Journalist workshop: "World Water Day Media Workshop: call for applications. Deadline is 10 February"

UN-Water is calling for applications from environmental journalists for a Media Workshop which will take place during World Water Day in Tokyo, Japan. Up to 20 selected journalists will be sponsored to participate in a workshop which will include training and editorial sessions, meetings/interviews with experts and participation in the official UN celebration of World Water Day 2014.

Rationale
World Water Day, which is celebrated annually on 22 March, is this year dedicated to the theme 'Water and Energy.'

Water demand could exceed 44% of the available annual resources by 2050 while energy demand could experience a 50% increase by the same date. As a consequence, the World faces a genuine challenge, without energy there is no water and without water, there is no energy.

Water and Energy inter-linkages have an important role in the post-2015 development agenda and the conceptualization of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). There are indeed some main challenges, interconnections and opportunities for realizing synergies and benefits from joint responses on the water and energy nexus, including the design of climate resilience and green economies.

Objectives

• Improve media training and understanding of water and energy issues
• Increase media coverage of the interlinkages, challenges and opportunities of water and energy
• Increase media coverage of World Water Day and related issues
• Build a community of journalists interacting and writing regularly about water and energy issues

Eligibility and selection criteria
Application is now open to journalists from developing countries.

To be considered for participation in the workshop, prospective candidates are asked to submit: 

• Curriculum vitae
• Examples of work (examples in  languages other than English should be accompanied by a short summary in English):
  • 2 examples of News (written, audio or video)
  • 1 example of in-depth analysis (reportage)
• A letter from the supervising editor indicating why the journalist should be selected and committing to publish the journalist's articles written as a result of the workshop
• A one-page motivation letter where the journalist explains its interest in taking part in the workshop and outlines previous reporting on the topic (water, energy, water and energy, environmental issues)

Workshop overview and program
Selected journalists will participate in a workshop, which will include training and editorial sessions, meetings/interviews with experts and participating in the official UN celebration of World Water Day 2014.

Two weeks after the workshop, the journalists will submit the articles, programmes and reportages they have prepared and, if agreed, they will also be featured on the World Water Day and the 'Water for Life' Decade websites.

Sponsorship
The workshop is open to journalists from all over the world. Up to 20 journalists from developing countries across Asia (North-East, West, South-East and Central Asia) will be sponsored by UN-Water. This means the cost of travel and accommodation for these selected journalists will be covered. The participants will be provided invitation letters as required for obtaining a visa. However, they are expected to make all the necessary arrangements for travel, including visas, health certificates and travel insurance prior to travel. Authorization from the organizers will be necessary before they make travel arrangements.

Time and venue
The World Water Day media workshop is planned for 20-21 March and will be held in Tokyo, Japan.

Deadline for applications
Complete applications should be sent to water-decade@un.org until 10 February 2014 with the following subject line: Application for WWD Media Workshop. Successful candidates will be notified by 20 February 2014.