NATIONAL RETREAT OPENS IN SIERRA LEONE TOWARDS PROTECTING RIGHTS OF MINORITY.
By Ferdinand Olise
The Media Reform Coordinating Group (MRCG), Sierra Leone, has commenced a three day training as part of a national retreat on reporting on the interconnection between minority rights and conflicts towards building peace.
The event aimed to change the narrative on human rights in West Africa towards what is more ethical and meaningful. Over 130 Journalists from the three countries; Sierra Leone, Ghana and Senegal, are currently participating in an online course. In addition, field trips are organized for selected participants.
Through this programme, MRGI, with its partners Minority Rights Group Africa (MRGA) based in Uganda, MRCG in Sierra Leone, MPEC in Ghana and Fahamu in Senegal,
The National Coordinator of MRCG, Dr Francis Sowa, said the retreat was designed to train participants on mental health and fatigue, to deepen their learning on critical issues relating to exclusion and discrimination against minority and indigenous communities.
He said the retreat was crucial in promoting minority rights issues as it seeks to address the psychological impacts on the participants while dealing with the disturbing issues of minority communities.
The three-day event entails packed sessions of presentation on wide range of topics, including conflict in Sierra Leone and the media, migration and minority issues.
They will also cover the roots and consequences of conflict and community tensions, ethical and privacy standards on engaging minority issues, as well as techniques on dealing with psychological issues associated with reporting on minorities.
