2021 UN Human Rights Commission Fellowship Programme for People of African Descent

Application Deadline: 25 July 2021. https://bit.ly/3hN5uMi

The Fellowship programme for people of African descent is a three-week intensive learning opportunity for people of African descent, from the diaspora, who are engaged in promoting the rights of people of African descent.

The Fellowship programme provides the participants with the opportunity to:

Learn about and deepen their understanding of the international human rights law and the UN human rights system, the international framework to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, and intersecting issues with a focus on people of African descent;

Strengthen skills in developing project proposals, delivering presentations and submitting information to human rights mechanisms;

Gain first-hand exposure to human rights mechanisms;
Meet with a wide-range of actors.

Requirements

The candidate must have a minimum of 4 years of work experience related to the rights of People of African Descent.
The programme is bilingual in English and French. The candidate needs to have sufficient command of one of the two languages to be able to participate fully in the programme.
The candidate has to submit a letter from an organization working on issues related to People of African Descent or minority rights certifying their status.
The candidates must be available to attend the full duration of the programme. The selected fellows will be expected to participate in different activities and to strictly follow the programme.

When

In 2021, the Fellowship will be held from 15 November to 3 December in Geneva, Switzerland. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the three-week training will be held online this year.

Ireland Fellows Programme-Africa Scholarship 2022/2023 for young Africans (Fully Funded study in Ireland)

Application Deadline: August 1st 2021 

The Ireland Fellows Programme enables early to mid-career professionals from eligible countries, with leadership potential, to benefit from a prestigious, world-class, quality education contributing to capacity building. It offers selected students the opportunity to undertake a fully funded one-year master’s level programme at a higher education institution (HEI) in Ireland. The award covers programme fees, flights, accommodation and living costs. Eligible master’s level programmes in Ireland commence in August or September each year and, depending on the programme, will run for between 10 and 16 months. The Ireland Fellows Programme promotes gender equality, equal opportunity, and welcomes diversity.

Eligible Countries:

Djibouti, Eswatini, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Malawi, Liberia, Lesotho, Kenya

Benefits

The award covers programme fees, flights, accommodation and living costs. Eligible master’s level programmes in Ireland commence in August or September each year and, depending on the programme, will run for between 10 and 16 months.

Click here to apply: https://bit.ly/2TKbPQQ

The 12th Global Investigative Journalism Conference Fellowship for Journalists.

Application Deadline: August 17th, 2021 https://bit.ly/3wuThBB

The 2021 Global Investigative Journalism Conference is this November 1-5, and for the first time, we’re doing it all online. The conference is the seminal international event in investigative journalism, featuring practical panels and workshops on the latest investigative techniques, data analysis, online research, cross-border collaboration, and more by the best journalists in the field. Since 2001, we’ve trained over 8,000 reporters, sparked headline-making collaborations, and spread investigative reporting worldwide.

Eligibility

+ Open to full-time print, online, television, video, radio and multimedia journalists in developing or transitioning countries. Part-time reporters whose primary career is journalism are also welcome to apply. For a full list of eligible countries, check this link.
+ Experience in investigative or data journalism is a plus.
+ A working knowledge of English, with the ability to understand panel discussions and workshop talks.

Fellows will get free admission for the full duration of GIJC21, plus access to watch the conference videos on demand after the event is over.

Hackers disrupt Iran’s rail service with fake delay messages

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s railroad system came under cyberattack on Friday, a semi-official news agency reported, with hackers posting fake messages about train delays or cancellations on display boards at stations across the country.

The hackers posted messages such as “long delayed because of cyberattack” or “canceled” on the boards. They also urged passengers to call for information, listing the phone number of the office of the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The semiofficial Fars news agency reported that the hack led to “unprecedented chaos” at rail stations.

No group took responsibility. Earlier in the day, Fars said trains across Iran had lost their electronic tracking system. It wasn’t immediately clear if that was also part of the cyberattack.

Fars later removed its report and instead quoted the spokesman of the state railway company, Sadegh Sekri, as saying “the disruption” did not cause any problem for train services.

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Biden fires Trump-appointed head of Social Security agency

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has fired the commissioner of Social Security after the official refused to resign, and Biden accepted the deputy commissioner’s resignation, the White House said.

Biden asked commissioner Andrew Saul to resign, and his employment was terminated Friday after he refused the Democratic president’s request, a White House official said.

Deputy Commissioner David Black agreed to resign, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters.

Both officials had been put in place under President Donald Trump, a Republican.

Biden named Kilolo Kijakazi as acting commissioner while the administration conducts a search for a permanent commissioner and deputy commissioner.

Kijakazi currently is the deputy commissioner for retirement and disability policy at the Social Security Administration.

Saul’s removal followed a Justice Department legal opinion that found he could be removed, despite a statute that says he could only be fired for neglecting his duties or malfeasance.

The opinion — researched at the request of the White House — concluded that a reevaluation because of a recent Supreme Court ruling meant that Saul could be fired by the president at will.

Biden’s move got immediate support from the Democratic senator who would be in charge of confirming a successor to Saul. Republican lawmakers accused Biden of politicizing the agency and pointed to Saul’s confirmation by a bipartisan Senate vote in 2019.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said in a statement that “every president should chose the personnel that will best carry out their vision for the country.

“To fulfill President Biden’s bold vision for improving and expanding Social Security, he needs his people in charge,” Wyden added, pledging to work to confirm a new commissioner “as swiftly as possible.”

Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-N.J., who several months ago began demanding the ouster of Saul and Black, celebrated their Friday firings.

“Social Security is in deep trouble,” Pascrell said.

Sen. Mike Crapo of Idaho, the top Republican on the finance committee, and Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas, the top Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee, issued a joint statement calling Biden’s decision “disappointing.” The pair claimed “Social Security beneficiaries stand the most to lose from President Biden’s partisan decision to remove Commissioner Andrew Saul.”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., called the personnel move an “unprecedented and dangerous politicization of the Social Security Administration.”

The agency, headquartered in Baltimore, pays benefits, funded by a tax on wages paid by employers and employees, to about 64 million people, including retirees, children, widows and widowers, according to its website. The agency has a staff of about 60,000 employees.

Saul was confirmed by a Senate vote of 77-16 in 2019 to a six-year term that would have expired in January 2025, tweeted Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.

The labor union that represents Social Security employees also welcomed the firings.

Ralph de Juliis, spokesperson for the American Federation of Government Employees SSA General Committee and Council 220 President, said employee morale and agency operations had suffered under Saul and Black’s leadership.

“President Biden made the right call to send these Trump appointees packing,” de Juliis said.