March Newsletter 2011

Maastricht - March 8, 2011

Climate Action Conference

As a sequel to the 2010 conference in Brussels, the EJC invites 60 journalists from the EU-27 to the "Climate Action Conference - Water", to be held in Budapest on 23-24 March 2011. The conference is tied with the Hungarian EU Presidency event "Futures of European Water" and will focus on climate change and water related issues as a follow-up to the COP16 summit in Cancún last December. Apply here ».

EU for candidate countries

The EJC with the financial support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Luxembourg has developed a series of briefings in 2011 for journalists from candidate and possible candidate countries. The seminars aim to familiarise participating journalists with the European Institutions based in the Grand Duchy. Participants will also visit the town of Schengen where the agreement abolishing border controls was signed on 14 June 1985 at the border between Luxembourg, Germany and France. Contact: rochez@ejc.net for more information ».

Energy's climate challenge

Climate change threatens to exacerbate current challenges to the achievement of the UN’s Millenium Development Goals. At the same time, there is a link between access to energy and fighting poverty. EU's external aid providers try to combine access to energy necessary for the achievement of the MDGs with an increased political awareness among decision makers on the role energy can play in sustainable development. A joint EJC-EuropeAid seminar in Brussels will between 13-15 April 2011 examine the expected outcomes of this strategy. EU journalists can apply here ».

Food for thought

The volatility of food prices accompanied by the energy and financial crisis has subjected millions to hunger and malnutrition. With over 70 percent of the world's poor living in rural areas, support to agriculture and rural development is fundamental to help over 900 million hunger victims, mostly in Sub-Saharan Africa and in South Asia. To which extent is the EU engaged in the achievement of MDG number 1 - reducing by half the number of malnourished people? These topics will be addressed at the EJC-EuropeAid joint seminar on 4-6 May in Brussels. EU journalists can apply here ».

Kamel Shiaa prize

The Kamel Shiaa prize is a new annual competition launched on 21 February 2011 that will grant one Iraqi journalist a three-month fellowship in Brussels. The prize is dedicated to the memory of Iraqi/Belgian writer Kamel Shiaa Abdullah, assassinated in Baghdad in 2008, and commemorates Shiaa’s role in promoting human rights values such as press freedom. Iraqi journalists fulfilling the required criteria are invited to apply online until 30 April 2011 ».

Th!nkers go to Kenya

The 13 winners of TH!NK3 - the third round of the TH!NK ABOUT IT blogging competition – took part in a reporting trip to Kenya from 31 January – 4 February 2011. The programme included a visit to the first Millennium Cities Initiative in Kisumu and the first Millennium Village Project in Sauri. Watch the video clip of the trip and video reports of the visits to Ushahidi/iHub, the Manyatta community and the Kenya National Domestic Biogas Programme. Do you also want to observe development on the ground? Join the latest round of TH!NK ABOUT IT blogging competition: TH!NK5: Water for your chance to a reporting expedition to Portugal between 18-21 April 2011 ».

Call for Magazine writers

The EJC welcomes journalists who want to contribute to EJC.net with reports on the media landscape in their backyard and bring original insights into innovations or challenges related to print, online, television, copyright, video and mobile journalism. Check the EJC Magazine ».

Online Journalism Community

Over 1600 journalists currently use the EJC online Journalism Community to connect and exchange ideas with worldwide colleagues. Specific interest-groups are added on a regular basis, the latest additions being Sports Journalists and Media Jobs. Sign up here ».

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