Ten years after the tragic assassination of journalists Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon in Kidal, in northern Mali, RFI continues to commemorate their memory. To mark this anniversary, RFI is launching the tenth edition of the Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon Scholarship, an initiative aimed at promoting professionalism and a passion for reporting among young journalists and technicians on the African continent.
This year, the scholarship is open to candidates from the 25 French-speaking countries of Africa, thus offering a unique opportunity for young professionals to benefit from quality training and give a new impetus to their career in the field of radio. Applications will be accepted until Friday, August 25 midnight.
The Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon Scholarship was created in tribute to these two RFI reporters, kidnapped and murdered on November 2, 2013, while preparing a report on reconciliation and reconstruction in Mali. Each year, this scholarship rewards a young African journalist and technician, selected by a jury made up of representatives of RFI, the Ivorian press, the Sciences Po School of Journalism and INA.
The ten journalist candidates and the ten selected technician candidates will participate in training in Abidjan from October 16 to 29, 2023. This training will be followed by the production of a report for the journalists and a sound element for the technicians. The jury will meet on November 1, 2023 to choose the winners who will receive the scholarship during a ceremony in Abidjan.
By choosing to award the scholarship on November 2, the international day to end impunity for crimes committed against journalists, RFI wishes to recall the importance of press freedom and honor the memory of Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon.
To take part in the scholarship, applicants must complete a participation form, attach their curriculum vitae, a letter of motivation, as well as a report or sound element demonstrating their skills. All materials must be emailed by Friday, August 25 at midnight Paris time.
This tenth edition of the Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon Scholarship is an opportunity for RFI to perpetuate the memory of these two courageous journalists and to support the new generation of media professionals in Africa