Story Scholars – South Asia – 1947 partition archive

Story Scholars – South Asia

Application: Story Scholars south Asia Program

2024 MARKS THE 77th ANNIVERSARY OF PARTITION! There is a great urgency to record stories now. Join us through this special program for the final years of story-collection. Below, please find the application, instructions, and program description for our story collection program, the Story Scholars Program, which is a full or part-time commitment. 

You must be a citizen historian to apply. It's easy to do...

To apply, you must first become a Citizen Historian. To do so, you must have attended an Oral History Workshop and have conducted and submitted an interview with a Partition witness in your community. It can take a few weeks to a month to successfully complete the process to become a Citizen Historian. We suggest you begin immediately! Become a Citizen Historian now: Record Stories

Application cycle deadline: Now open

March 15, 2023, at 11:59 pm ist

The 1947 Partition Archive is now accepting applications for our Story Scholars Program in South Asia. You may apply to one of our funded districts listed below or define your own region within South Asia where you think stories should be collected. In the questions below, you will be asked to justify your choice with evidence. The funded regions currently include:

Regions and Communities

Bangladesh - all localities
International Diaspora - Remote interviews
North-Eastern India - all localities
Sindhi Community Focus - International Diaspora and in India

Cities and states

Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Assam, India
Baluchistan, Pakistan
Bihar, India
Goa, India
Haryana, India
Himachal Pradesh, India
Jammu and Kashmir
Jodhpur and/or Jaipur, Rajasthan
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Madhya Pradesh, India
Maharashtra, India
Punjab, India
Punjab, Pakistan
Sindh, Pakistan
Uttar Pradesh, India
West Bengal, India
Other... NOMINATE A CITY
Tier 1 Cities: Lahore, Karachi, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore

Deadlines and dates

Last date for applications: March 15, 2024, at 11:59 pm IST - Applications are open!

Fellowship begin date: May 15, 2024

Testimonials

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Three month full-time commitment or six month part-time commitment

Commitment: The Story Scholars Program can be treated as a full-time commitment over 3 months or as a part-time commitment over 6 months. The 6 Month Track commitment track is for individuals who have other commitments such as students or professionals who are unable to place their career on hold for a full-time commitment. The 3 Month Track requires a full-time commitment for the 3 months and is an ideal choice for summer holidays for college students.

About the Story Scholars Program: The 1947 Partition Archive provides a platform to record, preserve and share narratives of Partition created for and by people across the globe. We want to educate the world on Partition, especially through first-hand accounts and lived experiences. The Story Scholars Program is one of our initiatives for the collection of oral histories from Partition witnesses. The 1947 Partition Archive works to ignite research and discovery based on lived Partition experiences.

The Story Scholars Program entails a 3-6 month period of focused story collection in the Scholars’ selected geographical region. The Archive will provide training to the scholar. Equipment for borrowing from The Archive may be available to the Scholar. Scholars will reach out to individuals in their community who have witnessed Partition first hand (migrants and non-migrants), record their oral histories, and share them through The Archive’s web portal and media collaborations. Scholars will also be required to engage the public in developing storytelling skills through a publicly held Oral History Workshop. Scholars will remain in contact with the Program Coordinator on a bi-weekly basis. Scholars may collaborate with The Archive in publishing research based on stories in academic journals. The Archive may pair scholars with an academic mentor. Scholars will have opportunities to present their work in public and academic spaces, as well as community building and networking opportunities. Scholars will receive a modest stipend and a certificate upon successful completion of the program. Upon successful program completion, Scholars will be recognized as alumni into perpetuity and have access to further opportunities through The Archive, including the opportunity to apply for select staff positions, to represent the Archive publicly, and much more.

Program Details

Duration

Mandatory Two Day Orientation: Dates announced soon, held in April or May 2024 (Those who cannot attend will not qualify for the program. This orientation is an absolute requirement)

Story Scholars Program Length (Choose the 6-month track or 3-month track):

6-Month Track: 3-month probationary period followed by three months of apprenticeship work.
3-Month Track: 1-month probationary period followed by two months of apprenticeship work.

Job description

Engage with and conduct oral history interviews with Partition witnesses
Travel to intriguing locations, both urban and rural; meet intriguing people
Maintain communications with interviewAees; manage scheduling, answer questions, etc.
Manage post-interview paperwork, oral history data, and online material submission
Publish results and generate reports
Engage in public outreach
Conduct one oral history workshop for the public
Engage in discussions with the global Story Scholars community
Engage in regular communication with The 1947 Partition Archive global team

Job requirment

Strong oral and written communication skills
Ability to interview subjects of diverse backgrounds
Proficiency with internet usage and access to reliable internet
Documentation skills including basic video skills
Experience managing databases (such as Excel)
Language skills appropriate to geography
Ability to work and travel independently
A passion for preserving stories from your region
Deep dedication and a strong focus on the job
Public speaking abilities

Story Scholars – 6 Month Track: 60 Total Stories – Record 8 interviews/month for the first 3 months and 12 interviews/month for the next three months.
Story Scholars – 3 Month Track: 60 Total Stories – Record 16 interviews/month for the first month and 22 interviews/month for the next two months.

Program expectation

Story Scholars are highly motivated and enthusiastic individuals with a deep interest and passion for modern South Asian history and storytelling. Story Scholars are individuals who wish to participate in and devote themselves to expanding and broadening the understanding of modern South Asian history. The Story Scholarship program is ideal for individuals who have a passion for traveling, meeting new people, and gaining a better understanding of the world and culture around them.  Scholars are expected to develop ownership of their project, be flexible with their working hours, ready to work hard and devote their time to realizing the archive’s mission. The 1947 Partition Archive encourages its scholars to participate in public outreach programs and activities where they can further our mission to collect, document, and preserve narratives. The 1947 Partition Archive Story Scholar will represent the organization at public lectures, schools, and similar platforms in educating the public on Partition and collecting narratives. Scholars must have a strong passion for and dedication to our mission and goals.   What Scholars can expect? Scholars will receive relevant training and fieldwork experience. All Scholars will be working under the guidance of a local mentor (distinguished scholar/ academic) and will work directly with the program coordinator. Story Scholars’ work will be published and widely distributed through The Archive website and via other media collaborations.

Candidates must be:

Currently enrolled college students or college graduates of any discipline.
Masters students are preferred, but Bachelors’s students will be considered.
Confirmed Citizen Historians (you must submit a completed interview to be considered): https://www.1947PartitionArchive.org/Collect_Stories

Selection Procedure:

Selection of the candidates will be a three-tiered process.

Review of your submitted work as a Citizen Historian
Your online application and references
A series of up to three interviews with Archive staff, Archive advisers, and current or past Story Scholars

Compensation (revised for 2024)

Note that INR and PKR distinguish the payable stipend amounts in Rupees for India and Pakistan respectively.

Story Scholars Program – 6-Month Track:

Story Scholars Program – 3-Month Track:

Rs. 10,000 INR / Rs. 23,000 PKR / 14,000 Taka – First three-month probationary period
Rs. 15,000 INR / Rs. 40,000 PKR / 22,500 Taka – Month 4 to Month 6

Rs. 16,250 INR / Rs. 42,000 PKR / 24,000 Taka – First month
Rs. 27,500 INR / Rs. 72,000 PKR / 40,500 Taka – Month 2 and 3

Tier 1 City: Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad

Tier 1 cities account for the increased cost of living in the 8 major cities identified. Note that INR and PKR distinguish the payable stipend amounts in Rupees for India and Pakistan respectively.

Story Scholars Program – 6-Month Track:

Rs. 12,000 INR / Rs. 30,000 PKR – First three-month probationary period
Rs. 20,000 INR / Rs. 44,000 PKR – Month 4 to Month 6

Story Scholars Program – 6-Month Track:

Rs. 20,000 INR / Rs. 52,000 PKR – First month
Rs. 35,000 INR / Rs. 86,000 PKR – Month 2 and Month 3