The current programmes in Africa include

· Strengthening Journalists Union campaigns on Freedom of Association and combating climate change (Union To Union)

· Election Reporting in Burundi (NMFA/NJ)  

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Strengthening Journalists Union campaigns on Freedom of Association and combating climate change

Location: Africa                                                                  

Dates: 2014 - 2016

Objectives:

To promote and protect journalists and media workers’ right to freedom of association and the fundamental labour rights in the media industry in Africa

To promote the role of journalists in reporting the environment and climate change and strengthen the union’s protection of climate reporters and policies to improve standards of reporting

Activities

FOA Campaign

Four National and four sub regional meetings will be held each year to

•  Assess the obstacles to union organising and document the anti-union practices
•  Raise awareness about ILO standards, rights and obligations
•  Lobby authorities on Freedom of Association and labour right
•  Build union organising and project management capacities
•  Africa wide: - Regional survey to be conducted on FOA in  consultation with the ATUC and IFJ unions - One lobbying event will be held at the African Union

Environment and Climate Change

Based on the 2011 Durban Declaration developed by IFJ Africa unions the programme will host a regional launch conference on climate change in 2014 to:

• Promote training, skills and best practice on climate change reporting
• Develop policies of national unions and commitment to climate change action
• Campaign on the protection of the environment and climate justice
• Demand action from Africa’s political leaders to prioritise the tackling of climate change

Two sub-regional seminars a year involving journalists and climate change NGOs to educate journalists on the complex issues surrounding climate change.

• To research climate change reporting and produce a guidebook to climate change reporting
• To organise four national training programmes in 2016 based on the handbook

One lobbying event to be held at the African Union in year 2015. 

One Concluding Conference  

Partners: IFJ Africa affiliates

Expected Results

i)        Stronger journalists unions, defending right to freedom of association and labour standards

ii)       320 journalists and trade union leaders trained on FOA and ILO

iii)     60 journalists union leaders are trained on union management and project development

iv)     FOA continental report in the media sector

v)      UA, national governments and regional groups lobbied on FOA and union rights in media sector

vi)     108 journalists and trade union leaders trained on climate change reporting

vii)   Journalists guidebook  on climate change reporting produced and implemented

The programme is supported by Union To Union    

 

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Election Reporting in Burundi

Location: Burundi                               

Dates: 2014 - 2015

Objectives

• To prepare Burundi journalists for the local, parliamentary and Presidential elections planned for 2015 so that they are able to report the election professionally, independently and safely.
• To help the UBJ in supporting journalists during the election campaigns.

Activities

2014: three election reporting workshops 2015: three election reporting workshops immediately prior to the election campaigns

Partners: Union of Burundi Journalists  

Expected Results

• 180 journalists including 40 % of female trained on elections reporting at the national level
• Improved reporting of elections
• Increased capacity of journalists in Burundi to cover elections related stories.
• Increased participation of civil society (media) in elections accuracy and fairness  

The programme is supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Union of Norwegian Journalists