Asia Regional Harm Reduction & Drug Policy Advocacy Fellowship
2017 – 2018 Programme
CALL FOR FELLOWS
Introduction to the Regional Harm Reduction Advocacy in Asia project:
India HIV/AIDS Alliance is principal recipient of the Global Fund Regional Harm Reduction Advocacy in Asia project (2017-2019) that involves 7 countries in Asia (India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, Nepal and the Philippines). The project aims to maximize impact of investments that help break the cycle of transmission among people who inject drugs in concentrated epidemics by addressing legal, policy and health system barriers that hinder necessary outreach and coverage of core services.
What is the Harm Reduction & Drug Policy Advocacy Fellowship Programme?
The Harm Reduction & Drug Policy Advocacy Fellowship Programme (the Programme), managed by the International Drug Policy Consortium, aims to support the development of policy advocacy champions through mentoring and capacity building in the project countries (India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, Nepal and the Philippines). Three fellows will be selected from the project countries to participate in the Programme each year, selected against criteria demonstrating passion and commitment to policy advocacy, and potential for stimulating policy change.
The Programme this year will run from 1 August 2017 to 31 July 2018. Fellows will each be matched with a mentor possessing a strong record of advocacy in harm reduction and/or drug policy in Asia.
Fellows are expected to stay in their pre-existing roles or employment, and to work towards completion of the workplan on a part-time basis only. They will receive a small stipend and financial support for delivering workplan outputs, eg. publication and meeting costs, as agreed with their mentor. Fellows may also have opportunities to participate in country and/or regional capacity-building activities during the Programme.
What is expected of Fellows?
Fellows will develop and implement their own one-year workplan for harm reduction and drug policy advocacy together with a mentor, which could involve activities such as a policy analysis or research paper on a priority issue, organizing a policy dialogue and preparing a presentation for a policy dialogue.
Throughout the Programme year, and under a Memorandum of Understanding with their mentor, fellows will commit to:
- develop and implement their workplan, in consultation with their mentor
- initiate a monthly call (eg. via skype), for maximum one hour duration, with their
mentor to discuss progress and seek feedback on implementation of their workplan, and - connect and communicate with other fellows and civil society colleagues on a regular basis, including as facilitated by IDPC and through participation in capacity-building activities as opportunities arise, to support regional knowledge and capacity transfer.
What do I get for being a Fellow?
This Programme aims to support fellows who wish to boost their policy advocacy capacity to bring about change in a region with some of the most punitive policies against people who use drugs in the world.
Fellows are expected to stay in their pre-existing roles or employment, and to work towards completion of the workplan on a part-time basis only. They will receive a small stipend amounting to USD3,000 (paid in three instalments of USD1,000) and financial support (up to USD2,000) for delivering workplan outputs, eg. publication and meeting costs.
IDPC will also work to ensure that fellows can meet their mentor in person at least once during the year, and have opportunities to network with other fellows and civil society advocates in the region, eg. through participation in capacity-building activities implemented under the Global Fund Regional Harm Reduction Advocacy in Asia project (2017-2019).
How can I apply to be a fellow?
The Programme is limited to applicants working in one of the project countries: India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, Nepal and the Philippines.
Fellowship applicants should outline their proposed workplan, including objectives, expected outcomes, workplan activities and timeline with milestones, to be implemented throughout the programme year (1 August 2017 to 31 July 2018).
If you wish to apply for a fellowship in this year’s programme, please send a cover letter containing the proposed workplan (maximum 2 pages), and attach your CV, to Ms. Sof Akbar (pakbar@idpc.net) by Monday 26 June 2017.
