Vanishing Treasures
Communication Workshop Climate and Environment Storytelling
Call for applications
About the communication workshop
This workshop is part of UNEP’s Vanishing Treasures programme (VT) which focuses on Central Asia countries of Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic, to better understand the direct impacts of climate change on snow leopards and their prey species, as well as current and possible future vulnerabilities and responses of local communities to climate change.
The communication workshop will focus on strengthening the skillset of journalists currently operating in Central Asia to understand and effectively communicate about climate change and the linkages between climate change and biodiversity conservation. As part of their training, the journalists will visit field sites in the mountains near Bishkek.
Objective
The workshop will share strategies for effectively and engagingly communicating the ground realities of climate change and conservation issues. It will equip participants with the knowledge and skills to develop and deliver scientifically-valid stories that can be easily understood by the public and be published by local, regional, and international media outlets. The stories generated during and after the media workshop should reflect the realities on the ground in the research sites, with attention to the local context of culture, traditions, communication strategies, gender issues, and interpersonal and social dynamics of each location.
Expected outputs
Upon completion of the training, participants will:
•Get a better understanding of the impacts ofclimate change and cover various elements ofhow storytelling can help raise awareness onclimate change impacts, particularly on thepoor and marginalized
•Develop the technical and editorial skillsrequired to tell audio stories
•Be prepared to produce a shortarticle/interview on a tight deadline
•Have a deeper understanding of how to framequestions, conduct field interviews, andpresent them in the most engaging manner
•Develop awareness of channels and mediaoutlets covering climate and environment- related stories.
•Help develop public awareness of climatechallenges and linkages betweenenvironmental issues, conservation, socialproblems, and the broader economy
• Be encouraged and supported in writing and publishing a story in a local/or international media
• Receive a certificate of participation from UNEP
Structure
The workshop will be led by an internationally recognised senior journalist with expertise on environmental issues, and focus on three tracks critical to storytelling:
• Technical skills, include the skills workshop designed to introduce and deepen understanding of audio storytelling
• Editorial skills, which include ways to identify and pitch stories, how to secure the elements needed to produce them, and how to craft them
• Practical skills, through which participants will apply their learning to complete a short story during the training course
Target participants
This training is for journalists based in Kyrgyzstan, freelance or working for established Kyrgyz media from photojournalism, video/documentary, and print/web media who regularly cover environmental issues, especially on climate change and its impacts in the Central Asian region.
In addition, applicants should not be affiliated with a political party or engaged in any political activities, and not be focused solely on religious activities.
Eligible applicants
This is a public notice to ensure that all interested and qualified individuals have a fair opportunity to submit applications for funding. The eligible applicants must be located in Kyrgyzstan.
Selection criteria
• Minimum of 1-2 years’ experience in journalism
• Fluent in Kyrgyz and/or Russian and working proficiency in English.
• Highly-motivated
• Experience in the reporting environment
• Some technical knowledge about climate change, climate change adaptation, and resilience building
• Women and participants from marginalized communities are strongly encouraged to apply
Submission instructions
The application must be submitted no later than the deadline 5 September 2022 (midnight, Bishkek time) Incomplete applications, or those submitted after the deadline, will not be considered. Within one week of the postmark deadline, the selected participants receive a receipt confirmation of their selection.
Please send your application form filled + your CV (1 page maximum in English) to:
Laurent Fouinat laurent.fouinat@grida.no
Kenje Sultanbaeva kenjesultanbaeva@gmail.com
and secretariat@globalsnowleopard.org
Contact us for further information
