Stand up for journalists to protect free speech in India!

Press Release
June 13, 2011

The killing of Mid-Day (Special Investigations) Editor J Dey on June
11, 2011, was the third death of a journalist in India over the last
six months. In all three instances, investigations are on but no
arrests have been made, much less is there any headway as to the
killers or their motives.

The impunity with which these attacks have taken place only shows
that, in India, freedom of speech and expression cannot be taken for
granted. The Free Speech Tracker set up last year by the Free Speech
Hub to monitor all instances of violations of freedom of speech and
expression reveals that attacks on journalists and intimidation of
editors and writers continued unabated.

· On December 20, 2010, Sushil Pathak, a journalist with
Dainik Bhaskar in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, was shot dead while
returning home after a late night shift. The general secretary of the
Bilaspur Press Club, Pathak is surived by his wife and two children.
An investigation began into his death but till February this year, no
headway was made into it. Following sustain protests from journalists’
organisations as well as opposition parties in Chhattisgarh, the
state’s Chief Minister Raman Singh, ordered that the investigation be
handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

· On January 23, 2011, Umesh Rajput, a reporter with Nai
Duniya was shot dead by two masked assailants on a motorcycle. A note,
stating "Khabar chaapna band nahi karoge toh mare jaoge" (If you don't
stop publishing news, you will be killed), was found near the crime
scene.

Apart from these deaths, there have been 14 instances of attacks on
journalist in this year alone.

On January 3, Sudhir Dhawale, dalit activist and editor of Vidrohi, a
Marathi magazine, was arrested and charged with sedition and links
with Maoists.

In January, Somanath Sahu, reporter of ‘Dharitri', was prevented from
attending a press conference at the office of the Deputy Commissioner
of Police, Shaheed Nagar, Bhubaneshwar and threatened with dire
consequences for writing reports that went against the police.

Rajat Ranjan Das, a reporter of Sambad daily, sustained fractures and
head injuries by alleged supporters of Saikh Babu, a ruling Biju
Janata Dal leader from Pipili, Orissa in February.

In the same month MBC TV reporter Kiran Kanungo and cameraperson
Prasant Jena were roughed up by a group of BJD workers in Banki. And,
in a separate incident the same day, OTV reporter NM Baisakh and his
cameraman Anup Ray were beaten up by anti-social elements in Paradeep
when they were covering a protest dharna outside the IOCL main gate by
local people demanding jobs and compensation.

In February, an NDTV team of journalists and camera crew were harassed
and illegally detained allegedly by staff belonging to the Adani group
when the were filming a report on the large-scale destruction of
mangroves in Mundra, Gujarat, due to the construction of a port by the
company.

In April, Bikash Swain, the publisher of Suryaprava, an Odiya daily
alleged intimidation by police, following a series of adverse reports
that he published. Last September, Swain was arrested by police and
protests by journalists about vindictive action by police have
obviously failed to have an effect.

On May 3, ironically on World Press freedom Day, Goan Observer
journalist Gary Azavedo was attacked and illegally detained by
security staff of a mining company in Cauverm, Goa when he went there
to cover the on-going agitation against mining companies.

In May, three journalists were beaten up allegedly by CPI(M)
supporters in Burdwan district in West Bengal.

On May 8, in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, a group of youths, allegedly
supporters of Nabam Tuki, Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee
president and State PWD Minister, attacked several media offices,
including the local office of PTI and a local newspaper Arunachal
Front, apparently to protest a report in a leading daily involving
their leader.

On May 19, MiD DAY reporter Tarakant Dwivedi, better known as Akela,
was arrested under the Official Secrets Act by the Government Railway
Police (GRP) for an article written over a year ago in the Mumbai
Mirror that exposed the poor condition in which hi-tech weapons
procured after the 26/11 attack were being kept by the railway
security forces.

On May 21, unidentified assailants waylaid V B Unnithan, Kollam-based
senior reporter of the widely circulated Malayalam daily, Mathrubhumi,
and assaulted him with iron rods. Unnithan was heading home after work
on April 16.

Geeta Seshu, Coordinator, The Free Speech Hub (www.thehoot.org)
98922-14601
Attacks on journalists in India – a report from The Free Speech Hub of
thehoot.org

WAVE is looking for one awesome intern in Goa - apply now!

WAVE is a start-up social enterprise that can be described as a young women-led media network and platform that reports rights violations, provides solution-oriented perspectives and harnesses the power of a collective new media community to take action towards sustainable development.

We are seeking an exceptional intern to work out of the director's home-office in Goa for a minimum of three months.

Intern responsibilities:
Promotion of videos: Send to film festivals and solicit more videos for our website from media colleges, etc.

Partner organisations: Connect with contact persons to encourage use of WAVE cameras locally, provide information about WAVE's current activities and solicit videos.

Research and funding: Assist with fundraising. Connect with organisations and foundations in India and abroad to provide information about WAVE and explore collaboration opportunities.

Preferred qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree or higher.
- Strong interest in citizen journalism, new media and feminism.
- Well-organised.
- Good at written and spoken communications in English and Hindi.
- Computer and internet savvy.

Benefits:
A basic stipend of Rs 5000/month will be paid. Accomodation and transport will need to be borne by the intern, but we will help with arrangements.

This is also a great learning opportunity in video production, new media and creative advocacy.

Application deadline: July 1. Candidate to be selected by July 15.
Preferred start date: August 1

To apply:
Send an email cover letter describing why you would like to intern and explain any relevant experience to womenaloud@gmail.com

Check out the blog created at WAVE's workshop at St Anthony's college in Shillong

Babul Gogoi created a great-looking blog at the Citizen Journalism and New Media workshop that WAVE co-organised with the mass media department of St Anthony's College in Shillong on May 24-25. Watch some of the creative videos the students produced and the blogs they wrote about social issues there.

How essential - Online activism toolkit for feminists!

Download it here now!

Thanks for Fundsforngos.org for alerting us to this development!

Fellowship for social researchers in gender studies and other

Applies to all areas but northeast Wavers especially take note and circulate in your networks... You can earn Rs 20,000 per month for research, and maybe you can pitch to research on video?

http://www.fundsforngos.org/india/icssr-invites-applications-fellowships-open-northeast-category/

http://www.icssr.org/advemp2.htm

Also, you can forward this opportunity to study in Singapore to those who in 10th standard:
http://www.fundsforngos.org/india/sia-youth-scholarship-excellent-indian-students-completed-standard-10-2011-study-singapore/

Rhodes scholarship available to pursue a BA at Oxford Univ

For Indian citizens under 25 years, click the link below for more info:

http://www.fundsforngos.org/india/rhodes-scholarship-opportunity-indian-students-study-oxford/

Essay contest - Women and climate change - Due June 1

Call for papers

The role of human activity in accelerating climate change is beyond doubt. The fourth assessment report (4AR) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), confirmed that overwhelming scientific evidence links impact of human activity to climate change and unless action to significantly reduce emissions of greenhouse gases is taken, the world is on a path to runaway warming.

Why is it so important to integrate gender aspects into debates on climate change?

Climate change and climate impacts are not gender neutral. Gender equality is a critical component of responses to climate change at all levels - it should be integrated in all aspects of climate change planning and decision making.

At first glance, it might seem unintuitive to link climate change and gender issues. However, since societies still largely rely on gendered roles and responsibilities, both sexes do not have the same impact on climate change, and perhaps more importantly, are differently affected by it.

Women are disproportionately affected

Gender aspects of climate change are a matter of justice, human rights, and human security. Women are the poorest people in the poorest areas. Moreover, several studies indicate that the death rate in natural disasters can be four times higher for women. We have compelling data on how women are more vulnerable to climate change. It is thus important to be committed to gender sensitive approaches. We must adapt the mechanisms in place so that they reduce, or at least do not increase the gender issues.

Women empowerment and women's role

Women are change agents on both household and community levels with regard to natural resource management. Women are long-time leaders on poverty eradication and sustainability, and gender equality is a key issue in the climate change debate. If we do not implement gender-sensitive policies to fight the climate change, it will have disastrous consequences on the gender balance.

On the other hand, if we include and empower women, who are often responsible for agriculture, food and water supply, as well as first education of the next generation, we will do a better job in addressing the climate change and its consequences.

Mainstreaming the gender perspective is not only a sensible choice for our societies; it is a better, more efficient way to reach our goals.

Because this subject is at the very core of our preoccupations as members of the Green Party, we need to have better information and understanding on this subject, and answer these questions:

How can we counteract the disproportionate burden of climate change on women? How to empower women so that they become a key partner in reducing climate change?

How can gender equality be fully integrated into climate policies?

We encourage everyone to send us a paper with ideas and propositions on these issues.

TERMS OF PARTICIPATION

By taking part in the contest, participants agree on the terms of participation.

How and when to hand in my paper?

All papers have to be sent per e-mail to Greens.essaycontest@europarl.europa.eu before 1 June 2011, midnight. Papers sent after the deadline will not be accepted.

Who can apply?

Everyone.

Do I have to be a European citizen?
No, contributions from around the world are welcome.

About languages
Papers can be written in one of the four following languages: English, French, German and Spanish.

What kind of paper?

Papers should have the written form of an essay.

How long should the paper be?
Papers should be between 20.000 and 28.000 characters (with spaces) long.

How should it be presented?

Papers should be typed. No handwritten paper will be accepted.

What will happen next?

A jury made up of Green Members of the European Parliament, representatives of the European Green Party, the Federation of Young European Greens, Green Foundations, EGGO (European Green Gender Observatory) and NGOs will select the best essays.

Depending on the number of papers submitted, a pre-jury might do a pre-selection for the final jury.

What is the prize for the winner?

First of all, the best three essay writers will be invited to the Green Summer University in Frankfurt (Oder) and Slubice (1). This invitation includes transportation costs, hotel room for three nights and meals for the four days

The best essays will also be published in their original language and English, with a preface from Members of the Parliament and members of the jury. This book will be printed out and distributed during the University (to be confirmed depending on printing delays). The winners will get 10 copies each.

An event will be organised for the winners to read their essays to a selected audience, followed by a private dinner with members of the jury.

(1) The Summer University is an annual European event organized by the Green Party. Last year, it brought together almost 1000 people from all walks of life. Greens and non-Greens, NGO representatives, scientists, managers and trade unionists, intellectuals and artists, students and other young people attended 4 plenary sessions and 46 workshops, 10 cultural events and 10 excursions.