Journalists in Afghanistan Complete IFJ Training

 

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate, the Afghan Independent Journalists’ Association (AIJA), concluded a workshop in Kabul on March 29 in which journalists were trained to train others on reporting on elections and political issues.

 

Fifteen experienced journalists from various provinces, including Paktika, Zabul, Faryab and Takhar, participated in the four-day workshop. The first two days included sessions on training techniques followed by two days on the practices and processes of democratic elections and the role of the media in election coverage.

 

The training, which is part of an IFJ-AIJA Media for Democracy project supported by the European Union, also contained sessions on reporting and interpreting elections in Afghanistan's historical context; legal issues; electoral processes; transparency and public service journalism; and analysis of political campaigning styles and electoral systems elsewhere the world.

 

In the context of Afghanistan’s political transition, journalists have faced increasing challenges in accessing information and reporting freely and transparently without fear of retaliation from militant groups and other parties.

 

Over the past 12 months, three journalists have been killed in Afghanistan and numerous others have been harassed and threatened.

 

In the past week, three journalists were arrested by Afghanistan’s National Security Directorate for the alleged crime of criticising a neighbouring state.

 

“Journalists in Afghanistan have an important role to play in the country’s transition to democracy, particularly in providing the public with fair, balanced and transparent reporting during the lead-up to and coverage of national elections,” IFJ Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline Park said.

 

“The IFJ deplores the Afghanistan Government’s failure to bring to book those responsible for the recent murders of journalists and its effort to clamp down on free speech.

 

“We hope that with the kind of training that was recently concluded, Afghanistan’s journalists will be able to strengthen their professional competence and unity, and also mobilise better in defence of their collective rights”.

 

For further information contact IFJ Asia-Pacific on +612 9333 0919

 

The IFJ represents over 600,000 journalists in 122 countries