OS Fellowships: Nurturing civil society leadership and action among young people

Open Space, the unique civil society and youth outreach initiative managed by the Centre for Communication and Development Studies (CCDS), uses several different strategies to involve citizens in debate, discussion and action on social justice and development issues.

Our pilot civil society outreach project has been operational in Pune for over three years. Open Space engages citizens – particularly young citizens -- through film screenings, theatrical performances, literary readings, music concerts, art, storytelling, activity-based workshops where participants can learn new communication skills, discussion and study forums, public lectures, youth festivals and campaigns etc. These strategies have ensured that Open Space has become a vibrant place for youth to volunteer, learn, share ideas, and express themselves. Equally, Open Space has become a public forum for CSOs and  citizens to 1) take their work/ideas/processes to a wide audience of concerned citizens, and 2) build action networks.

CCDS now proposes to extend the Open Space idea and process to three additional cities in India through the Open Space Fellowships. Three full-time fellowships for a period of 18 months each will be awarded to young activists/leaders/social entrepreneurs in three cities besides Pune.

We are looking for individuals who are well-informed on social justice and development issues, with a background in the social sciences/human rights/development/media or allied fields. The Fellows should be dynamic, energetic, resourceful and excellent at communications, moderating discussions, training and capacity-building. A passion for the arts and ideas will be an added advantage.

These three Fellows will use and adapt in their own cities some of the Open Space “software” (such as a traveling film festival on HIV/AIDS, or a package of programming for college festivals, or a package of films and lectures on social communications for media institutions, or activity-based workshops on gender, sexuality, human rights, globalisation, etc). They will also develop their own strategies for outreach and activities/campaigns specific to their own cities. The Fellows should be well-networked with NGOs, CSOs, educational institutions and community groups in their own city.

Over the 18-month period, several regular networks, partnerships, events and forums should have been initiated and publicised, and these activities should continue to operate and be strengthened on a voluntary basis by citizens after the 18-month period.

Open Space Fellows will organise programmes and trainings at multiple venues, in collaboration with educational institutions, communities, campaigns, partner CSOs etc.
 
Open Space fellowships will be awarded to individuals preferably below the age of 40. 

The fellowship carries a monthly honorarium of Rs 20,000, inclusive of communication and conveyance costs incurred by the Fellows.

Applicants are invited to send in their CVs and a detailed statement of interest in these Fellowships, expanding on 1) their suitability for, and interest in, these Fellowships; 2) the social justice/development issues most integral to their cities which they would like to work on in the course of this fellowship; 3) strategies they would employ for outreach, including likely partners and networks in their cities.

Email your applications, before August 25th, 2008, to webmaster@infochangeindia.org and cc them to rakesh@openspaceindia.org

The Centre for Communication and Development Studies (CCDS) is a social change resource centre working at the grassroots level to strengthen civil society and citizens’ action for social justice, human rights, sustainable development and accountable governance.
CCDS’s primary mandate is to empower civil society with information, analysis, diverse perspectives and alternative messages, enabling citizens to: 1) assert, exercise and claim their rights, 2) participate in meaningful discussion and citizens’ action, and 3) advocate change in public policy and social attitudes.

The core competence of CCDS is the use of innovative communication strategies and media advocacy to influence public policies and societal attitudes. Our civil society discussion forums, the Open Space civil society and youth outreach programme, our  online resource base on social justice and development issues www.infochangeindia.org, the quarterly journal InfoChange Agenda, and a number of other action-research works and publications play a crucial role in advocating issues related to sustainable development, governance, human rights and social justice at the national and international levels.

For more information on CCDS and Open Space log on to www.openspaceindia.org, www.ccds.in and www.infochangeindia.org.