-267-2532 ext. 107, [email protected]; Nick Taylor-Vaisey, CAJ President, 647-968-2393, [email protected]