SEAPA Fellowship 2003
Covering the Region in Rising conflicts
May 11-June 23, 2003

Synopsis

A. Background

While the end of Cold War brought peace to Cambodia and turn fragmented Southeast Asia into one organization under one roof, conflicts in various parts of the region ensue.

Within the region, transnational problems have factored in and landed nation states and state and the people into conflicts of interests. These conflicts are far more complex as they require understandings of related laws and polices of parties involved, human rights and investigative reporting skills.

Nevertheless, journalists have failed to understand this regional trend and at times lagged behind. Many of them are used to short-live news scoop, ignoring investigative or in-depth reporting of these conflicts, which need patience and thorough understanding and neutrality.

The 1997 financial crisis showed that journalists were unprepared to act as an early warning system to the public of an impending crisis. They lacked ability and capacity to understand, let alone analyze the statistics and numerous economic data, for ordinary people available. They failed to gauge the magnitude of the crisis.

The crisis has a far-reaching implication to the region as a whole, which led to social, economic and political changes throughout the region. The fall of President Suharto in 1998, the surge in separatism movements, rising drugs and human trafficking all pointed to growing conflicts emanating from the religion, resource disputes and lack of social safety nets.

B. Objective:

The course will expose fellows to various aspects of some key conflicts taking place in the region (security, human rights, diplomacy, negotiators as well as backgrounds). They will have opportunity to discuss with experts and those involved in the negotiation to settle the conflicts. They will hear more from fellow journalists who covered particular conflicts in their respective countries. They will then have more clear ideas and background as well as leads to follow up on their assignment.

C. Goal:

Fellows will gain better knowledge to be able to understand complexities involving those conflicts and better cover them. They will have right contacts and network to follow on issues once they were not familiar with or found it difficult to get right and adequate information.

D. Course Description:

The course will nurture fellows with knowledge of the region and get regional experts to lecture them on various aspects of some key conflicts. It will also include a session on peaceful settlement of conflicts and on sharing experiences with veteran reporters covering armed conflicts or economic disputes.

The course will allow fellows to choose topics of their interest and discussed on how to approach them during the informal discussion among themselves. It will also facilitate fellows with contacts in topics and country they choose to cover.

Program Course: 39 Days

Phase I: Orientation in Bangkok (May 12-16)

Seminar and discussion

Fieldtrip outside Bangkok

Fieldtrip in Bangkok

Arrival: May 11

Departure: May 17

Phase II: Country Visit (May 19-June 14)

Arrival: May 17

Departure: June 15

Phase III: Evaluation (June 16-18)

Departure : June 19

The Number of Fellows: 8 journalists (two each from Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand and one each from Cambodia and Malaysia)

Seminar Venue: Thai Journalists Association (TJA)

Accommodation in Bangkok: tentatively Royal River Hotel (near TJA)

Host Organizations in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand: To be

identified

E. Criteria of admission:

1) Interested in conflicts issues (resource development, finance, land dispute)

2) Print or broadcast media with seven years in experience

3) Affiliated with media organizations or freelance

4) A letter of introduction, explaining their jobs and the reasons they want to join the program

5) Two References letters-one from immediate boss and the other from academic

or experts on conflicted issues

6) Five samples of their works that related to the program’s theme

7) No health problems

Application Announcement: Feb 25, 2003

Closing Date: March 31 2003

Announcement of Winners: April 15, 2002