Investing in the Future launches a unique program for Arab journalists [Archives:2006/951/Front Page]
THEHAGUE, May 31 ) On Wednesday 7th June 2006 the launching of a new program Investing in the Future will take place at a conference in The Hague , the Netherlands. The program is an initiative of several Arab media NGO's and Free Voice.
Investing in the Future wants to stimulate balanced and professional journalism in the Middle East and North Africa through mid-career trainings of journalists from this region.
The organization is organized by Free Voice in cooperation with the Center for Defending Freedom of Journalists in Jordan. On 6th June, the Arab participants to the conference from Morocco , Egypt , Jordan , Lebanon , Bahrain and Yemen will meet the Dutch Minister of Development Cooperation, Mrs. Van Ardenne.
Activities
Besides professional trainings the Investing in the Future Program shall organize activities to strengthen the legal position of journalists and shall stimulate the free practicing of journalism. Special attention will go to promote the expertise of lawyers, specialized in media cases.
Goal
Investing in the Future aims to develop an “Arab Media Community for Change”. This will give good journalism and freedom of the press in the Middle East and North Africa a boost.
Conference
This unique program will be presented on 7th June at the conference Investing in the Future; Professional Training of Journalists and Protection of Journalists in the Arab World. The conference will be held at the media center of the Dutch parliament Nieuwspoort, Lange Poten 10 in The Hague, the Netherlands between 12.00-15.30.
On the second day of the conference (8th June from 9.30-16.30 ) experts, journalists and representatives of media NGO's and donors from the Middle East, North Africa and Europe will discuss good and bad practices in media training and protection of journalists in the Arab world. The conference will be chaired by Bertus Hendriks (Middle East expert from Radio Netherlands) and Willem Offenberg (journalist).
Special guests
The special guests and key note speakers who will participate in the conference are representatives of Arab organizations, active in the field of human rights, freedom of the press and journalism.
– Mrs. Nadia Al-Saqqaf, Editor-in-Chief of the Yemen Times
from Yemen. She is one of the rare, young female editor-in-chiefs from the Gulf region. She will speak about the role of female journalists in the Arab world and the lack of freedom of the press in Yemen. On 30 May 2006, Yemen Times received the “Free Media Pioneer Award 2006” of the International Press Institute (IPI);
– Mr. Mahmood Abdulhadi , director of the Al Jazeera Media Training & Development Centre (Qatar) about the Al Jazeera Experience;
– Mr. Fadi al-Qadi , representative of Human Rights Watch Middle East (Egypt) about Human Rights, Freedom of the Press and Journalism
– Mr. Nidal Mansour, director of the Center for Defending Freedom of Journalists in Amman and one of the architects of the Investing in the Future Program.
The press is invited to assist at the conference on the 8th June starting at 14.00.
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