As part of the 10th edition of Rights Fortnight, ACEP AND AMPROCS held an international conference on March 5, 2024 at the House of Rights entitled, “Between North and South: Stories about Journalism and Human Rights.
On that occasion, the President of AMPROCS admitted the crucial role of journalists in the human rights narrative.
For her part, the president of the Union of Journalists and Media Technicians (SINJOTECS) Indira Correia Baldé expressed her concern at the systematic violations of press freedom and freedom of expression in Guinea-Bissau, encouraging media professionals to strengthen their commitment to ethical principles and the causes of journalism.
Senior journalist Fernando Jorge (left) reports on his experiences. Fátima Tchuma Camará, AMPROCS Vice-President (center); Zenaida Machado, Mozambican journalist and consultant (right)
The conference was treated to an account of the experiences of Fernando Jorge, a senior journalist from Guinea-Bissau,
At the event, Fernando Jorge, speaking about his experience as a journalist, said that journalism is also about thinking about issues that can change the state of things in a society, in other words, it’s about being close to society to find out about its difficulties and tell stories that can bring beneficial results to that community or urban area.
Passing on good practices, Fernando Jorge urged journalists to strengthen their professional skills in order to meet the demands of society.
In short, the doyen of the Guinean media wants young people not to focus entirely on political matters, but also to focus their reporting on social issues that are changing the lives of people in their communities.
Zenaida Machado, Mozambican journalist and consultant (right), reports on the danger of the journalistic profession in Mozambique, specifically in Cabo Delgado. Fátima Tchuma Camará, Vice-President AMPROCS (center); Fernando Jorge (left)
Mozambican journalist and consultant Zenaida Machado, speaking about the danger of the journalistic profession in Mozambique, specifically in Cabo Delgado, says that to be a journalist is to admit to being “an assumed victim”
During the workshop, Zenaida Machado went further, urging that any journalist’s commitment must be to ethics, professional deontology and their society.
For her, the journalist’s task in the field of human rights should be of interest to everyone “so journalists should not remain silent for reasons of fear,” she stressed
Speech by a Cape Verdean participant
In the view of one of the Cape Verdean participants, human rights violations in Guinea-Bissau mean violations everywhere. According to this Cape Verdean speaker, it should not only be journalists who defend the human rights situation, but society in general also has this responsibility.
