A comparative look – the trainers’ perspective

1. Which aspects of the project did you find the most interesting or rewarding as a trainer and why?

Kissima Diagana : Training journalists was a very important part of the RightsInfo project. We discovered, during the research and study phase, that very few journalists were aware of the issues surrounding human rights in terms of how they were addressed in journalism. Subsequently, journalists who had received training in the media coverage of issues associated with Human Rights were put in situations which could be described as new given that their customary attitudes had been overturned. Experience in the field, reliance on sources, the use of data and the rigorous processing of information were journalistic practices that needed to be instilled (again) in trainees who until then had very little idea of the professional and ethical requirements of their job.

Tfarah Ahmed : The aspect that I found most interesting was how journalists within the country concerned were able to learn more about the importance of covering Human Rights issues and how they did it, particularly as it was a totally new subject for them.

Khalilou Diagana : The most interesting part of the project was the actual completion of the work included in the various modules by applicants. Via the articles produced, they were able to highlight, through the different forms of journalism, the issues associated with human rights from specific angles.

Abdoulaye Ciré Ba : What struck me most was the training in how to mount a production, the technical details of the principles addressed in the various sessions which sought to accentuate the importance of the accuracy of what was being said and its relevance to the subject in question. I then loved the wealth of discussions between colleagues which led to some intense exchanges and fascinating debates.

2. What change did you see in the participants during the course of the project?

Kissima Diagana : I found that some of the trainees became more interested in the very practice of the job. The competition which endorsed the training also provided an incentive. It revealed hidden talents which, thanks to their motivation, helped in the production part. Having to submit their projects for assessment was a challenge for most of them. The results, which I think were consistent with how the training and the competition went, are a barometer showing quite clearly how the project should be followed up.

Etverah Ahmed El Mehdi : I noticed that the participants had not previously been trained to cover human rights issues and the training succeeded in getting the majority of them very interested and wanting to continue down that path.

Khalilou Diagana : The participants in the Kaédi group, especially those working for radio stations, were used to tackling subjects in the form of interviews with studio guests. During the training, and particularly during the practical production exercises, they learnt that a good article or report is produced on the ground with different interviewees and different sources.

Abdoulaye Ciré Ba : My feeling is that it was the journalists who put the most into the experience that got the most out of it; they broadened their horizons in terms of their knowledge and the way in which they approached and dealt with subjects. And this is crucial.

3. How can the content produced and published as part of the project contribute to a better understanding and application of human rights nationally, regionally and locally?

Kissima Diagana : In my opinion, it is important to take this content beyond merely the media world. The idea would be to spread the word in schools. This may take the form of dynamic collaboration with players in the Mauritanian education system who are currently looking to reform programmes. It would therefore be timely for language programmes to include extracts from this content as teaching material. Joint meetings for discussions between groups of local associations and those in the media are also conceivable. Similarly, meetings between journalists and politicians or those in the security industry could be encouraged in order to overcome the lack of trust which has often stood in the way of a straightforward approach to human rights issues.

Etverah Ahmed El Mehdi : There should be some form of follow-up, evaluation and continuation in this area, in other words efforts to broaden the distribution of these materials and to encourage the production of new subjects which address issues affecting the interests of local, regional and international citizens.

Khalilou Diagana : At national level, for example through reports on the rights of children or women, readers and listeners have learnt that behind the statistics and the rhetoric lie the real-life dramas of women and children suffering discrimination. At regional and particularly local level, radio audiences have learnt that certain practices that they thought were "normal" are actually breaches of human rights, crimes that are punishable by law.

Abdoulaye Ciré Ba : The contribution made by the content produced and published has to offer a better understanding and application of human rights, but this will still be very limited as long as the public media controlled by the State continues to ignore these topics. The written press is in dire straits and the audience for the new media is still too small (even if it is steadily growing).

4. In future, what support needs to be provided to further enhance the professional skills of trained journalists in these regions of Mauritania?

Kissima Diagana : In a country where media reform is a key issue, two aspects have to be prioritised in relation to the support provided: professionalism and ethics. In the regions of Mauritania, journalism can be practised on condition that the existing media has local correspondents who are prepared to cover all social issues from a journalistic perspective far from the mere preoccupations of politics which tend to use journalists for their own purposes. To finish, I would like to emphasise the need to increase the abilities of journalists and presenters who use national languages and who represent significant potential for professional journalism as an instrument for development.

Etverah Ahmed El Mehdi : I think that the success of this task will be achieved through the creation of a space for broadcasting reports linked to the subject studied, whilst also providing further training in this area and encouraging initiatives that address reporting.

Khalilou Diagana : To consolidate the achievements of journalists trained in Kaédi and Kiffa, it would be useful for their progress to be tracked by various mentors who can advise them and guide them, even from a distance.

Abdoulaye Ciré Ba : It is easy to envisage a website dedicated to human rights and strategic partnerships capable of supporting advocacy to the authorities: the National Commission for Human Rights (CNDH), for example.

Training, journalist support and the competition were organized as part of the Promoting Human Rights and Human Rights Dialogue (Promotion des Droits Humains et Dialogue sur les Droits Humains, PDDH) support programme implemented by Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (PDDH) in Mauritania.