Deadline: 14-Jul-20
Within UNESCO’s program on Media Information Literacy (MIL) and promoting freedom of expression, the UNESCO Beirut Office is announcing a call for proposals for civil society organizations and NGOs on addressing the stigma around Covid-19 in Lebanon, with a focus on young journalists and mobile journalism.
The Covid-19 crisis has generated widespread feelings of negativity and stigmatization in the society and has caused prevalence of fear amongst people from being in contact or in connection with others. This has led to increased rates of prejudice and discrimination, even hostility in some cases, especially in cases where people tend to associate the virus with certain population groups or communities such as refugees or migrant workers. This is being fueled by the spread of rumors and misinformation, especially on social media, about the Coronavirus, its prevalence, and the prejudice and fear created around it. In addition, such stigmatization has negative effects on the mental health and well-being of people, especially those being stigmatized-against.
The mainstream as well as social media are pivotal in providing authentic and truthful information and fighting rumors and fake news around this issue. Media also plays a very important role in raising public awareness about the Covid-19 crisis, and in addressing stigmatization through helping people identify it and respond to it. Journalism in particular, and with the rise of technology, is having a vital role beyond traditionally reporting information and news gathering; it is increasingly becoming an essential platform for awareness-raising, real-time coverage, and digital story-telling through mobile journalism. With the widespread use of social media in society, it has also become essential to engage users, especially youth, in constructing positive discourses and reducing negativity and stigma around Covid-19.
Objectives
- To raise public awareness, especially amongst the youth, on stigma and discrimination due to Covid-19 in the community through a social media campaign
- To build the skills of at least 20 youth on mobile journalism and digital story-telling techniques;
- To produce short videos around stigma and Covid-19 in Lebanon that spread awareness on negative consequences of stigma and prejudice.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for this Call, the following criteria need to be met:
- Registered civil society organization/NGO based in Lebanon;
- Experience in media information literacy and promoting freedom of expression in Lebanon;
- Experience working with young women and men, including refugees, in Lebanon and in conducting capacity-building workshops for youth around various media-related issues;
- Previous experience working with UNESCO or other UN organizations is preferable;
- Capability to provide trainings in English and in Arabic.
For more information, visit https://en.unesco.org/news/call-proposals-stigmatization-around-covid-19-crisis-and-role-media-information-literacy-mil-19