CCMN: Journalists, Civil Society Sharpen Skills On Conflict Sensitive Reporting.

By Raymond Dingana.

About sixty journalists and members of the civil society who belong to the Cameroon Community Media Network, CCMN from the North West, West, South West and Littoral Regions of Cameroon have been armed with the necessary tools to report on conflict situations. This was during a 3-day workshop on crises reporting that took place in Bafoussam from Sunday August 18 to Tuesday August 20 ,2019. Organized by the Peace Journalism and Conflict Transformation Project of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon, the project whose main beneficiary is the Cameroon Community Media Network and its members was aimed at schooling journalists and members of the civil society on the role they are to play in bringing Humanitarian needs to the affected communities. Participants at the work shop were also schooled on conflict sensitive reporting, reporting that will not fan the flames of conflict like what led to the Rwandan Genocide.

Muma Sandrine is a journalist and a blogger at the Insight News Africa, Hear her “if i have to do a report in a conflict zone, I have to make sure that, my closed friends and colleagues should know my where about, what time I am living and coming back and from time to time send them tips on my location so that if something happens to me they will know what to do. Equally we have to put up other safety measures like carrying identification documents to identify us as journalists”.

Merilyne Ngwa is the south west correspondent for Vision 4 Television, she says: “I have gained more tips on how to treat Humanitarian reports, especially dealing with those really affected, reporting in conflict zones especially those of us working in the SWR which is a conflict area, I now know that i need to always go out with an identification batch which is really bold that can easily identify me among others”.

To Emilyne miki, founder and CEO of the Miki Denis Foundation, the knowledge gained from the seminar will improve on the quality of her Humanitarian work. She spoke to DrayInfos: “The workshop has been an encouragement to my work, the knowledge I have gained will help me do the activities I do on the ground, communicate and report on them to every other stake holder, influence the decision making process, influence resource mobilization processes. I have also understood the important of Data, collecting it, using and keeping it for future users”.

Tanda Godwin Ade is the Director of Environmental Protection and development based in Limbe. Hear him: “I have been grilled on the category of persons that are usually affected when there is a crisis, that way I will be able to communicated to the local communities especially when there is a crises, the Humanitarian responds system which consist of improving responds to ensure accountability, leadership and responds of needs to those affected by the crises”.

The workshop also had in attendance, the National Coordinator of the project, Rev. Mbue Mokoko, whom at the beginning of the workshop enjoined journalists to be professional in the way they work and should be peace oriented. Veteran Journalist, Omer Songwe was facilitator of the workshop. He said journalists should be telling stories like the lack of funding and the trauma that the affected communities are going through. The workshop ended with the award of Attestations to the Participants.

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Participants Brandishing Their Attestations After The Workshop

                                     Omer Songwe, Main Facilitator At The Workshop