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BURUNDI: Local journalists stand with black tape covering their mouths during a press conference to mark World Press Freedom Day at the offices of the Iwacu media group in the capital Bujumbura, on May 3, 2015. AFP PHOTO / PHIL MOORE
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#EDITORIAL
“This card saved my life. I was on my way to interview a Minister when I was arrested by the police. They checked me for ages and were getting increasingly nervous until I had the bright idea to take out my card. They turned it upside down, really impressed by the document and eventually let me go.” The African colleague who told me the story came to Brussels at the beginning of the year and took advantage to renew his card at the IFJ headquarters. Read More
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#Global news
WIPO: Authors' rights exceptions need remuneration
"Wherever there are exceptions they must be with fair remuneration – and with capacity-building to ensure that remuneration is fairly distributed to authors and performers" said Mike Holderness, IFJ/EFJ chair of the Authors' rights Expert group at the latest Standing Committee on Copyright and Related rights of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) convening in Geneva from 29th June to 3rd July. More
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Meeting of Council of Global Unions : the IFJ defends public services
The Council of Global Unions met on 12 June in Geneva and discussed a broad range of general issues, inter alia the conclusions of the last G7, the climate change impact and the very poor labour conditions on major construction sites in Qatar.
More
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IFJ delegation addresses attacks on journalists during debate on UN Commission of Inquiry on Gaza
The IFJ President Jim Boumelha, together with the General Secretary of the Palestinian Journalists' Syndicate (PJS) Abdal Nasser Najjar and PJS Vice President Naser Abubaker, took part in the General Debate on the UN independent international Commission of inquiry into violations of international humanitarian law during the Gaza conflict in 2014. More
© IFJ
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#Regional news
Africa- Monitoring of media safety crisis in Burundi
The IFJ is monitoring the situation of journalists in the current political crisis in Burundi, after attacks and threats against journalist as well as the closure of all independent media which sent journalists in exile or in hiding. At least 40 journalists, including leaders of the Burundi Union of Journalists, have fled the country to neighbouring countries. The IFJ has led efforts in Europe and Africa to raise awareness of their plight and mobilised the support for their protection. Through its International Safety Fund, the IFJ spend over 10.000 Euro in assisting journalists under threat to get to safety and is raising more funding to extend the relief effort.
© PHIL MOORE / AFP PHOTO
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Africa- IFJ-ICRC Media Safety and Conflict Reporting Training in Dakar
As part of the IFJ-International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) partnership in the promotion of journalists’ safety, the International Federation of Journalists took part in a training on reporting armed conflicts organised by the ICRC regional delegation in Dakar, Senegal. During the training, which brought together twenty three journalists from 12 countries, the IFJ contributed expertise on practical aspects of journalists’ safety, reporting on armed conflict and international criminal justice as well as ethics in war coverage.
© MAMSOUR
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Asia-Pacific-National Security Law threatens media freedom in China
In June, the IFJ submitted a number of submissions to the National People’s Congress Standing Committee regarding the National Security Law and the Overseas Non-Governmental Organisations Management Law which are in the second review draft process. More
© ED JONES / AFP PHOTO
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Europe- EU trade secrets law hampers media freedom
Together with other media organisations the EFJ called on members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to amend a draft European Directive on trade secrets that could prevent journalists from exercising their rights to freedom of expression and hamper the rights of citizens to be informed. More
© EFJ
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Europe- Membership makes unions stronger
The EFJ released a special edition newsletter focusing on recruitment news in the framework of the EU funded project Rights and Jobs in Journalism.
The newsletter highlights key trends, tips and best practices in recruitment and union services shared by the EFJ affiliates in a workshop held by the Danish Journalists’ Union (DJ) on 11 – 12 May in Copenhagen, Denmark. Read the top 10 tips from our membership on recruitment and servicing membership here.
© EFJ
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Europe- Authors’ rights highly debated in the European Parliament
The European Commission will release this fall its Copyright review package, an important document aiming at amending current EU legislation in the field of copyright/authors’ rights. In the meantime, an initiative report by Pirate party member Julia Reda led to heated debates in the hemycle by threatening to widen exceptions to copyright/authors’ rights, thereby preventing authors from additional remuneration in situations when their work is used without their authorisation. More
© RG / EFJ
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Latin America- Seminar and workshops on press freedom and journalists’ safety held in Paraguay
Two workshops and a seminar on press freedom were held in Paraguay (both in the capital and in the interior) in April and May. The objective was to set up fora to discuss, debate and organise journalists and other media workers with a view to improving their safety and protection. More
© SERGIO HERNANDEZ / AFP PHOTO
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Arab World and Middle East- Regional workshop on trade union development in the Right to Organise, Right to Bargain
Eleven journalists’ unions from the Arab World and the Middle East (AWME) met in Tunis on 3-4 June to review the current legal and structural status of journalists’ unions in the region, with the aim of developing a coherent regional trade union strategy. The discussions focused on the unions’ efforts to strengthen their members’ social and professional rights through collective bargaining. More
© NS / IFJ
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#Campaigns
Get your IFJ International Press Card Now!
“The International Press card gets you where the story takes you”.
The IFJ launched a campaign to promote the International Press Card (IPC), a global press pass delivered by the Federation and widely recognised by public officials in more than 134 countries. The IPC is not only about safety and recognition of professional journalists; it is also a symbol of solidarity amongst media professionals and a commitment to the ethical standards that the IFJ abides by.
More about the IPC
Contact your union to obtain your card!
© IFJ
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Set journalism free in Turkey
Concerns about media freedom violations in Turkey continue. The IFJ and the EFJ published a special edition newsletter updating on campaign activities in Turkey and the press freedom situation on the ground. More
© TGS via Twitter
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Hands off press freedom in Azerbaijan
The IFJ/EFJ campaign to release 7 imprisoned journalists and raise attention on Azerbaijan crackdown on press freedom ahead of the Eurolympic Games in Baku in June contributed to shed light on the poor record on press freedom in the country which is one of the leading jailers of journalists in Europe and Central Asia. More
© EO / IFJ
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FreeMalaysian political cartoonist Zunar
The IFJ has launched a global campaign calling for all charges against Zunar, a Malaysian political cartoonist to be dropped. Zunar has been charged with 9 counts of sedition for a cartoon and tweet he published in February.
He faces 43 years in jail if found guilty. More
© ZUNAR
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Celebrations around World Press Freedom Day
The IFJ and its affiliates took part in a series of activities to mark World Press Freedom Day.
Check out the IFJ Storify
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#Publications and reports
Safety handbook for journalists in Ukraine
The IFJ and the EFJ launched a handbook aimed at documenting the lessons and experiences of the Ukraine conflict for journalists.It details the range and scope of restrictions on journalists’ rights experienced by both Ukrainian and Russian reporters during 2014 including freedom of movement, detentions, threats, assaults and deaths.
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Inside the News –a gender and media report in Asia Pacific
In the Asia Pacific region, only 3 out of every 10 news staff are women. On Monday 22 June the IFJ, UNESCO and UNWomen launched Inside the News: Challenges and Aspirations for Women Journalists in Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok. More
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Threats to press freedom in Latin America and the Caribbean
World Press Freedom Day of 3 May was an opportunity for the IFJ regional office in Latin America to assess the state of press freedom in the region and to conclude that it had lost ground in Latin America and the Caribbean countries. The report highlights the most vulnerable areas to work as a journalist. More
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#Looking ahead- Calendar
- Meeting for union communication representatives – TUCA, 9-10 July, Peru
- Workshop on collective bargaining, Paraguay, 17-18 July 2015
- Workshop on collective bargaining, Dominican Republic, 14-16 August 2015
- Workshop on collective bargaining, 2-3 September, Peru
- Regional Seminar on media and gender equality, Argentina, 4-5 September
- Regional Seminar on youth and unionism, Peru , 5-6 October
- IFJ Administrative Committee, 23 October
- IFJ Executive Committee, 24-25 October
- IFRRO World Congress, 9-12 November
- IFJ/EFJ Authors’ rights Expert Group, 20 November
- Strengthening journalists’ union and safety in Mexico – November
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Director of Publication: Jim Boumelha
Editor-in-chief: Anthony Bellanger
Editor: Pamela Morinière
Contributors: Alex Hearne, Ernest Sagaga, Monir Zaarour, Belén Wildner, Mehmet Koksal, Yuklan Wong, Esti Ortiz, Kelly Noonan
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