By Gbenga Akingbule
Executive Director of Allamin Foundation Hajja Hamsatu Allamin recently charged Journalists to always seek avenues to amply the voices of vulnerable members the society through their reportage to address their plight.
Gatekeepers News reports that Hajja Allamin also urged reporters to use their privileged position to contribute their quota towards peaceful co-existence and service to humanity
This was made known during a one-day advocacy training program organized by the Allamin Foundation For Peace and Development and funded by UKaid held in Maiduguri the Borno State capital.
According to Hajja Allamin, Journalists have access to different categories of persons in society and as such, they should use their medium to tell untold stories of survivors and victims of crises such as the ongoing insurgency in the Northeast region.
“An additional task to you Journalists is to advocate for those most vulnerable people. Journalists occupy a privileged and unique position to amply the voices of people who are more victims than the rest of us,” Allamin said.
The lead facilitator at the training on Transitional Justice with a focus on Survivor- Centered Advocacy, Professor Abubakar Mu’azu, a lecturer at the Mass Communication Department, University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID ) harps on the vital role a Journalist is expected to play to amplify the voices or survivors.
Prof Mu’azu who doubles as the Coordinator of Good Governance and Human Rights at the Centre for Peace, Diplomatic, and Development Studies (CPDDS) added that the training will assist Journalists in reporting survivors’ stories without “harming” them
“The media can focus more on the survivors’ strength rather than vulnerability,” Prof Mu’azu said.
Papers delivered at the training include The Power of the Media in Advocacy, Understanding Survivor-Centred Approach in Advocacy, and Crafting Compelling Narratives Targeted at Survivor-Centred Policies amongst others.
