ABOUT THE 2009 CNA-CIDA INTERNATIONAL REPORTING FELLOWSHIPS
The objective of the Fellowships is to provide young journalists (under 30) with practical experience and training needed to report fairly and competently on issues affecting the developing world and then to return home to report what they learned through media outlets where they work.
A committee comprised of senior journalists and international development experts selected four Fellowship recipients based on applicants’ proposals to the Canadian Newspaper Association and Canadian International Development Agency.
This year's four CNA-CIDA Fellowship winners traveled to Ecuador and Honduras to pursue stories of their choice in the following categories: basic human needs, gender equality and integration of women in development, human rights, democracy, good governance, environment, infrastructure services and private sector development.
The successful proposals were chosen because they contained strong Canadian angles, defined as in-depth examination of the impact of Canadian-funded humanitarian, environmental and development efforts in less developed countries of Latin America.
This year's winners were:
Brett Popplewell, Toronto Star
Brett traveled to the northern regions of Ecuador to report on Canadian aid directed towards poverty reduction goals.
Catherine Girouard, Journal Métro
Catherine is reporting on the impact of Canadian aid for teacher training to fight illiteracy in Honduras.
Kate Webb, Vancouver Province
Kate traveled to Ecuador to report on Sustainable Tourism and Canadian NGO efforts.
Brendan Kennedy, Ottawa Citizen
Brendan is reporting on Honduras’s goal to reach universal primary education by 2015, and specifically Canada’s role in those programs.
Fellows are being mentored by Professor Don Gibb, recently retired from Ryerson University J-School and by David Gollob, CNA Sr. VP, a former Latin America correspondent for The Times, CBC, Maclean’s, The Toronto Star, BBC and National Public Radio.