Gearing up for Human Rights Day and International Migrants Day in December, BEBESEA launches Story Fellowship. This project invites and supports creative and/or journalistic contributions to our platforms to further develop the space for sharing and highlighting issues around migration and human rights in East and Southeast Asia, and to build a hub for connecting and collaboration among individuals and organizations for advocating for the rights of migrants.

We are inviting migrant and non-migrant writers, researchers, journalists, film makers, photographers, artists, activists, students or any content creators, individually or collectively, to pitch your ideas for original works in any form that can be published online to witness and raise awareness of migration and human rights issues in relation to East and Southeast Asia.

About the Story Fellowship

Selected contributors will receive coaching and editorial support as well as US$500 per contribution to fund their proposed work. 

The work can be in a format of their choice as long as they can be published/showcased in online platforms, for example, but not limited to, a series of blogs; articles; investigative reporting; stories; drawings; cartoons; video-clips; photographs; podcast episodes; educational resources (e.g. infographics). Any other ideas are also welcome. 

The work of the selected contributors will be published on bebesea.org website and its associated social media platforms with credit to the contributor. The work can be published with a pseudonym or anonymously if the contributor chooses to do so.

Suggested topics – these are only suggestions and other topics are also welcome; 

• Migrant workers’ placement and recruitment fees;
• Socal protection for migrants and refugees;
• People with irregular status (undocumented people, asylum seekers, stateless people, internaly displaced persons etc.) 

The schedule for the finalised production will be discussed between the selected contributors and BEBESEA secretariat, but all must be completed by 28 February 2022. 

How to Apply & Selection Process

A pitch can be submitted by an individual or a group through this form, or alternatively by sending the following information to info@bebesea.org with a subject line “Pitch for Story Fellowship _Your Name”.

The proposed work must be original and has not been published elsewhere.

The proposals must be written in English, the final output can be multilingual. 

Information to be included in your email:

• Your Name
• Email address and phone number
• Format of your work (e.g. blog, video, opinion article etc.)
• Your proposed work – Please describe the topic and give a rough outline of what you would like to cover in your work
• Suggested title of the work (optional)
• Tell us about yourself (where you live, where you come from, what you do for your work and anything else you would like us to know in relation to your proposed work) 

Timeline:

The deadline for proposal submission is 20 November 2021.

Shortlisted applicants will be invited for interviews at the end of November 2021.

Selected contributors will be announced and receive the initial coaching sessions in early December 2021.

For details, visit https://bebesea.org/ ; inquiry info@bebesea.org