United Nations (UN) Reham Al-Farra Memorial Fellowship 2024 for Journalists in Developing Countries

The 2024 United Nations (UN) Virtual Reham Al-Farra Memorial Fellowship Program is open to applications! Due to ongoing travel disruptions, the programme will continue to be entirely virtual. However, depending on performance and participation, 2024 RAF Fellows may be strongly considered for a future in-person programme.

Application Deadline: 15th March 2024 (New York time).

About the Award: The Reham Al-Farra Memorial Journalism Fellowship was mandated in December 1980 by UN General Assembly Resolution 35/201. Formerly known as the DPI Training Programme for Broadcasters and Journalists from Developing Countries, the programme was renamed in 2003 in honor of Reham Al-Farra, a 29-year-old Jordanian public information officer who was killed in the 19 August 2003 bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad.

The Fellowship is a unique opportunity for young (22 to 35), working journalists from developing countries and countries with economies in transition to cover the United Nations. Hosted every autumn at UN Headquarters, the programme brings a select group of journalists to New York to cover the opening of the General Assembly for their news outlets.

During the 3-week programme, Fellows have an opportunity to attend special briefings, interview senior officials and exchange ideas with colleagues from around the world. In previous years, RAF Fellows have met with the UN Secretary-General, Deputy Secretary-General, President of the General Assembly and Permanent Representatives to the United Nations. The programme also arranges visits to various news organizations, such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and ProPublica.

Since its founding in 1981, the fellowship has been awarded to 652 journalists from 168 countries. Upon completion of the programme, fellows are expected to continue working in journalism and promote better understanding of the United Nations in their home countries. The programme does not provide basic skills training, as all fellows are working journalists.

Type: Fellowship

Eligibility: The Reham al-Farra Memorial Journalism Fellowship is open to junior and mid-level media professionals from countries with developing economies or economies in transition.

To meet the eligibility requirements, candidates must:

• be between 22 and 35 years old
• be a fulltime working journalist
• be proficient in English
• possess a passport valid for at least 6 months beyond the start of the Programme (programme begins September 2019)
• be a national of a developing country or country in transition, as defined by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs

Eligible Countries: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Russia, Rwanda, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Taiwan (Province of China), Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

To be Taken at (Country): Virtual

Number of Awards: Up to 8

Value of United Nations (UN) Reham Al-Farra Memorial Fellowship:  

• It provides journalists with an opportunity to gain first hand experience in the work of the United Nations.
• It is also an opportunity to meet journalists from other countries and exchange ideas with UN communication professionals.
• Upon completion of the Programme, participants are expected to continue working in journalism or broadcasting and help promote better understanding of the United Nations in their home country.
• The Programme is not intended to provide basic skills training to broadcasters and journalists as all participants are already working as media professionals. The Programme also does not lead to employment by the UN.

Duration of Fellowship: 3 Weeks

How to Apply: Link to application form: bit.ly/raf2024

• It is important to go through all application requirements in the Award Webpage (see Link below) before applying.
• GOODLUCK

Visit Award Webpage for Details