Palestinian universities trained on IFJ-UNESCO safety curriculum

IFJ-UNESCO's safety curriculum is now being introduced to universities in Palestine. On 27 January, the IFJ, the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS) and UNESCO concluded a 3-day training for professors from 8 different universities. The training follows a decision from the ministry of high education in Palestine to endorse the Safety Curriculum in October 2016.  The curriculum is the result of a two-year cooperation between the IFJ and UNESCO which involved consultations with universities and journalism schools from across the region. It combines theoretical and practical knowledge and skills in 11 lessons: Introduction to Journalism and Threats to Media Workers, Planning for Personal Safety, Personal Health Care and Trauma in Hostile Environments, Risk Assessment, Travel Security, Gender and Safe Reporting, Covering Demonstrations and Civil Unrest, Human Rights, Humanitarian Law and Fighting Back, Ethics and Safety and Investigative Journalism. Participants in the training included professors from Jerusalem, Arab American, Birzeit, Al Najah, Al Wataniya , Modern University College and Bethlehem universities, in addition to a professor from Palestine Technical College from the Gaza strip. The director of the Media Department at Birzeit University Juman Quenis announced that the establishment will start  teaching the course to students in the coming semester.