CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST: Reporting on Statelessness & Migration in Southern Africa Regional Media Training

Date: 12/09/2022


This training initiative is open to all print, television, online and radio journalists in Southern Africa. Get expert training to help you confidently create quality news stories with themes of statelessness and migration. Let your reporting raise awareness of statelessness issues, and contribute to changing attitudes and accelerated action to prevent statelessness!

Overview

Statelessness refers to an individual who is not considered a national under the laws of any State. In principle, human rights are universal and inherent, but in practice, stateless people are denied several fundamental human rights because they lack a nationality. In many cases, stateless people are unable to obtain identity documents; they may be detained for reasons related to their statelessness; and they are often denied access to education, health care, and employment.

The Southern African Nationality Network (“SANN”), established in 2016, is an ambitious collective of a range of civil society organisations, individuals and networks working towards universal access to the right to a nationality, and the eradication of statelessness in Southern Africa.

This year, SANN has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (“UNHCR”) in a project (1) to strengthen the involvement of regional civil society in the fight against statelessness and (2) to improve communication and awareness-raising on statelessness in the region.

The SANN and UNHCR recognise the media as one of the core pillars of civil society. The media can act as a bridge between civil society, society, and state. It can also play a salutary role in increasing awareness of human rights, exposing human rights violations and calling for accountability. To this end, SANN and UNHCR plan to conduct a regional media training on reporting on statelessness in Southern Africa to mobilize journalists in the fight against statelessness.

Co-ordinators

• Lawyers for Human Rights (South Africa): LHR is an independent human rights organisation that employs a holistic approach to social justice and human rights enforcement in South Africa through strategic litigation, advocacy, law reform, human rights education, and community mobilisation and support. LHR operates a Refugee and Migrant Rights Programme with legal clinics in Gauteng Province, Kwa Zulu Natal Province and Limpopo Province. LHR has also established a specialised Statelessness Project that advocates for the legal identity
of all in South Africa and the eradication of statelessness in South Africa and the region.

• Journalists for Human Rights: JHR is Canada’s leading media development organization. Its goal – to make everyone in the world fully aware of their rights – is as unique as it is powerful. Since 2002, JHR has worked around the world, including sub-Saharan Africa, to train and engage local journalists, media outlets, civil society organizations and other relevant stakeholders to strengthen and improve human rights coverage in local contexts. JHR’s work ensures the media can play its rightful role as a referee between state and civil society.

Dates and Format

17 – 18 October (from 08h30 – 15h00 SAST on each day)
The training will be conducted in English.

The training will be conducted virtually and in-person at a venue to be confirmed in Johannesburg, South Africa. The training will include a combination of seminars, panel discussions, case studies, group activities, presentations by participants, evaluations, testimonials by stateless people, story pitches etc. (emphasis is on dialogue, learning and sharing).

Every participant will be issued a certificate of participation upon completion of the training.

Objectives

The overall objectives of the training are:
i) to improve journalists’ awareness and understanding of statelessness and migration in general and statelessness in the context of Southern Africa
ii) to understand the laws pertaining to statelessness, migration, and asylum protection in Southern Africa
iii) to promote ethical, positive, objective, and accurate reporting on issues of migration and statelessness in Southern Africa
iv) to raise media interest in statelessness issues in the region and to foster new perspectives and ideas in reporting stories on statelessness

Outcomes

After completion of the training, it is expected that (1) trained journalists will be equipped to report on quality news stories with themes of statelessness and migration confidently and expertly on and (2) there is increased reporting and awareness on statelessness issues, contributing to changing attitudes and accelerated action to eradicate statelessness.

Submission of expression of interest

The training is offered to all print, television, online and radio journalists in Southern Africa. In-person attendance will be limited to 30 participants (*to be reserved on a first-come-first-serve basis) and virtual attendance is unlimited.

To apply, kindly complete the online application form available here.

The deadline to apply is 26 September 2022.

Costs and story grants

In-person participants will receive a transport stipend of R500 each per day (i.e. total of R1 000) and light meals will be provided as part of the conference package. Any other incidentals will be for your own account.

Journalists who participate in the training will be eligible to apply for a story grant to support the publication of a story with themes of statelessness and/or migration between November 2022 and December 2022. There are 50 story grants available. Selected journalists will each be assigned a media trainer who will provide mentorship from story production to publication. Applications for story grants will open on 18 October 2022.

Contact

For any enquiries, please contact Ms. Nothando Shongwe at nothando@lhr.org.za.

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