EU launches EU4Wartawan Journalistic Writing Competition focusing on the climate crisis and human rights
EU launches EU4Wartawan Journalistic Writing Competition focusing on the climate crisis and human rights
To celebrate International Human Rights Day 2022, the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Indonesia launched its flagship ‘EU4Wartawan’ Competition today. Now in its fourth edition, the annual competition for written journalism is held in collaboration with longstanding partner the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) and Project Multatuli, a non-profit media outlet dedicated to reporting under-reported news and communities. This year, the competition focuses on the impact of the climate crisis – as one of the defining issues of our generation – on fundamental human rights.
Climate change is a great threat to human rights, posing a serious risk to the fundamental rights to life, health, food and an adequate standard of living across the world. The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report confirms that anthropogenic climate change is impacting nature and people more intensely, frequently, and over a wider geographical area than previously thought. This is the case in Indonesia, a country that is highly vulnerable to the impacts of the climate crisis given its location and geography. At the same time, public knowledge on the climate crisis is still limited. Results from a survey by global public opinion company YouGov revealed that while Indonesian citizens believe in the climate crisis, 18% do not believe that human activities have an impact. This is why journalists play a key, but challenging role in conveying the urgency of the climate crisis and ensuring that audiences are engaged with the issue.
“Journalists have the power to shape public discourse, influence change and accelerate the climate action needed to secure a liveable future. There are many angles of the climate story and the challenge for journalists is to tell a narrative that goes beyond the news of extreme weather events. Reporting should also showcase the impacts on individuals and communities and emphasise that addressing the human costs of the climate crisis is a shared responsibility”, said EU Ambassador to Indonesia Vincent Piket.
The EU4Wartawan Competition 2022 is open to journalists working in mass media. The Competition is also open, for the first time, to students who are a part of their university’s press organisation (Pers Mahasiswa).
Interested journalists, both working in mass media and students who are part of their university’s press, will have until 31 January 2023 to submit their entries to http://bit.ly/eu4wartawan-reg. Winners will be announced on the occasion of World Meteorological Day on 23 March 2023, to recognise the increased occurrence of climate-related disasters have impacted individuals and communities across the world. It is hoped that reporting on the climate crisis through a human rights lens can help accelerate action and mitigation.
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About the European Union (EU)
The European Union (EU) is the economic and political union of 27 Member States with a population of 447 million. Together, the EU has built a zone of stability, democracy and sustainable development while maintaining cultural diversity, tolerance and individual freedom. In 2012, the EU was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for advancing the goals of peace, reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe. The EU is the world's largest trading bloc, and the world's largest source and destination of foreign direct investment. Collectively, the EU and its Member States are the largest donors of Official Development Assistance (ODA), providing more than half of ODA globally. The 27 Member States of the EU (in protocol order) are Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland and Sweden.
For more information: http://eeas.europa.eu/indonesia
About the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI)
The Alliance of Independent Journalists is Indonesia’s first independent journalist association. The organisation was founded in 1994 in the wake of the repressive regime. Today, it continues to promote press freedom, professionalism and journalist welfare. AJI regularly works with corporates, NGOs, and multilateral organisations to organise journalistic workshops, competitions and research.
For more information: https://aji.or.id
About Project Multatuli
Project Multatuli is a non-profit media outlet dedicated to reporting underreported news and spotlighting marginalized communities. They produce robust, data-based stories and collaborate with news organisations, research bodies, and civil society groups that strive for democracy, human rights, social justice, environmental sustainability, and equal rights for all.
For more information: https://projectmultatuli.org