Call for fellows: Asia regional harm reduction & drug policy advocacy fellowship 2019 programme

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 January 2019 to 30 September 2019. 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 modest amount of 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 and advocacy activities during the Programme.

What is expected of Fellows?

Fellows will develop and implement their own 9-month 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:

1. develop and implement their workplan, in consultation with their mentor
2. 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
3. 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 modest amount of financial support (USD5,000) 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 and advocacy 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. As Fellows in the 2018 Programme came from India, the Philippines and Indonesia, fellowship applicants from Nepal, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam will be prioritized in the 2019 Programme.

If you wish to apply for a fellowship in this year’s programme, please send the following to Ms. Areeluck Phankhian (aphankhian@idpc.net) by Monday 10 December 2018:

1. Statement of purpose for applying for this Fellowship
2. Your curriculum vitae
3. Outline of your proposed workplan, including objectives, rationale, expected outcomes, workplan activities and timeline with milestones, to be implemented throughout the duration of the Programme from 1 January 2019 to 30 September 2019.