Canal France International, SINGA, Maison des journalistes et Reporters sans frontières inaugurent le projet Voix en Exil

CFI, SINGA, Maison des journalistes and Reporters Without Borders launch the Voix en Exil (Voices in Exile) project

Related project

Voices in exile

Canal France International (CFI), SINGA, Maison des journalistes (MDJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) have joined forces in a consortium to launch Voices in exile, a new project to support journalists in exile in Paris, at the Gaîté Lyrique. Supported by the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, this project is at the heart of a major ambition: to make France one of the main host countries for media in exile.

A worsening security situation for the media

The deterioration in the international situation has worsened considerably in recent years, particularly since 2022, marked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the resumption of conflict in Sudan and the war between Israel and Hamas. Faced with pressure from the governing powers, hundreds of journalists and media outlets are forced to leave their country to ensure their survival and continue their work.

CFI, SINGA, MDJ and RSF are convinced that the role of these journalists is vital in disseminating reliable information to their fellow citizens who have stayed behind or are in exile, as well as to the rest of the world. They are therefore launching the Voices in Exile project to help these men and women in exile face the challenges they encounter in their personal and professional lives (physical safety, source of income, administrative procedures, etc.).

Supporting and guiding the media and journalists in exile

With an initial duration of three years, this project has three main objectives :

  • Ensuring the welcome, safety, and administrative, social and cultural support of project beneficiaries;
  • Strengthening beneficiaries’ capacities and supporting the production of independent and objective information;
  • Raising the profile of journalists and media in exile, and promoting collaboration and the sharing of experience.

Four groups of 18 journalists will be welcomed and supported as part of this project run by the consortium of four partners, led by CFI, until March 2027. They will be housed in a residence for journalists in the Île-de-France region and will take part in a media programme at the Gaîté Lyrique, which is associated with the project.

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“We are very proud to be launching the Voices in Exileproject today , to continue supporting exiled journalists and media in their projects. Our aim is first and foremost to preserve freedom of expression by stepping up the fight against disinformation, which naturally means ensuring the safety of those who contribute to it. Journalists in exile face many challenges, and it is therefore necessary to provide them with global support involving a wide range of expertise. In this respect, I would like to pay tribute to the remarkable efficiency and cooperation of the consortium that CFI has the honour of chairing. It is a clear sign of the concrete and substantial commitment in France to the defence of journalists and free media”
Thierry Vallat
Chairman and Managing Director of CFI
"The authoritarian trajectory of many countries is systematically reflected in a deterioration in media pluralism, threats to the independence of the press, and the takeover by public authorities or private groups of the sources of information to which citizens turn. The Voix en exil project is designed to host journalistic projects and foster independent media that will act as antibodies to the emergence of societies without the rule of law or individual freedoms"
Benoît Hamon
Managing Director SINGA Global
"We are delighted to be taking part in the Voices in Exile project, which meets a longstanding need. Many of the 250 journalists that RSF has helped to find refuge in France over the last 3 years have told us that they need connection and professional integration. In countries where free speech is not allowed, these journalists and media in exile are sometimes our only access to free and independent information. It is therefore essential to enable them to continue the fight that led them into exile, and to support them in their mission to provide information."
Antoine Bernard
Directeur Plaidoyer et Assistance de RSF
"Voices in Exile is particularly relevant in the current information crisis, where press freedom is under constant threat. Thanks to this project supported by CFI, the House of Journalists is strengthening the support it has been providing to journalists in exile for over 20 years, while continuing its actions to promote free and independent information"
Darline Cothière
Director of the House of Journalists

Download the press release

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Partenaires Voix En Exil

 

About Canal France International
CFI works to promote media development worldwide, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Arab world and the countries of the European Union neighbourhood. The focus of our actions: countering disinformation, promoting gender equality, protecting the environment, promoting democracy and civic engagement. CFI is an operator of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and a subsidiary of the France Médias Monde Group. 

About SINGA
SINGA is an international organisation, present in 7 countries and 17 cities. SINGA promotes the inclusion of newcomers by creating opportunities for them to meet and collaborate with local people through entrepreneurial support, shared activities and civic accommodation. Since its creation, SINGA has supported more than 2,000 entrepreneurs, fostered tens of thousands of intercultural encounters and facilitated thousands of solidarity groups.
singafrance.com

About the House of Journalists
The Maison des journalistes (MDJ) is a unique organisation which, since 2002, has been supporting refugee journalists in France from all over the world. To date, it has welcomed, hosted and supported over 500 journalists from 85 countries. MDJ's work is based on international solidarity, with a social, educational, journalistic and cultural aspect. Its activities include an online newspaper, educational programmes (Renvoyé spécial), exhibitions and debates. The association is supported mainly by the French media, the City of Paris, public partners (ministries, local authorities) and various sponsors. 
www.maisondesjournalistes.org

About Reporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is an international non-governmental organisation that defends the freedom, independence and pluralism of journalism throughout the world.
Recognised as a non-profit organisation in France, RSF has consultative status with the UN, UNESCO, the Council of Europe and the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie. The head office in Paris works with offices in Brussels, London, Washington, Rio, Tunis, Dakar and Taipei, departments in Germany, Austria, Spain, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland, and correspondents in 150 countries. 
Site de Reporters sans frontières | RSF


About La Gaîté Lyrique
La Gaîté Lyrique, a cultural venue run by the City of Paris and supported by Arty Farty, ARTE France, makesense, SINGA and Actes Sud, aims to respond to the cultural, social, democratic and climate emergency. With the Fabrique de l'époque project, through creation and commitment, it invites people to move from ideas to action, from stories to impact, encouraging artistic creation and the circulation of ideas, emancipating and decompartmentalising audiences, shaking things up and getting people moving. La Gaîté Lyrique sees itself as a toolbox for artists, actors of change, to strengthen the capacity to create and act together.  La Gaîté Lyrique (gaite-lyrique.net)

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