BAIDOA, Somalia — Thirty-five journalists based in Southwest State (SWS) have undergone training aimed at amplifying use of media platforms to encourage peaceful co-existence and the respect for human rights and dignity.
The three-day training was supported by the African Union Mission In Somalia (AMISOM) and facilitated by the SWS Ministry of Information and Social Awareness.
Speaking at the training, SWS Minister of Information, Ilyas Ali Nur, reiterated the importance of media in peace-building processes, information sharing and public education on the dangers of hate ideology, violent extremism and radicalization.
“This was a very important training for, mainly, radio and TV journalists. Respecting basic Human Rights and reporting on such violations is important. We hope the journalists would benefitted from this training and will, in turn, help create awareness and impact on society,” Minister Nur said.
The Acting AMISOM Coordinating Officer for SWS, Superintendent of Police (SP) Agbodeka Simon, underscored the importance of journalists using their platforms to discourage human rights violations which, in turn, will improve peace and security in communities.
A participant, Kaltuma Mustaf Nur, said the training had been engaging, particularly the various discussions on how to highlight and create awareness on human rights violations.
“We discussed in depth the role of journalists in protecting human rights and how we can use our skills and platforms to sensitize the communities. The discussions on creating awareness and demanding accountability were refreshing. We gained invaluable knowledge, which will be beneficial to society, ” Ms. Kaltuma, who works for a radio station, said.
The training modules included principles of Human Rights, Human Rights violations, the role of media in creating awareness and how to advance peace building and reconciliation processes.
