Somali Women Journalists (SWJ) Training Report: Journalists safety, psychosocial tools, first aid, and conflict sensitive reporting Training Financed By: U.S. Embassy in Somalia

Introduction

Somali Women Journalist (SWJ) has conducted training for 15 female journalists from different media houses in Mogadishu. The training lasted for 3 consecutive days (16- 18 February 2020) in which trainees had a chance to share knowledge, experience, case studies and exchange views including their safety while they are on the line of duty.

The training Contents were well designed that the training will help trainees to enhance their Media profession, increase their capacity, skills and production, serving the communities and make them more professional. Somali Media practitioners rarely get such advanced media training of diversity, Radios and TVs Mostly (Journalists Safety, Psychosocial Tools, First Aid, and Conflict Sensitive reporting) in Mogadishu. Such training for young female journalists will strengthen their capacity as journalists and Makes their stations better reporting for the public.

Journalists, who work in fragile countries like Somalia, need specialized tailored training related to their country situation. They are torn between government, opposition, regional States and insurgency, where the truth is the victim so that media outlets and journalists need further specialized training. Like this training they have had, will promote journalists knowledge, Profession, their skills, Democracy, Public engagement as well as public’s right to know.

The contents of this training will help trainees change the traditional way they used to report, give fresh impetus and impart a well-thought message to their audience. The better tailoring training is provided, the more they will better inform the public. This training will be their stepping-stone to having more advanced media in diversity training, including the regional States of Somalia.

This training is a rare opportunity for the Somali female Journalists but also a drop in the ocean because of the trainees’ number attended the workshop.

Training methodology used:

This training was interactive, experience sharing, brainstorming, case studies, group work and Socratic Method that training was trainees centred. Trainees participated fully in all days of training. They showed willingness, enthusiasm and actively involved in the training. Materials and equipment used were flip charts, whiteboard, Markers, Whiteboard Markers, Projector and Slides show. First Aid Practical Videos clips, First Aid Kits, First AID Photos and demonstrations conducted by trainees were used.

Training

Day 1: 16 February 2020

The training started as scheduled at 8:30 AM; it was opened by the SWJ Deputy chair, Nasrina Mohamed Ibrahim, who encouraged the trainees to fully participate in the training, and attend it on time. She also told the participants the importance of the training and how it will help their safety as well as their stations’ safety. She also advised the trainees to convey and share the training Materials they acquired to their friends in their stations, who did not have this opportunity of attending the training. The trainer has made training needs assessment (TNA) to know the level of the participants, who have taken Journalists Safety, Psychosocial Tools, First Aid, and Conflict Sensitive reporting Training before and who has not. A few of the trainees have had such training before.

Article 19 of the universal declaration of human rights and its Composite was new to all trainees attended the session. The trainer has introduced the topic to the trainees by asking the concept they have concerning their daily life. The trainer has divided the participants into three groups to discuss the questions given to each present their deliberations. In this theme, it was covered what Human personal rights is all about, limitation of rights, freedom of thought, freedom of expression, press freedom and the role of both media outlet and journalists that they can express their ideas freely without impairing no one.

Other Topics Covered of the day were:

• The Right to Democracy, Freedom of Association.

• Worker’s Rights and Social Security.

• Right to Gather Information, the Right to Public Assembly.

In Day1 also was taken Journalists safety standards, after the introduction of the new topic which was journalists’ safety standards in general and Somali Journalists particular. The trainer has introduced the topic by asking what related training they had before, but most of them did not have safety training. Then the trainees have been divided into three groups to discuss what insecurity problem they face while they are on duty, the ways they can survive, what safety precautions they should take while they on the job and off the job.

As groups, they presented several points of view, including that they have two insecurity problems, one they share with the public, while the other is related to their profession. They also demonstrated that they have torn between insurgency one side and Government and opposition on the other side and they adopted and agreed on some measures which will help them secure themselves.

In Day1 also the participants had an overview of international media organizations which defend media outlets and journalists to contact in case they face a threat from the area they operate, either from the Federal Government, insurgency, opposition or regional states. These international media organizations include Committee to protect journalists (CPJ), international freedom of expression Exchange (IFEX), International Media Support ( IMS), International News Safety Institute ( INSI) Reporters without borders, international Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and others from seeking help when they are in danger.

Day2: 17 February 2020, started with recapped the key learning points of Day1.

Day 2 was different from the other days of media topics; it was First AID session, which was new to all trainees except one participant. The trainer started the course with brainstorming the trainees about what concept they have about First Aid, and then the trainer introduced the topic and how important it is to all media staff in Somalia.

Then the trainer has divided the participants into three groups, tasks given to groups include 1. Principles of Fist Aid.? 2. What are the Aims of First Aid? 3. What equipment is needed to help the Victims survival?

The trainees have presented their themes based on the Somali Situation they operate in. Then, the trainer has given immediate steps of First, Aims and Principles of First Aid, equipment and medicines needed. The trainer also demonstrated First Aid Videos, Pictures, material and practical demonstration conducted by the participants in the training venue by using First AID equipment.

In Day2 there was also another important topic which was conducted, Psychosocial Tools: Stress Management, Depression, and Trauma healing Concept.

Journalists need to know how to manage psychosocial problems when they are threatened or become a target, abducted, receive a message, or a phone from the Insurgency, Government or other groups so that it seems necessary to have training on Psychosocial tools to endure the pressure in the hot spot environment they operate.

The trainer has introduced psychosocial tools topics by brainstorming, to ascertain who had training on them, and what concept they have since they gravely need these tolls. None of the trainees has ever had such training before. Then the trainer has divided the trainees into three different groups, and each was given topics on:

What stress is, its causes and how to treat the victims
What is depression? What are its causes? And how to treat victims with depression.
What is trauma? What causes trauma? And how traumatized victims are treated?

Then the trainer has fully explained the causes and effects of all these psychosocial problems and what can happen if they are not immediately treated. The trainees interested the topic because of how it touches their situation in Somalia.

Day3: 18 February 2020, started with a recap of key learning points of Day2.

The new topic, which was new to participants, was introduced: Conflict sensitive reporting. This topic is very crucial for Somali media due to prone conflict area they operate. Trainees have had no training on it before. After the introduction, the trainer has divided the trainees into three groups.

The following are tasks engaged the trainees:

What causes Somali Conflicts in the point of view of the Journalists?
What are the types of Conflicts in Somalia?
What is the Journalists’ role of educating Somali Community?

The trainees have worked as groups and presented their views on the topics given based on their knowledge of the Somali Context.

Then, the trainer has further explained causes of Somali conflicts such as Resources are scarce, not shared relatively, as, in food, housing, jobs or land, Unresolved grievances exist from the past, Power is unevenly (Unfairly) distributed, The groups have false ideas and beliefs about each other. The trainer has further explained that Somali Conflicts arose either Cultural or Structural.

The trainer has also explained additional topics of Conflict sensitive reporting, including: The power of the media in channeling communication, educating community, confidence-building, correcting misperceptions, making them human, identifying underlying interests, framing the conflict, community consensus building and encouraging a balance of power as a win-win approach (no winner, no loser). Finally, three days of training concluded that media comprises two critical words that Journalists must always keep in mind: knowledge and responsibility. Trainer wrapped up all the training topics that have been covered in the three days of training at 4: 30 pm on 18 February 2020.

Closing ceremony:

At the end of the training, Trainees have expressed their optimism, and how they benefited the training, their intake, what knowledge they have gained, and it will help them apply their stations. Nasrin Mohamed Ibrahim, deputy chair of SWJ who closed the training, urged the participants to apply the knowledge they acquired to their station what gained the four days of training and pass to their fellow who had no chance to attend the training. On behalf of SWJ, she thanked the American Embassy for their financial support.

Conclusion:

This training was first of its kind, in terms of its level, Contents and its participants in Mogadishu. The design of the training was perfect. The participants were very enthusiastic, active and embraced the training. During the training, they showed their willingness, attendance and participation. We hope this training will help them produce quality news/programs. We also hope this training will enable the participants to have ways they can reduce environmental risk as well as being able to reduce stress.

Recommendation:

Most of the Somali Media practitioners did not have a degree of journalism, but few have. The number of Somalia media outlets are increasing day-by-day, and emerging journalists who are joining media are many. Training of journalists has decreased for the last three years so that I recommend to be given constant training to enhance their capacity, skill and knowledge. I also recommend training topics: