Ten years after the tragic assassination of journalists Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon in Kidal, in northern Mali, RFI pays tribute to their memory by launching the tenth edition of the Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon Scholarship. This scholarship aims to support the new generation of African journalists and technicians, by offering them training and an opportunity to develop their skills in the field of radio reporting.
The Fellowship is open to young journalists and technicians under the age of 35, who already have at least two years’ experience in the field of radio, and who reside in one of the 25 French-speaking countries of the African continent. The scholarship winners will have the opportunity to participate in training in Abidjan, where they will be supervised by representatives of RFI, the Ivorian press, the School of Journalism of Sciences Po and INA.
The training will include practical workshops and will lead to the production of a report for the journalists and a sound element for the technicians. A panel of experts in the field will select a winner in each category. The scholarship will be awarded at a ceremony in Abidjan on 2 November, the international day to end impunity for crimes committed against journalists, in memory of Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon.
By choosing to perpetuate the memory of these journalists through this scholarship, RFI demonstrates its commitment to press freedom and the training of new journalistic talents in Africa. This initiative aims to encourage and inspire the new generation of journalists and technicians, who will play a crucial role in the development of media on the continent.
Applications for the Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon Scholarship are open from August 7 to August 25. Candidates must submit an entry form, their curriculum vitae, a cover letter, as well as an example of their journalistic or technical work. The winners will also benefit from a one-month training in Paris.
By launching this tenth edition of the Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon Scholarship, RFI recalls the importance of journalism and freedom of expression in society and pays tribute to these two journalists who lost their lives in the exercise of their profession. . This scholarship will continue their legacy by supporting the new generation of African journalists who, through their passion and professionalism, will continue to inform, enlighten and defend the values of democracy and freedom