PANOS Media Fellowships on ICTs-enabled Communication Strategies for Social Change

Panos seeks to offer a number of fellowship grants to journalists or development experts to research and write articles in national and international media on ICTs and their development impact.

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are recognised as a powerful tool to facilitate social development. The flow of information towards the poorest should increase, if poverty is to be reduced. ICTs greatly facilitate the flow of information and knowledge offering the socially-marginalised and the poorest of the poor unprecedented opportunities to assert their own entitlements.

Leading international institutions, donor agencies, NGOs, academics, researchers and activists have all been contributing to this development strategy. Success stories and lessons-learned case studies of how ICTs have transformed lives of the poor are abundant. The potential is real - yet sceptics warn of the hype. Issues like the huge flow of funds from the donor community, the sustainability of telecentres, and the usefulness of these centres in the lives of the poorest of the poor are all key areas of discussion. 'Louder Voices' ( http://www.panos.org.uk/home/summary%20Study1.doc), a recent study by the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) and Panos London on strengthening developing-country participation in international ICT-decision making, points out that developing countries are poorly represented when agendas are set and decisions made.

Panos sees the need to have an independent account by journalists and development experts who can reflect the range of perspectives among user communities, the rural poor, government officers, development workers, policy makers, and other stakeholders, as to what 'ICTs for development' means in their societies. These views need to frame the debate around ICTs-enabled development discourses.

What does Panos want to do?

Panos has been commissioning independent journalists for a decade to write media articles and reports to encourage and support informed debate on various development issues. Panos plans to commission journalists and development experts from the South to report on rural ICTs in their regions. These aspects will be published in the author's national media as well as forming part of a major Panos international report.

After a careful study of existing literature on this topic, the following are identified as key issues:

Basic issues
- The use and effectiveness of telecentres
- On the needs and demands of rural communities where telecentres are located
- On the cost factor
Telecentres and sustainability
Telecommunications policy and rural welfare
Dominance of non-native languages in Information and Communication Technologies for Development sector
Flow of information - before and after the telecentre in a rural setting
Innovative combinations of technology to increase the access to information

Mini-briefings are available from Panos (contact person below) on the above topics which explain the themes in detail. These mini-briefings are only guidelines and applicants are encouraged to combine these issues when formulating their proposal.

Successful applicants will be expected to

Produce a 3000 word analytical report for Panos based largely on field research and interview
Publish at least two articles based on the report in their local/national media

How to apply:

Interested applicants should:

read the mini-briefings
send a one-page proposal. This should cover:
- the aspect/s of rural ICTs you propose to study
- explanation of the situation
- explaining your methodology: particulars of areas of visit, possible list of people (or type of people) who you would interview
- expected duration of the work
deadline for receiving proposals Sunday October 13, 2002 (Note: deadline extended from October 4, 2002)

Panos will shortlist candidates on the basis of these outlined proposals.

The amount for each Fellowship will be decided by Panos London on an individual basis. Panos London's decision on awarding fellowship is final. Please write to Murali Shanmugavelan (MuraliS@panoslondon.org.uk) to receive mini-briefings.

Contact person:

Murali Shanmugavelan
Panos Institute
9 White Lion Street
London N1 9PD, UK
Tel: +44 20 7278 1111
Fax: +44 20 7278 0345
Email: MuraliS@panoslondon.org.uk
Web: http://www.panos.org.uk

Last update: September-30, 2002