Fellowships for Activists & Investigative Journalists

Fellowships for Activists & Investigative Journalists

Januar 31, 2020

Applications open on December 10, 2019 – International Human Rights Day – and close on February 10, 2020.

The Bertha Foundation has launched the second Bertha Challenge: an opportunity for activists and investigative journalists to spend a year deep-diving into one pressing social justice challenge. Successful applicants will receive non-residential paid fellowships and project budgets to work independently and together.

The second Bertha Challenge will begin in July 2020 with a focus on our global climate and ecological crises.

Why Activists and Investigative Journalists?

The Bertha Challenge recognizes that investigative journalists and activists have distinct roles. This Challenge will offer the opportunity to engage with the complexity of the ecological and climate crises while strengthening relationships through shared work on the issue. In their fellowship year, Bertha Fellows will be expected to explore new ways of working collaboratively and outside their traditional silos while maintaining their integrity and autonomy.

Investigating and amplifying stories that expose injustice is increasingly achieved by work that cuts across organizations and professions. The scale and complexity of large investigative stories are often too intricate for one investigative journalist or activist, or even one newsroom or social justice movement, to handle alone. The Bertha Challenge will provide space for sixteen mid-career leaders in their fields to develop professionally while creating compelling work on the subject matter. It also aims to fuel debate and solidify networks that will last beyond the one-year project cycle.