[URBANTH-L]ANN: CACIM World Social Forum Fellowships

[Angela Jancius]

11.07.2008
APPLICATIONS INVITED FOR CACIM FORUM FELLOWSHIPS 2008-9
More info @ http://cacim.net/twiki/tiki-index.php?page=Fellowships

CACIM (Critical Action - Centre in Movement), based in New Delhi, India but 
active in local and global networking, and an initiative towards promoting 
criticality in socio-political action and movement by promoting a culture of 
critical engagement and reflection, is again offering four Fellowships on 
the World Social Forum process. CACIM is involved in research on and 
documentation of the Forum and other related processes (such as social 
movements); plays an active role in the organising process of WSF in India 
and globally; publishes books, reports, newsletters, and bibliographies on 
the Forum, both in Hindi and English; and organises local and global debates 
and discussions around the WSF, its programmes and politics, and related 
issues. For details on the Forum and on our work on the Forum, see 
www.openspaceforum.net and www.cacim.net; and for 'official' details on the 
Forum, www.worldsocialforum.org.

This is the second round of the award of these Fellowships. (For details on 
the first round during 2007-8, see 
http://www.cacim.net/twiki/tiki-index.php?page=Fellowships.) As do many 
others, CACIM considers the WSF to be a very significant social and 
political initiative - but where, like all such processes, it also has its 
problems. The Forum Fellowships provide opportunities for young activists, 
students, and researchers to critically look at different aspects of the 
Forum process in India and globally. This would include intensive 
interaction with social and popular movements and with civil organisations 
and networks, in India and South Asia and as far as possible globally - both 
those who are part of the WSF process and also with movements and 
organisations who have either boycotted or stayed away from the WSF and/or 
who take part in similar but alternative processes. We hope that the 
Fellowships will provide the opportunity to the Fellows to develop a 
substantial understanding of the Forum and also engage with and study wider 
socio-political processes in the country and in the world as they are 
emerging; and through this, to contribute to strengthening both the Forum 
and socio-political movement. We invite Fellows to critically examine the 
procedural depth, methodology, potentialities, and limitations of the Forum 
and of the 'new politics' of 'open space' that it professes, and also the 
impacts that the WSF and these politics may be having on socio-political 
movements and processes in the region.

The 2008-9 Forum Fellowships, offered for a period of six months (September 
2008 - February 2009), will provide candidates with Rs 50,000 for the 
preparation of a research paper to be presented at a Workshop on the WSF 
that CACIM will organise in mid 2009. Selected Fellows will be provided with 
literature published on the Forum and with contacts in India and worldwide, 
and will receive introductions to mentors / advisors both within India and 
from around the world for assistance in sharpening their Fellowship work. 
The process will include an orientation workshop and at least one interim 
review meeting that will take place in the course of their Fellowships, as 
well as a final public Workshop where the Fellows will present their 
research findings.  CACIM also undertakes to publish and publicise the 
research papers.

This round of Fellowships will start from September 1 2008 and continue till 
February 28 2009. Fellows will be expected to budget the Fellowship award to 
cover their stipend as well as all research and other related expenses for 
their Fellowship work. They will be expected to attend all the review 
meetings and the final Workshop, and also the final Workshop of the current 
2007-8 process, which will take place in New Delhi during August 29-30 2008. 
CACIM will take care of travel and staying expenses for attending all the 
meetings. At the end of the Fellowship period, Fellows will be expected to 
submit a well researched and referenced paper of publishable quality on 
their theme of study, along with all supporting material. They will also be 
expected to submit copies (or originals, if they prefer) to CACIM of any 
research material generated in course of their study (such as documents, 
newsclippings, interview tapes, articles, etc), for its archives on the WSF 
and on social movements, which are publicly available. While we do not 
expect Fellows to devote full time to their Fellowship work, given the 
quality of work that is expected Fellows must expect to make a serious and 
definite time commitment to their award work.

For this round of Fellowships, we are again accepting applications only from 
people living within India, though both from Indian and other nationalities. 
Candidates may be from any discipline and background. No formal academic 
qualification is required for application. Applications can be in English or 
Hindi. Due to our own limitations at the moment, we are not able to 
entertain applications in other languages but welcome ideas for including 
them in this endeavour.

The following are some suggested themes for study, but the awards will not 
limited to these areas only :

·    The roles, potentials, and limitations of the WSF process in relation 
to the particular experiences, visions, aspirations, and expectations of 
various sections of Indian society such as Dalits, Adivasis, women, the 
physically challenged, sexual minorities, and others, as well as their 
questions and dilemmas in this regard through any engagement they may have 
had with the Forum process so far

·    Has the WSF managed to promote inter-movement networking and dialogue ?

·    What is the social and political significance and relevance of the WSF 
process in India, in the context of wider emerging social, political, and 
economic conditions, and related issues - in the country and globally ?

·    The organising principles, political economy, and/or information 
architecture of the Forum, in India and worldwide.
Please send your application by email to cacim [at] cacim.net or by post by 
August 17 2008 along with :

·    A short research proposal indicating the scope, nature, and approach of 
your proposed research (covering objectives, method, and literature and 
other references; plus a first list of contacts in your subject and/or field 
areas)

·    One writing sample (published or unpublished), and -

·    Your detailed CV (two relevant references preferable).

The Fellowships will be announced on August 20-21 2008.
CACIM is committed to promoting diversity in all its work, and women and 
other persons are encouraged to apply.  We especially encourage those who 
have been active within the Forum process to apply.
CACIM, A-3 Defence Colony, New Delhi 110 024, India.  Ph : +91-11-4155 1521
cacim [at] cacim.net, www.cacim.net / www.openspaceforum.net


______________________________
Jai Sen
jai.sen at cacim.net
CACIM, A-3 Defence Colony, New Delhi 110 024, India
www.cacim.net
Ph : +91-11-4155 1521, 4155 0963 - PLEASE NOTE NEW SECOND NUMBER !

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