Training journalists on human rights reporting

Over the last two months, the NGOs Collective Campaign for Peace, Himalayan Human Rights Monitors and TRIAL International ran training sessions for Nepali journalists on human rights reporting. Held in the cities of Pokhara, Biratnagar and Nelapgunj, it delivered both theoretical and practical knowledge to 45 participants.

The training started with an overview of United Nations mechanisms and basic international law notions, as well as context-specific issues like the transitional justice process.

A session on security issues followed, as human rights reporting may, in extreme cases, put victims at risk of reprisal. The journalists were therefore briefed on risks assessment and security strategies, sharing good practice on how to document abuse while respecting the victims’ trauma. The training closed with an introduction to social media and citizen journalism.

The participants expressed their gratitude towards the organizing NGOs and underlined how their new knowledge would improve the quality of their work. “We often deal with human rights issues, but we used to make mistakes due to poor understanding and inadequate technical support,” said Sandhya Adhikari, a television reporter in Pokhara. “Now we are better equipped to react appropriately.”