Newsletter: Profile of an activist - Stanis, a multi-talented activist

It is possible to be a pastor, journalist and trade union activist at the same time. But it takes some skill. This is the path chosen by Stanis Nkundiye, 55, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This calm “unifier” is a “man of peace”say IFJ colleagues. Stanis is appreciated within the African affiliates of the IFJ and beyond. A newspaper journalist for Le Vrai Modérateur (a Christian fortnightly publication in Kinshasa) in a country where exercising the profession can cost you your life, where access to information is limited and where corruption is blighting the trade, Stanis has set out to “contribute to the emergence of the truth, justice and above all the defence of the weak majority by becoming (…) the voice of the voiceless in a country where only one opinion is heard.” Stanis is the Secretary General of the SNPP (the National Union of Media Professionals), Treasurer of the FAJ (the Federation of African Journalists) and President of the USYPAC (Associations of Media Professionals Trade Unions of Central Africa) whilst also remaining in the background, true to his characteristic reputation for humility. His third commitment is of a religious nature. Stanis is a pastor. This activity is respected among his peers, who don’t hesitate to ask his advice in their daily lives, as well as by the newspaper owners, who appreciate his calm approach, he says. He describes his working method made of compromise and dialogue. His main assets are calmness and respect. Being a journalist in the DRC is not easy. The pressures are such that journalists cannot always undertake their work freely. If Stanis has a dream, it would be to continue to develop the FAJ, so that “African journalists unite around shared ideals.”