Lack of dedicated human rights focusing media and the low skill
Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS)launchedthe second phase ofhuman rights journalismtraining supported by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) in Mogadishu.
The training initiative intends to build a pool of competent journalists to train and prepare as human rights journalists’ trainers who can teach other journalists on the reporting of human rights and to improve public awareness about human rights and to help expose underreported stories professionally and safely.
Thethree-day trainingsessions (between 28 – 30 August) in Mogadishu brought together 20 local journalists from Mogadishu, Kismayo, Gedo and Hargeisa. Thetrainingsessions contextualised various topics including trend of human rights abuses in Somalia, monitoring, documentation and reporting of cases as well as the legal and safety challenges facing local journalists.
Lack of dedicated human rights focusing media and the low skill of local journalists remain as the main challenge against the promotion of the culture of human rights in Somalia. Tapping into the vital role that journalists can play in— not only as advocates but also as trainers through human rights education— can help to protect the effective enjoyment of human rights in Somalia. |
Participants engage in a group work. |
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"This training increased our knowledge and our capacity towards human rights reporting in Somalia. As a woman journalist, it empowered me to address violations and inequalities that exist in our society fairly and effectively through our reporting,” training participant Kiin Hasan Fakat, who is one of only six women journalists working in all female Bilan Media said. "I am now prepared to spread the human rights education to my colleagues and our newsroom.” |
Participant, Kiin Hasan Fakat speaks during the three-day training on human rights journalism in Mogadishu. | PHOTO /SJS. |
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One of the training facilitators and ex-staffer at Human Right Watch,Samatar Abdisaid in an environment that is often volatile and precarious, it is vital to inculcate a rights-respecting culture by training the next generation of activists through human rights education. "Kudos to the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and the Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) for this timely initiative for Somali journalists. There is a need for a more comprehensive training and extending the same to the Somali regional states.” |
Facilitator Samatar Abdi speaks during the three-day training on human rights journalism in Mogadishu. | PHOTO/ SJS. |
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On the conclusion of the training SJS Secretary-General, Abdalle Ahmed Mumin expressed his gratitude to the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) for providing the timely financial support for SJS human rights training project. He pointed out that the general objective is to raise and improve the situation of human rights to create a broader reach of journalists in the local media. |
SJS Secretary-General, Abdalle Ahmed Mumin speaks during the three-day human rights journalism training in Mogadishu. | PHOTO/SJS. |
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