The UNDP's Strengthening Democracy Programme (SDP) is looking for a Chief Editor for Equity Weekly, its current affairs TV programme. As agreed, I am sending you some information about SDP and Equity Weekly.

About SDP

The Strengthening Democracy Programme (SDP) 2011-2015 is geared towards strengthening the formal and informal mechanisms for dialogue, representation and participation in Cambodia with the objective of ensuring that national and sub national institutions are more accountable and responsive to the needs and rights of all people living in Cambodia.

SDP is focused on: 1) increasing interaction and accountability of elected bodies to citizens through strengthened democratic processes and practices at national and sub-national levels; and 2) meaningful citizen engagement through improved access to information and strengthened capacities of civil society, media and political parties.

Thematically, SDP aims to strengthen civil society's empowerment, access to information, democratic development at the national and subnational levels. It also seeks to enhance political participation opportunities for women, youth, and indigenous populations in Cambodia. The programme works with a diverse group democratic stakeholders, including the National Election Committee, Parliament, political parties and civil society organizations.

About Equity Weekly

Equity Weekly is a joint UNDP-National Television Kampuchea (TVK) program that was launched in 2007. The Equity Weekly program provides participatory democracy in the media through the discussion of current and emerging issues and ideas; the program enables citizens to engage with their communities and the government, which is especially important in a society in which the political opposition is not yet developed to the point that it can press the authorities on these issues successfully.
Shows include interviews with ordinary Cambodians tv/index.php/society-and-civism/840-koh-pich-tragedy.ht
ml> as well as experts, public officials, members of
Parliament and the Senate.

Equity Weekly follows the ruling and opposition political parties ・
activities in the National Assembly, to ensure that Cambodians are informed of the way their country is governed by their elected officials.
But the Equity Program goes further; because the level of debate of the nation's key issues has not developed in this nascent democracy, the Equity Program brings the key issues to a national audience. The issues of health care, the economy, natural resource management, education, and poverty reduction, are explored on Equity Weekly to stimulate a national debate much like the debates that are commonly held in houses of Parliament in more developed democracies. The nation's political leaders are regular contributors to this program, making Equity Weekly a state of the nation・
report that hears from both sides of any issue that is important to the development of the nation.

Equity Weekly program serves another purpose as well - to build the professional capacity of Cambodia's broadcast journalists to produce accurate, balanced, and engaging journalism. A small group of UNDP personnel works with a team of 17 TVK reporters, editors, and camera people, to produce the show. Each program presents an on-the-job learning experience for the Cambodian journalists.

About the Chief Editor

SDP is looking to bring an editor under the modality of UN Volunteer . While UN Volunteers do not receive a salary, they receive a monthly Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) which, in the case of Cambodia, amounts to approximately US$1850 for a single person and up to $2220 for married UNVs with two or more dependents. Other entitlements include a Settling-in-Grant calculated on the duration of assignment, which is paid at the beginning of the assignment; travel on appointment and at the end of assignment as applicable; life, health and permanent disability insurance; Annual leave; and a resettlement allowance calculated based on the duration of assignment, which is paid upon satisfactory completion of the assignment.

SDP considers that a one or two year assignment might be interesting to retired editors/journalists in Japan and elsewhere. Having said that, an experienced professional on sabbatical from his employer could also contribute greatly to enhancing the show and the capacities of the Equity Weekly team. While our preference is someone with experience in television, substantive editorial experience in journalism is paramount and thus SDP will give consideration to people with backgrounds in other journalistic media.

If you are interested in this job, please contact Jairo Valverde .

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Jairo Valverde Bermudez
Programme Manager a.i.
Strengthening Democracy Programme