2024 RAF PROGRAMME
The 2024 Reham al-Farra Memorial Journalism Fellowship takes place from 9 September to 11 October 2024 in a hybrid format. Fellows are reporting in person at UN Headquarters on the opening sessions of the 79th UN General Assembly and other events during the High-Level Week, including the Summit of the Future.
In addition, Fellows are attending virtual briefings and trainings that cover a wide range of the work of the Organization, and interviewing senior UN officials.
INTRODUCTION
The Reham Al-Farra Memorial Journalism Fellowship was mandated in December 1980 by UN General Assembly Resolution 35/201. Formerly known as the DPI Training Programme for Broadcasters and Journalists from Developing Countries, the programme was renamed in 2003 in honor of Reham Al-Farra, a 29-year-old Jordanian public information officer who was killed in the 19 August 2003 bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad.
The Fellowship is a unique opportunity for young (22 to 35), working journalists from developing countries and countries with economies in transition to cover the United Nations. Hosted every autumn at UN Headquarters, the programme brings a select group of journalists to New York to cover the opening of the General Assembly for their news outlets.
During the 3-week programme, Fellows have an opportunity to attend special briefings, interview senior officials and exchange ideas with colleagues from around the world. In previous years, RAF Fellows have met with the UN Secretary-General, Deputy Secretary-General, President of the General Assembly and Permanent Representatives to the United Nations. The programme also arranges visits to various news organizations, such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and ProPublica.
Since its founding in 1981, the fellowship has been awarded to 652 journalists from 168 countries. Upon completion of the programme, fellows are expected to continue working in journalism and promote better understanding of the United Nations in their home countries. The programme does not provide basic skills training, as all fellows are working journalists.