Women winners of awards
Hind Mafadhel together with Hamida El Bour and Karim Belhadj Aissa and Paddy Clouther in ARTICLE 19 (to the left).
The journalists Hind Mafadhel and Sameh Gharsallah received the awards of the ‘Investigative Journalism and Access to Information (ATI) Regional Training’ project in North Africa last week.
A closing ceremony of the project on investigative journalism and access to information was held on December 12 in Tunis. Investigative journalists participating in the training program presented their productions in front of about 30 attendees.
They included the representatives of Tunisian Oversight Commission on Access to Information, (INAI), Institute of Press and Information Sciences (IPSI), Tunisian public administration, Civil Society Organizations and media outlets. Additionally, International NGOs and members of ARTICLE 19’s International Board attended, including the Chair and the Vice-Chair.
The opening session was held by Mr. Rafik Ben Abdallah, member of the Council of the Oversight Commission on Access to Information (INAI), Hamida El Bour, Director of the Institute of Press and Information Sciences (IPSI), and Paddy Coulter, Chair of ARTICLE 19 International Board.
Rafik Ben Abdallah focused on the evolution of investigative journalism across Tunisia adding that the current conditions are more favourable for the development of such journalism especially in countries where the right of access to information is protected like Tunisia and Morocco.
Hamida El Bour welcomed the cooperation with OsloMet and ARTICLE 19 and highlighted the need to pursue such cooperation in the future for the birth a new generation of capable journalists aiming to preserve the democratic process in Tunisia. Adding that such cooperation complements IPSI’s efforts in training its students on investigative journalism.
Paddy Clouther, Chair of ARTICLE 19 International Board, expressed his appreciation of the initiative launched by ARTICLE 19 and OsloMet in the North Africa region, highlighting that the future of journalism in general and freedom of expression in particular in the region consolidates and builds democratic states.
Galina Arapova, Vice Chair of ARTICLE 19 International Board, shared her experience from Russia on investigative journalism.
Karim Belhadj Aissa, MENA (Middle East and North Africa) Transparency Program Coordinator at ARTICLE 19 addressed welcoming words on behalf of all the projects’ partners praising the successful partnership between OsloMet and ARTICLE 19 over the past years.
It is worth noting that the different contestants presented their work before the jury members highlighting crucial subjects they probed and explaining the approach employed to give birth to their journalistic productions.
The last part of the ceremony was dedicated to give the awards to the authors of the best productions selected by the jury.
Hind Mafadhel, the winner of the 1st award, is a freelance journalist from Morocco. She worked on the geopolitical situation of the border area between Spain and Morocco and the lack of commercial customs between Morocco and Ceuta (Spain), as well as the issue of smuggling using individuals mainly women.
Sameh Gharsallah received the 2nd award. She is a journalist in Cellium Radio FM from Tunisia, and worked on the bribery issue and non-fairness of incomes between the field project owners and those who work in the field.
National TV Channel Watanya1 as well as a number radios stations and newspapers covered the event.
Some of the participants at the ceremony in Tunis last week