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Young Yemeni Journalists better equipped to report on the Yemeni conflict and Peace Process
In a volatile context charged with armed conflict where independent media is under attack Yemeni youth struggle to find reliable information on the peace building process in their country Amidst a polarized information environment the youth need to rely on political messages from either side of the conflict to understand the status of negotiations The ongoing conflict has exacerbated media polarization and threats on the safety of journalists with increased levels of hate speech and political messages dominating media content UNESCO believes that attacks against journalists intimidate everyone and leave society in a condition of informationpoverty Being safe to express yourself is important for each individual but those at most risk are journalists and media professionals To ensure the development of knowledge societies journalists must learn about the legal frameworks protecting them and how to ensure their own safety To address these challenges 13 young Yemeni journalists 7 women6 men from each of the five Yemen regions Aden Hadhramout Hudaida Sanaa and Taiz participated in a 7day training on International humanitarian law and Human rights for journalists The training which took place in December 2020 was organized by UNESCO in partnership with Media Association for Peace MAP The training aimed at empowering Yemeni journalists with the knowledge and tools to gain a better understanding of International Humanitarian Law and Human rights and their application to journalism as well as providing them with an in depth understanding of the legal framework protecting them The young journalists were introduced to the concept and practice of human rights journalism elaborating on the role of the media in relation to human rights and journalists responsibility in reporting on human rights abuses and violations It focused particularly on the Yemeni context explaining how human rights journalism could support the peacebuilding process