Online International Storytelling Workshop 2022 

By: Jon Petter Evensen 

6 students from PhotoCircle in Kathmandu, 6 students from Pathshala in Dhaka and 9 students from OsloMet have started the International Storytelling project 2022: 

An online start-up workshop lead by the Indian photo editor, curator and writer Tanvi Mishra together with the Bangladeshi photographer, tutor and curator Sarker Protick. 

From 15thto 20thFebruary the students worked on the story pitches, research, further development and preparation of the coming project and field work inspired and tutored by Tanvi Mishra and Sarker Protick. 

In the coming weeks the students will work on their individual projects and will meet again for the online editing workshop on the 28thMars. 

One of the regular meetings between Jon, Ashraf, and Sagar. The three are coordinating the workshop on behalf of their respective institutions – OsloMet, Pathshala, and photo.circle.

More information:  

https://www.photocircle.com.np/workshops/international-storytelling-workshop-2022/

https://pathshalainstitute.org

https://www.worldpressphoto.org/person/detail/39137/tanvi-mishra

https://sarkerprotick.com/Bio

Championing Digital Safety

By: Nankwanga Eunice Kasirye         

The Africa chapters of the International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT) are building a continental Action Plan against online harassment of women journalists within and beyond Africa.   

The Action Plan build up kick started with an engagement of over 260 female journalists from at least eleven countries in Africa and beyond came together 20 November 2021 to discuss the true face of online harassment against women journalists.   

Poster – Navigating Digital Safety.

The  development of the Action Plan against Online Harassment is hinged against the findings of the UNESCO report, titled “The Chilling: Global trends in online violence against women journalists . 

Some of the report findings put it that online attacks against women journalists have political motives. Political actors, extremist networks and partisan media as instigators and amplifiers of online violence against women journalists. 

Nankwanga Eunice Kasirye.

The first engagement was held under the theme, African Women Journalists Navigating Digital Safety under the moderation of IAWRT Secretary Nankwanga Eunice Kasirye who challenged the participants to be deliberate and intentional in identifying the different forms of online harassment, be able to isolate such incidences for pro-active solutions to protect the victims as well as putting to book the perpetrators of harassment.  

Violet Gonda.

Violet Gonda, the President of IAWRT, encouraged participants to share and learn from each other the different manifestations of violence and harassment both online and offline expressing optimism of devising defensive mechanisms and protection against all forms of harassment through working together with different partners and associates   

Lydia Gachungi.

Lydia Gachungi, the Regional Expert for Safety of Journalists and Media Development at UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa, explored the findings of the UNESCO’s report challenging IAWRT through her networks to ensure the silent oppressed voices are truly represented beyond the boardrooms and efforts stretch up to rural and upcountry stakeholders. 

Grace Githiaga, an online safety and tools expert from IAWRT Kenya, challenged women journalists to take personal responsibility and take caution while using online spaces.  

Rose Mwalimu, a senior IAWRT member also an expert on media and gender issues. explored the gravity of violence offline that eventually manifests into the digital online spaces.  

IAWRT members from Tanzania, Cameroon and Uganda shared their personal experience in the face of online and offline violence and harassment while in their line of duty. 

The engagement attracted participants from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Mozambique and USA. 

For more information: https://iawrt.org/news/iawrt-africa-chapters-championing-digital-safety 

Voices about the pandemic from Asia and Africa

The journalist Jocylynne Nakibuule was interviewed by her colleague Eunice Kasirye from Uganda for the podcast Insight Talk.  

This is a collaborative podcast made by and about female journalists on the rise of security concerns in times of COVID, sharing insights about the challenges and breakthroughs while covering the pandemic.  

Jocylynne Nakibuule with her child in the studio in Uganda (Photo: Eunice Kasirye)

The podcast was one of four made by members of International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT), coordinated by the Long Documentary and Mentoring Committees and financed by JMIC´s flexible fund. 

Four women from four different countries made their first podcast on a chosen topic, while receiving mentoring from other members.  

The podcasts were made from India, Pakistan and Kenya in addition to Uganda – and can be listened to here:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1888215  

Silence is killing us

In an interview with Violet Gonda Afghan journalist and media leader Najiba Ayubi says the silence of the world is killing the people of Afghanistan, especially women and female journalists.  

Najiba Ayubi is a leading Afghan media personality and one of the Information Heroes by Reporters Without Borders.  

She narrates the evacuation ordeal to Germany and USA with her family after the fall of the country to the Taliban 15 August.  

The interview was done in December after she was settled in USA, but published 3 February in the programme Hot Seat by Violet Gonda.

Gonda is an award winning journalist and President of President: International Association of Women in Radio & Television [IAWRT]

IAWRT has been trying to assist its members to be evacuated from Afghanistan after they received death threats from the Taliban. Najiba Ayubi is the chapter head of IAWRT Afghanistan.