Showing posts with label journalist trips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label journalist trips. Show all posts

Wednesday, 29 November 2017

PIN activities August – November 2017

Bulletin – Somalia 
In September, People in Need published the third issue of the bulletin Rozvojovka. Just recently, Czech journalist Lenka Klicperová visited Somalia and she wrote a main story for Rozvojovka about the current situation in Somalia - a country, which is still largely paralysed by al-Shabaab’s militias and by great poverty. We also interviewed Arthur F. Sniegoň, who moved from Czech city Třinec to Africa so that he could help to save elephants in Chad. Readers could also read about Czech-Ethiopian relations. Already in the 1980s, Czechoslovakia helped to build the electric power station, breweries or water wells. Ethiopian students went to Czechoslovakia to study university of life sciences or archaeology.   
Bulletins are sent to relevant decision makers, i.e. members of Czech national Parliament and Czech representatives in European Parliament, Ministries' officials and key development experts, scholars and NGO representatives. 

Media Supplement "Czech Republic helps" in Deník
On the 26th of September, People in Need published a media supplement "Czech Republic helps" in Deník, the biggest regional and the second most read newspaper in Czech republic. The supplement was published, when People in Need celebrated its 25th anniversary. It was twenty-five years ago, when a group of war journalists and volunteers came together and decided to provide help in crisis situations. This group of enthusiasts grew into an organization that has 1,800 employees working in 32 countries with a budget of 1.7 billion Czech crowns (64 million Euros). In the course of its existence, the organisation has operated in 54 countries and helped more than 18 million people.In development aid provided in 20 countries, the focus today is primarily on transferring know-how and supporting the most vulnerable people, who are learning to face up to adverse natural and social conditions and developing their ability to help themselves. The supplement was dedicated to the  development activities of People in Need from Afghanistan, Angola to Philippines.
Journalists from Aktuálně.cz in Ukraine and Cambodia
In September, journalist Ondřej Soukup from Aktuálně.cz went to Ukraine, where he visited People in Need's development projects. He wrote about the current situation in eastern Ukraine and how people are struggling to live at the front line.

In October, journalist Simona Fendrychová from Aktuálně.cz travelled to Cambodia. In Cambodia, she visited health and livelihoods development projects of People in Need. How we fight dangerous superstitions, which harms mothers and children? Or how are local communities being trained to be better prepared for floods? The readers could find the answers in Simona's articles.

Czech TV in Moldova and Angola
In November, Linda Bartošová from Czech Tv spend a week in Moldova with People in Need. Moldova is known as the poorest country in Europe. The journalist interviewed young people about their prospects and where they see their country in the future

Dana Zlatohlávková, reporter from Czech Tv, went to the last journalist trip organised by People in Need. She visited Angola - country, which went through a historical political change this year. President Dos Santos stepped down after 38 years in power. How is the political transition going on? How is Angola responding to the influx of refugees from neighbouring DR Congo? The Czech viewers could find the answers in her stories. 


Czech Radio in Mongolia, Myanmar and Ethiopia
'Three in the world' is the name of Czech Radio audio-documentary series. Jiří Slavičínský in Mongolia, Brit Jensen in Myanmar and Ivan Studený in Ethiopia spend a week with local families. Each one shot an audio documentary on different topic. In Mongolia, Jiří focused on the preparation for dzud, Brit covered the issue of child abuse in Myanmar and Ivan experienced how is it like to live with a scarce water in Ethiopia. An hour long documentaries will be broadcast in December and in the beginning of 2018 on all Czech Radio's stations.  


Media analysis: Media coverage of developing countries and Czech development cooperation in 2015 and 2016
In November, PIN published a media analysis written by Sandra Štefaniková from Charles University in Prague. The analysis focused on media coverage of developing countries and development cooperation in Czech media between 2015 and 2016 and the comparison with the media analysis of 2013 and 2014 (link here). The results show that Czech media cover the topic mostly in the daily news - so called hard news. The news accounted for 76% of the analysed data. The analysed topic was mostly to be found in the online media, less in the print media and minimally in radio or television. In comparison to the previous years, the increase of online media coverage is significant. 
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Wednesday, 16 August 2017

This year so far from Eurohouse - African Days and study trips

Articles

In the beginning of 2017 the article column in Lithuanian daily “Lietuvos žinios” was continued and articles appeared once a week on both printed and electronic versions of the news outlet.
In spring 2017 the new cooperation with Lithuanian second biggest news portal 15min.lt took place and a separate column The World as You See It was initiated in the portal www.15min.lt.
Articles covered the following topics: experiences of Tajik and Pakistani origin people in their native country and Lithuania, political, ecological and religious situation of Ghana, involvement of Afghani youth in film making, elections in Nigeria, traditional Bathika in Indonesia, volunteering in Kenya and Ghana, women’s rights in Mexico and other.    


Study trips
Uganda
5-16 March journalist Goda Jurevičiūtė from the national daily Lietuvos žinios participated in the study trip to Uganda organised by project leading partner Mondo. The trip was followed by the articles published in the above daily on coping with postwar issues and revitaliation of former soldiers in Uganda as well as chess trainer and his work with young people in Uganda. Other articles will be published in the second half of the year as well as informal public discussion will be organised on the journalist’s experience in Uganda.

Philipines
Lithuanian MP Virginijus Sinkevičius participated in the study trip to Philipines for politicians organised by project partner organisation PIN. In cooperation with Lithuania’s MFA meeting with Honorary Consul of the Republic of Lithuania was organised there. As a follow-up of the visit, Mr Sinkevičius organised a briefing to MFA officials so that ensure sustainability and strengthening diplomatic relations with Phillipines. In autumn a number of publicity measures a planned such as public discussion, appearance in electronic and printed national media.

Training in Helsinki

Young freelance journalist Auksė Podolskytė took part in the  training in Helsinki organized by partner organisation VIKES. During the training Auksė has improved her knowledge and skills on reporting on developing countries and issues related to development. Auksė has joined the project team and volunteers as reporter preparing articles for the special column in the national news portal 15min.lt.

African Days’ Events

Number of events were organised on May 22-28 in cooperation with Lithuania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other partners and were promoted with the help of outdoor posters, participation in the national radio program, social media. House of Europe implemented  the following events: 3 films’ screenings, forum theatre performance about African immigrant life in Lithuania and the discussion afterwards, slam poetry evening which included competition, discussion on Neoliberal Moral Economy and Africa, public lecture by Elva Narcia “Information saves lives – working on humanitarian news in South Sudan”, public lecture by dr. Jorg Wiegratz “Power and morals: capitalism, fraud & social harm”.

Screening of documentaries

Three documentaries of the project partners, namely  Market economy about Ethiopian market and its daily routine and Conciousness In Mobiles about Kenya and usage of innovative technologies in the development produced by Estonian TV ERR as well as documentary about mountain gorrilas Mountain spirits produced by Latvian producer Woodpecker films. The screening took place in the cinema boutique Pasaka.

Lectures and roundtables
Mexican journalist Elva Narcia gave a lecture and facilitated discussion with journalism students at the Vilnius University institute of Journalism on reporting on development and her personal experience in Afghanistan and South Sudan. The lecture followed by an interview and an article in news portal 15min.lt

Public lecture by Jörg Wiegratz

On the occasion of International Africa Days, dr. Jorg Wiegratz gave a lecture „Power and morals: capitalism, economic fraud and social harm in Africa and beyond“.  Jörg Wiegratz is Lecturer in Political Economy of Global Development at the University of Leeds. He researches the political economy and moral economy of neoliberalism in Africa and elsewhere. In the seminar, he argued that capitalism is a moral order and moral economy, i.e. has a moral grammar. Capitalism’s moral order, together with its political-economic order, has over the last centuries produced vast social harms in numerous places, from large-scale colonial slavery, imperial wars, and workplace injuries and deaths, to climate change effects. J.Wiegratz focused on one particularly relevant case: the massive and increasing levels of economic fraud in many countries across the world, including in sub-Saharan Africa.

Forum theatre performance
Forum theatre performance was organized on the issues of Nigerian newcomer life in Lithuania challenging Lithuanian attitudes towards newcomers and developing countries. After the performance roundtable discussion with migration expert, journalist having experience in Nigeria and Ghana as well  as original Nigerian residing in Lithuania took place. During the discussion experts shared their insights into how developing countries and their inhabitants are seen by Lithuanian population, what could be done in order to change negative attitudes and raise awareness.

Discussion “Neoliberal moral economy: origins and operations”

In the discussion dr. Jorg Wiegratz discussed the neoliberal moral economy and its’ impacts around the world with the Vilnius University academics: dr. Vytautas Kuokštis and dr. Rūta Žiliukaitė. The discussion focused around the topic is it neoliberalism to blame for global social and economic injustice, fraud and power asymmetry.
Discussion “Neoliberal moral economy: origins and operations”

Informal discussions about developing countries

Three informal discussion in the public places of Vilnius about developing countries took place. Journalists who visited it and people representing particular countries: India, Palestine and Nepal made the presentations. Radio and daily delfi.lt journalist Karolis Vyšniauskas talked about Palestine trip in which he took part together with journalists from other Baltic states, Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Daily “Verslo zinios” journalist Milda Tarcijonaite told about Nepal and the challenges people face after the earthquake. In the third discussion social media campaign “Ours” participant Kranthi Cumar told about his homeland India, in particular growing IT city Hyderabad and the mix of traditionalism and modernism in the country.


Social media campaign

Social media campaign “Ours” continued to bring the attention to the people from developing countries living in Lithuania and relevant issues in their homeland. Every week the photo story is posted in numeral places on Facebook.  People from Ukraine, Moldova, Pakistan, India and etc. were portrayed. The separate Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Ours.Musiskiai/ was launched and currently it has more than 300 followers.




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Thursday, 3 August 2017

PIN activities May – July 2017

Bulletin – Climate Change

In July, People in Need published the second issue of the regular bulletin Rozvojovka. Main story was the impact of climate change in Philippines and the possible mitigation strategies. We interviewed Monika Nová, co founder of health clinic in Malawi, to find out, why still so many people disbelieve “the modern medicine” and prefer to go to traditional healers. Readers could also read about, how skating in Myanmar has become one of the symbol of democracy, or about modern slavery. David Lachout from African Information Portal wrote an analysis inquiring the issue of corruption in Africa. Bulletins are sent to relevant decision makers, i.e. members of Czech national Parliament and Czech representatives in European Parliament, Ministries' officials and key development experts, scholars and NGO representatives.


Journalists from Aktuálně.cz in Iraq

In April, a journalist Martin Novák and photographer Jakub Plíhal travelled to Iraq to visit People in Need’s projects. They have published several stories, videos and photo reportages about the life in liberated Mosul

Czech Tv in Philippines, Jordan, Iraq

 Barbora Šámalová, Czech Tv correspondent for China visited People in Need’s Country program in Philippines. She produced several stories for the main news about the issues of poverty or urban development. She also made a short documentary “Life in Storm” about the livelihoods’ recovery after typhoon Yolanda and about People in Need’s development projects.


In May, Jakub Szántó, Czech Tv correspondent for Middle East, went to journalist trip in Jordan, where he visited Czech government’s project MEDEVAC and other humanitarian projects that help refugees in the country.


In June, Jakub Szántó went to Mosul in Iraq, where he was shooting in the liberated part of the city. He produced stories about the level of destruction, captured Daesh’s prisoners, the renovation of historical sites or return of refugees to their city, which were broadcasted in the Czech Tv's main news program.

Study trip with politicians to Philippines

From May 28th to June 3rd, in total 5 members of parliament travelled to Philippines with People in Need. The participants were from Czech Republic, Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. The goal of the joint study trip was to introduce these parliamentarians to the mechanisms of development cooperation’s implementation, monitoring, evaluation and how it should be based on country and community needs. We hope the parliamentarians developed an appreciation for the benefits of the development cooperation for their own countries, which are currently allocating their ODA primarily to middle income countries and only Czech Republic and Slovakia are the members of OECD Development Assistance Committee, which constitutes the leading international forum for bilateral providers of development co-operation.
The participants had the opportunity to visit the development projects and to meet national and international development implementers and officials in Metro Manila and in Eastern Samar. In Manila, they met with senators and congressmen and with local NGOs' representatives, they visited vice-president's office. In Eastern Samar, the parliamentarians visited the agricultural projects' of Czech caritas and People in Need. They were also welcomed by local vice-governor. 

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Wednesday, 5 October 2016

VIKES Joint Study Trip to Nepal

In September, we took seven journalists from the Baltic countries, the Czech Republic and Slovakia for a joint trip to Nepal. The trip was part of our EU project and it was carried out in collaboration with the VIKES local partner Centre for investigative Journalism of Nepal. 

 The eye-opening journey took the journalists to the worst affected areas by the 2015 earthquake. The group interviewed local journalists, members of the discriminated Thami community, victims of human trafficking, as well as human rights activists.  Some of the most memorable moments were the interviews with the residents of the women’s shelter and the visits to the camps of the earthquake and landslide survivors. 

 The preparation of the programme started already in April this year, when the reporters met each other in our training event in Helsinki. 

 During the trip, the group worked together and we witnessed how the self-confidence of the future foreign correspondents grew as they gained new experience. The expertise of the Nepali journalist colleagues diversified the reporting. The local journalists also got inspired by the visit and thought that some of the questions raised by their European colleagues are lacking from the Nepali media. 

 We are looking forward to seeing the results of the journey soon in Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Slovakian and Czech media! 

 Please see some pictures from the trip below. You can find more photos here.
Interviewing the earthquake survivors from the Thami minority in the Suspa Panikpokhar camp. Photo: Maiju Mitrunen  
Our group of female reporters were interested in hearing about women's life in Nepal. Photo: Maiju Mitrunen 
Visiting a farm in Makaibari, Dolakha district. Photo: Anurag Acharya, CIJ Nepal 
The group of reporters listens silently as their colleague Rajindra Mandhai (second from the left) tells about the earthquake while standing on the ruins of his own house. Photo: Maiju Mitrunen 
Some of the most memorable interviews were done in a Women's Shelter in Charikot town. In the picture: the founder and Head of the shelter Sirjana Karki. Photo: Maiju Mitrunen

The rebuilding after the 2015 earthquake is in the hands of the locals. Photo: Maiju Mitrunen.

The group with the staff of Himal Khabalpatrika newspaper in Kathmandu. Photo: Maiju Mitrunen.

Local health and social science teacher is interviewed by Santa Logina (Latvia), Katarina Kovacova (Slovakia) and Milda Tarcijonaite (Lithuania). Photo: Maiju Mitrunen
Interviewing students and teachers in a  local school in Jure, Sindhupalchowk district. Photo: Maiju Mitrunen
Anette Parksepp (ERR, Estonia) is interviewing a local woman who has just started building a new house in Sindupalchowk. Anurag Acharya (CIJ Nepal) translates. Photo: Maiju Mitrunen



 Texts and photos: Project Coordinator Maiju Mitrunen, VIKES

Participate in the discussion on Twitter with #M4Dproject 

 Also, read the comments by the participants from the previous posts by the other project partners!


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Monday, 3 October 2016

Eye-Opening Journey to Israel and West Bank by VIKES


VIKES did not rest during the summer either! In July 2016, we took a group of journalists from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Czech Republic and Slovakia for a week-long study trip to Israel and the West Bank.

 The trip deepened the participants knowledge on development issues and gave them practical experience on what it is like to work as a journalist in conflict areas. The five journalists that took part in the study trip were excited but also confused and shocked about the places they visited and the people they met in Israel and the Palestinian territories. 

 The trip was a great success and the participants gave it an overall score of 4.8 / 5. All of them would "extremely" or "very" likely recommend a similar trip to a colleague. Also, according to the feedback, all of them will work on the issues discussed during the trip also in the future. They especially liked the work done by VIKES trip coordinator Anna Palmén in organizing the programme and arranging the interviews and visits. The practical arrangements of the trip by VIKES and the other project partners also received many praises in the online feedback form.

 Please see some pictures from the trip below. You can find more photos here.

 Photos: Anna Palmén (VIKES, Finland) and Piia Puuraid (Ekspress Media, Estonia)

Photo: Piia Puuraid, Ekspress Media (Estonia).
Photo: Piia Puuraid, Ekspress Media (Estonia).

Photo: Piia Puuraid, Ekspress Media (Estonia).
Photo: Piia Puuraid, Ekspress Media (Estonia).
Photo: Piia Puuraid, Ekspress Media (Estonia). 
Photo: Anna Palmén, VIKES. 
The whole group with driver and translator Issa Loussi and trip coordinator Anna Palmén. Photo: Anna Palmén, VIKES.


Texts: Maiju Mitrunen, VIKES
Follow the discussion on Twitter: #M4Dproject

 Also, read the comments by the participants from the previous posts by the other project partners!
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Thursday, 29 September 2016

Reporting World News: Intensive Course on Development for Journalists by VIKES

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!


Photos & texts: Maiju Mitrunen, VIKES

Follow the discussion on Twitter: #M4Dproject
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