[vc_row][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”107432″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

• Awards Fellowship honours journalists, campaigners, digital activists and artists fighting censorship globally
• Fellows receive a year-long package of assistance
• Nominate at indexoncensorship.org/nominations
• Public nominations are open from 1 July to 31 July 2019
• #IndexAwards2020

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]This press release is also available in Arabic, Chinese, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Nominations for the Index on Censorship Freedom of Expression Awards Fellowship are open. Now in their 20th year, the Awards honour some of the world’s most remarkable free expression heroes.

2020 will mark 20 years of the Freedom of Expression Awards, with 87 winners awarded over the years. Since 2015, Index has expanded the Awards programme to include the Awards Fellowship, supporting and championing 22 fellows in their work defending freedom of expression internationally.

The Awards Fellowship seeks to support activists at all levels and spans the world. Past winners include Honduran investigative journalist Wendy Funes, Syrian cartoonist Ali Farzat, Pakistani education campaigner Malala Yousafzai, Saudi investigative journalist Safa Al Ahmad and South African LGBTI photographer Zanele Muholi.

Index invites the general public, civil society organisations, non-profit groups and media organisations to nominate anyone (individuals or organisations) who they believe should be  celebrated and supported in their work tackling censorship worldwide.

We are offering four fellowships, one in each of the following categories:

• Arts for artists and arts producers whose work challenges repression, injustice and celebrates artistic free expression. This could include visual artists, musicians, cartoonists, creative writers, whether solo or collectives.
• Campaigning for activists and campaigners who have had a marked impact in fighting censorship and promoting free expression on the ground. This could include individuals or organisations.
• Digital Activism for ground-breaking technology that circumvents censorship enabling the free and independent exchange of information. This could include new apps, digital tools or software.
• Journalism for courageous and determined journalism that exposes censorship, threats to free expression and demands access to information. This could include bloggers, news outlets and investigative nonprofits.

All winners become Awards Fellows who receive 12 months of mentorship, networking and strategic support. The year commences with a week-long, all-expenses-paid residential in London (April 2020) with workshops, training and public events. Over the course of the year, Index works with the fellows to significantly enhance the impact, profile and sustainability of their work.

Jodie Ginsberg, CEO of Index, said: “The Freedom of Expression Awards have showcased some of the world’s most fearless and unsung defenders of free expression for 20 years. We’ve sought to recognise the work of groups and individuals who have enhanced freedom of expression, often in the face of immense obstacles and great danger. In recent years, we’ve expanded the Awards programme to include fellowships that help winners amplify their efforts through targeted support and training. Use your voice by nominating a free expression champion to make sure their voice is heard.”

The 2020 Awards shortlist will be announced in early 2020. The fellows will be selected by a high profile panel of judges and announced in London at a ceremony in April 2020. Nominations will be open from 1 July 2019 to 5pm BST 31 July 2019.

The Freedom of Expression Awards were launched in 2001 to raise the profile of individuals and organisations that were defending freedom of expression globally.

For more information on the Awards and Fellowship, please contact Sean Gallagher, [email protected].

About the Freedom of Expression Awards Fellowship

2020 will mark 20 years of the Freedom of Expression Awards, with 87 winners honoured over the years. Since 2015, Index has expanded the Awards programme to include the Awards Fellowship, supporting and championing 22 fellows in their work defending freedom of expression internationally. Winners of the 2020 Awards Fellowship will receive 12 months of mentorship, networking and strategic support. More information

About Index on Censorship

Index on Censorship is a London-based non-profit organisation that publishes work by censored writers and artists and campaigns against censorship worldwide. Since its founding in 1972, Index on Censorship has published some of the greatest names in literature in its award-winning quarterly magazine, including Samuel Beckett, Nadine Gordimer, Mario Vargas Llosa, Arthur Miller and Kurt Vonnegut. It also has published some of the world’s best campaigning writers from Vaclav Havel to Elif Shafak.[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]This press release is also available in Arabic, Chinese, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_basic_grid post_type=”post” max_items=”4″ element_width=”6″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1561623587103-71ce28d9-6c09-8″ taxonomies=”5692″][/vc_column][/vc_row]