During the past couple of years we have witnessed an influx of conflicts, violence and wars, and the foreign news sections of our newspapers have been filled with pictures of refugees. The professional skills of journalists are measured in reporting on these global issues. How to find the real stories and sources? How to separate propaganda from reality? How to get behind the headlines? Especially in a world where the foreign news section of the newspaper is the first to suffer from budget cuts. How do we see the world through today’s media? Is the world really getting better or worse? The three-day intensive course, organized by the Finnish Foundation for Media and Development (VIKES) aimed to answer these questions and increase knowledge about development affairs among media.
The training encouraged the young journalists from Estonia, Latvia, Lithunia, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Finland to think big when it comes to development issues!
VIKES organized the training on development issues and global interdependencies for a selected group of journalists in Helsinki 20 - 22 April 2016. The training was mainly conducted by experienced journalists that shared their own experiences from working as a journalist in conflict areas or developing countries.
The trainers and speakers included experts such as freelance journalist Amie Ferris-Rotman and photojournalist Niklas Meltio. During the three days of training the participants went through different development issues from climate change to sustainable development from media's perspective. The participants also got a chance to get to know colleagues from all around the world.
The journalists taking part in the training will also be given a chance to go on study trips to developing countries organized by the different project partners.
Environmental journalist Kari Rissa telling about the impact of climate change to developing countries.
Pekka Reinikainen (Finnish Red Cross), Aishi Zidan (Amnesty Finland) and photojournalist Niklas Meltio discussing how the Western media covers migration. The discussion was moderated by Anni Valtonen (Maailman Kuvalehti).
The Female-dominated group of future foreign correspondents.
Anni Valtonen (Maailman Kuvalehti) asked Pekka Reinikainen (Red Cross), journalist Amie-Ferris-Rotman and photojournalist Niklas Meltio how they deal with emotional trauma during covering traumatic events.
Amie Ferris-Rotman described her work as the Foreign Correspondent for Reuters in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Amie Ferris-Rotman heading a workshop on planning the programme for trips and convincing the editors.
The devastating effects of the April 2015 earthquake in Nepal by Program Manager Anurag Acharya from the Centre for Investigative Journalism Nepal.
VIKES partners Editor Shiva Gaunle and Program Manager Anurag Acharya from the Centre for Investigative Journalism Nepal describing the difference of local and foreign reporting.
Journalist Amie Ferris-Rotman (freelancer), Program Manager Anurag Acharya (CIJ Nepal), journalist Katri Merikallio (Suomen Kuvalehti) and Coordinator Maiju Mitrunen (VIKES) discussing about the practicalities of world news and journalism.
Lyydia Kilpi from NGO network Kepa told the participants what tax havens have to do with development.
See more pictures here. Also, read the comments by the participants from the previous posts by the other project partners!
From 28th
to the 31st of July Mondo was active at one of the biggest music
festivals in Estonia – Viljandi Folk Festival. Among other activities it
was possible for the festivalgoers to take a Media4Development quiz about
women’s rights and development issues. Every day at noon we drew a random name
from the lot of the quiz takers and that person received a handicraft basket
from Ghana as an award.
Quiz prizes at Viljandi Folk Festival.
OPINION FESTIVAL
August is
the month of the Opinion Festival in Estonia. This year Mondo was represented
with several topics and we shared the Development Cooperation themed stage with
the Estonian Roundtable for Development on Friday. We had the joy of kicking
the day off with a idea/coffee morning “What can I do for a better world?”,
where people had the chance to mingle with people who have changed the world to
the better through their professional life. We had three “thought circles” with
Kalle Aasamäe (designer who worked with local women in Shianda, Kenya), Piet
Boerefijn (head of the Estonian Food Bank) and Kristina Mänd (Mondo’s expert on
sustainable consumption) and everyone in the audience had the chance to switch
their circle after 10 minutes or if they wanted, stay where they started off.
Towards the end of the day another discussion was led by Mondo, this time on
the topic of motherhood across the globe.
Discussion circles at Opinion Festival.
LET'S LOOK EACH OTHER IN THE EYE!
Right after
Opinion Festival, we held a Media4Development guerilla action “Let’s look each other in the eye!” in Kunstihoone
that was inspired by Amnesty International’s “Look Beyond Borders” campaign. We
invited strangers to look each other in the eye for four minutes without saying
anything, to see that we are all equal. The introduction to the action:
What
happens when you sit down opposite a stranger?
You look
into each other's eyes. In silence.
What do you see?
Who do you see?
Everyone
will have a chance to take a seat opposite a person they have never met before
and look into each other's eyes for 4 minutes in silence. Let the volunteers
know if you would like to participate.
Looking
in the eye will give you a chance to think about the person sitting in front of
you without any stereotypes, without preconceptions and without the need to
dominate the conversation. Treating each other as carte blanche will make a
better world possible. Only this way we can see each other as equal partners to
fight inequality and change the world.
A video documenting the action:
UGANDA STUDY TRIP
Last year’s photo competition winner Laura Toomlaid had a chance to choose an award trip to Uganda or Ghana. In the spring we met and discussed and it seemed the best option to travel to Uganda. It also gave Mondo a chance to offer a study trip for two young journalists who took part of the spring 2016 training in Helsinki – Madle Timm and Rait Roop. Madle is a freelance journalist who recently graduated and works part-time for the agricultural newspaper Maaleht. Rait is a freelance who writes mostly about sports. During the summer we met with the three to discuss their interests to see what would be the best itinerary that would suit all of them. We also talked briefly about Uganda – it’s history, geography, people and what to expect.
In the
beginning of August–beginning of September, the Uganda study trip took place.
This was our itinerary:
24.08.
Arrival, night in Entebbe
25.08. Visit
to Nile Basin Initiatives to learn about environmental and social effects of
the pollution in Lake Victoria and hydropower production on the Nile. Lunch and
drive to Kampala. Afternoon visit to Sports Outreach chess program in Katwe
slum, interviews with coach Robert Katende.
Chess coach Robert Katende. Photo: Laura Toomlaid.
Chess class in Katwe slum. Photo: Laura Toomlaid.
26.08.
Visit to Watoto Wasoka football program in Bakuli slum. Meeting and interviews
with the leaders of the program, Francis Mugoya, coach Patrick Sonko, and the
kids. Football match. Evening program at Ndere Centre.
Patrick and Francis explaining Watoto Wasoka's history. Photo: Laura Toomlaid.
Coach Patrick preparing kids for the match. Photo: Laura Toomlaid.
27.08.
Visit to the tailoring shop of Kampala Disabled Initiatives in Namugoona.
Talking with the women about issues of people with disabilities. Visit to the
Uganda National Mosque (Gaddafi Mosque) and Watoto Church; evening poetry show
in the centre.
Kampala view from the National Mosque Minaret. Photo: Laura Toomlaid.
28.08.
Visit to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, learning about the re-introduction of southern
white rhinos in Uganda. Evening arrival to Murchison Falls National Park.
29.08.
Murchison Falls National Park. Conservation and future oil drilling issues.
30.08.
Returning to Kampala.
31.08.
Visiting Owino Market and a walk around downtown; visiting Hindu temples.
