Capacity Building Program for Leadership of Media associations

The U.S. Embassy in Cameroon announces an open competition for U.S. based NGOs, or non-profit organization to submit applications to implement the participation of 4 to 5 Cameroonians in a 10-day-in person capacity building international leadership program. The U.S. Embassy Yaounde Public Diplomacy Section (PDS) is seeking proposals to design and implement a ten-day program for four to five leaders of trade unions of journalists or media associations. The program should combine field trips and meeting with relevant experts from the government, civil society, academia and the media.

Interested U.S. based NGOs or non-profit organizations should submit proposals to pasgrantsyaounde@state.gov by September 8, 2024, at 5 p.m., Yaounde time.

The brutal assassination of journalist Martinez Zogo in January 2023 served as a reminder of the ongoing challenge of press freedom in Cameroon. Many journalists and media outlets are grappling with a broad range of challenges, including a contracting sector, economic challenges, harassment and threats, and inadequate training.

Additionally, trade unions and journalist associations lack resources and ideas to sustain their efforts in defending press freedom of the press in Cameroon. Professional associations are neither very active nor very organized and rarely stand together to defend the profession.

Through this project, 4-5 executive members of trade unions or journalist associations would travel to the United States for a maximum of 10 days in Washington and New York, facilitating a greater immersive understanding how associations and trade unions operate in the United States and how they promote and defend press freedom, freedom of expression and protection of journalists. The selected participants will meet with established associations of journalists, trade unions to gain exposure to their function, membership, and objectives. Other possible meetings would include Freedom House, ICJ, FPC, and a meeting at the State Department.

The expected outcome is that media associations and trade unions return with greater capacity to organize and generate resources, and to defend press freedom in Cameroon.

Please carefully follow all instructions below.

Program Objectives:

· Design a program in the United States for current/rising Cameroonian leaders of media associations or trade union of journalists to engage with American media associations and trade union of journalists.

· Participants acquire knowledge and skills on the operations and functioning of US media associations and trade unions of journalists.

· Acquire skills, tools on lobbying activities, funding, crowd-funding etc.

· Promote networking between Cameroon association of journalists and association of journalists or NGOs promoting free press and press freedom in the United States.

· Initiate possible collaboration, partnership and networking between U.S. media associations/trade unions and Cameroons journalists' associations.

Participants and Audiences:

The participants will consist of four to five Cameroonian leaders of trade unions of journalists and media associations.