Guwahati journalist awarded first UNHCR-C-NES Media fellowship

New Delhi, February 15 – The First Media Fellowship on Refugee Issues sponsored by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees and Centre for North East Studies and Policy Research (C-NES) has been awarded to Nava Thakuria, a Guwahati-based journalist who has written extensively on issues related to Myanmar, it was announced here today.

The Fellowship theme is “The Chins of Myanmar: Refugee Life in a Distant Neighbour”, with a focus on Protection and Durable Solutions for the Chin ethnic group from Western Myanmar, which lives in challenging conditions in the North-east as well as in New Delhi. The Award runs from 1 March to 31 May 2008 and the awardee is expected to travel for the project as well as write a minimum of three in-depth articles on the topic.

The announcement was made by a Committee comprising Mr. Sanjoy Hazarika, C-NES Managing Trustee, journalist and editor, Ms. Pamela Philipose, Independent Journalist, and Ms. Nayana Bose of the UNHCR.

There are two other fellowships, applications for which are welcome, one on “The need for a refugee specific legislation in India” (to be announced in May 2008) and another on Sri Lankan refugees (to be announced in August 2008).

Sanjoy Hazarika Pamela Philipose Nayana Bose