Application Deadline: Friday, 19 January 2024

Course Dates: Friday, 3 May to Wednesday, 8 May 2024

Taboom Media, a global media development and monitoring group, invites activists and human rights defenders to apply for this free, all-expenses-paid Media Advocacy for LGBTQI+ Equality workshop in Cape Town, South Africa. This course aims to help civil society organisations from across Africa create and deliver media advocacy strategies, campaigns, and stories that advance LGBTQI+ equality. 

Eligible participants must live in Africa, be affiliated with a civil society organisation that serves sexual/gender minorities, and have working proficiency in English.

Regional expert trainers and guest speakers will lead practical daily sessions about numerous media advocacy and storytelling techniques. The program includes training sessions on media campaign design, audience identification, messaging, framing, safety, social media, press interviews, press releases and op-eds, community events, crisis communications, communicating with religious groups, evaluation, and more. This workshop is designed to be interactive and participant-driven. Each selected fellow will share at least one media advocacy skill/platform/strategy/approach with the group during a 10-minute Spotlight Session. Participants will also write stories of change, craft media campaigns, and provide group feedback during the week in a supportive and safe environment.

This is a time-intensive workshop. Participants are required to attend all sessions and complete nightly homework during the four days of training. During and after the workshop, participants will 1) write one advocacy story (with mentor-editor support) to be included in our Queer Activism in Africa book series and 2) produce one media campaign benefiting their advocacy group. Taboom will pay stipends for successfully completed stories and campaigns.

To apply to this workshop, please read more details and requirements here (you must be logged into your Google account to access the form), complete the application questions, and upload your CV. The application deadline is 19 January 2024. Only successful candidates will be notified. They will be notified by 26 January 2024.

Application form link: https://forms.gle/WF52rJ9BH6cg3udf9.

*Kindy note, this workshop is for activists and human rights defenders (not journalists, for whom we will host a separate workshop later this year). Past participants of our region-wide workshops (online or offline) are NOT eligible to apply. Past participants of our country-specific workshops ARE eligible to apply. Thank you!*

Taboom Media’s training, mentoring, publishing, monitoring and response programs catalyze ethical journalism and public discourse around taboo human rights topics. By shining light on taboos, we aim to break their power. Our global work challenges stigmas, replacing stereotypes and discrimination with accuracy and respect. We facilitate responsible media coverage to safeguard and champion vulnerable communities and to advance human rights. Our expert trainers have decades of experience navigating these issues in newsrooms and civil society organizations around the world. 

This course is made possible with support from the Arcus Foundation, the National Endowment for Democracy, and other partners.