The Rest and Refuge Scholarship

Our next call for applications for 2023 has just started. Apply now!

The Rest & Refuge Fellowship is a joint program by the taz Panter Foundation and Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which has taken place annually since 2015. The project offers media professionals a six-month time-out in Berlin. 

Application Deadline: 20 December 2022, at 11:59 pm (CET).

Planned Period of Stay in Berlin: 01 May 2023 - 31 October 2023.

Who We Are: RSF is an international human rights organisation that advocates for freedom of the press and information worldwide and helps persecuted journalists. The non-profit taz Panter Foundation, in close cooperation with the tageszeitung (taz), supports critical journalists as well as the social engagement of independent initiatives in Germany and worldwide.

The Program: We invite two journalists from countries with restricted freedom of the press and information to Berlin for a limited period of six months. During their stay, the media professionals take time off, which is used to recover from their difficult working conditions to recover and to expand their personal and professional horizons. At the end of the six months, the fellows return to their home countries with renewed energies and fresh perspectives to continue with their journalisitc work.

If they wish, participants can withdraw completely from public life. However, we will offer different workshops for further training purposes and participation is strongly encouraged. Additionally, the fellowship offers opportunities to exchange experiences with international journalists from all over the world, get to know German editorial offices, take language classes, and undergo therapy, if desired.

What We Will Cover: 

- travel expenses
- furnished accommodation in Berlin
- travel health insurance for the period of six months
- monthly stipend of €1000
- psychotherapy sessions
- language course
- digital safety training workshop
- budget to engage in some course (can be none work-related)