Internews runs first media workshop in Yemen [Archives:2003/680/Front Page]

Mohammed Al-Qadhi
Sanaa, Oct 26 – Organized by the Internews Arabic Network in cooperation with Yemen News Agency Saba, a 3-day training workshop winded up last Friday. Around 37 participants from Yemen, Oman and Bahrain took part in the event entitled “Journalism Ethics and International Protection Provisions”. The trainers journalist Majdi Helmi, and law experts Mahmoud Kendeel and Mohammed al-Ghamri were all from Egypt. The participants were shown the code of ethics of journalism in some countries and how they can go for international protection in case their rights of free reporting were violated.
Mr. Karim al-Rawi, Internews Director for Middle East and North Africa told the Yemen Times that the idea of running this workshop which is the fifth for Internews in the Arab countries was a result of an invitation of Saba News. He said that the Internews Arabic Network which is a branch of Internews International was set up this year 2003. Internews has offices in 18 countries and is operating in over 40 countries; its branches work independently.
“Our purpose is to empower the independent media in these countries in which we work. We would like to see strong, healthy, responsible media supporting civil society and human rights,” Alrawi said. He pointed out that the most common of their activities was the training of media professionals, journalists, and business managers, etc. “
We also have an important and very strong internet policy section that works with governments so as to help develop internet policy that keeps the internet open for the free flow of information.”
“We strongly believe that economic and social development is tied to the free flow of information,” he said.
Internews also runs other activities like training of lawyers and media advocates so that they can advocate and defend journalists using international provisions and agreements as well as local laws. Mr. Al-Rawi said that they also work as consultants to governments to help them develop media laws that allow responsible but independent media to function freely.
Internews also works with independent radio and television producers to help them find ways of becoming economically viable so that they can run politically independent.
Internews International is an independent NGO, generating funds from different sources which are mainly private. It also receives funds from the European Union and the US government.
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