FESOJ has concluded training workshop on reporting marginalized and minority groups in the cities of Baidoa and Dhuusamareeb
Mogadishu, Saturday, April 1, 2023: The Federation of Somali Journalists has concluded a training workshop on reporting marginalized and minority groups, which have been convened simultaneously in Baidoa city, South West State of Somalia and Dhuusamareeb city of Galmudug State.
A total of 80 participants, including journalists, marginalized and minority groups, women and CSO, were in attendance of the 3-day training program, which was implemented in partnership with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) from 28th to 30th March 2023 concurrently in the cities of Baidoa and Dhuusamareeb.
In his opening remarks for the training, Farah Omar Nur, Secretary General of FESOJ, reiterated the role of FESOJ in defending human rights and urged journalists and the participants to implement the outcome of the training when they return to the community.
“The training program is an opportunity for journalists, marginalized and minority people as FESOJ, we are pleased to hold this type of training for the first time in the 6 major regional cities of Somalia.” Farah Omar Nur, Secretary General of FESOJ, explained.
During the three–day training workshop, the participants exchanged views focusing on how the journalists, the marginalized and minority groups could cooperate on how to raise the voice of the people that need their stories to be presented and heard through the media platform.
Furthermore, trainers with expertise in media and human rights and marginalized person have facilitated the training program and have detailed the international conventions and local laws that support the media to present and assist the marginalized and minority groups.
During the training proceeding the ethics of journalism the reporter use was extensively analyzed to make the marginalized and minority groups attending the training understand the media ethics and its operational rule.
The reporters presented their experiences; right or wrong about how to report these issues ethically.
On their side, the marginalized and minority group participating the training pointed out they did not have much understanding before that the journalists have their own rules and ethical operation.
Nurto Mohamed one of the reporters from Baidao city taking part in the workshop indicated she have learned a lot of unknown information from the marginalized and minority people, which she said will be valuable source for her to use when reporting news, interviews and feature programs.
‘I made self-counselling, self-satisfying; I told myself to make a change and stop accepting what the people used to degrade me, and my responsibility to support the people and the journalists to give the community more understanding about the issues the training is focusing on.” Isak Jimale, one of the marginalized groups attending the training in Baidoa city.
Faduma Arimiye one of the training facilitators in Baidoa city, indicated there is a need to start change at the family level and educate children with good manners and love for the people so they grow with goodness and equality among the people.
Suldan Feysal Hussein, one of the leaders of the minority group attending the Baidoa training highlighted its good the journalists to open up panel discussions debating on how to end the degrading and discrimination participated by the traditional elders, religious clerks and youth.
In partnership with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), the Federation of Somali Journalists (FESOJ) intends to undertake similar training programs in the other major regional cities of Somalia.
