Name of the workshop: Somalia Science Journalists Workshops 2023 | SOSJOW 2023
Project Theme: National Science Journalists – Reboot
Date of the workshop: March 27-31, 2023 In-Person Venue at Botanical Gardens Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
Official Language of the Workshops: English
Expected Attendance: 6 media people
Hosted by: World Conference of Science Journalists (WCSJ)
Funded by: The World Federation of Science Journalists (WFSJ), the SOWMESHA University and others interested and accepted to develop Somalia science journalists because training of journalists in reporting on development issues, including agriculture, environmental concerns, disaster responses and climate challenges, is not readily available in Somalia. The World Federation of Science Journalists is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization, representing 67 science journalists’ associations and 10,000 individual science and technology journalists from around the world. The WFSJ encourages strong, critical coverage of issues in science and technology, the environment, health and medicine, agriculture, and related fields. SOMESHAis a member guild of the World Federation of Science Journalists (WFSJ) and has run a series of short, intensive workshops. However, Somali journalists have yet to benefit, not least because the particular needs of this group are not easily met by a multi-country training of the kind conducted up to now.
Coverage in Somali media of science-based topics, such as the environment and agriculture, is extremely limited. Somalia has many young journalists, but their reporting interests are predominantly political, in particular reporting on inter-clan fighting and the civil war. However, improved understanding and reporting on such topics as rural development and minimizing drought impacts could greatly increase the capacity of Somalia’s rural population to cope with climate-related disasters. In particular, an engaged environmental media could play a vital role in communicating early warnings of disaster and supporting early response by communities. In the Somali context, use of radio is the ideal tool to reach remote communities, backed up by print media publications.
In addition, much of the continuing conflict in Somalia is linked to the scarcity of resources, tied very closely to environmental degradation. Since the fall of Somalia’s central government in 1991, a wide range of resources have been exploited without proper regulation, including forests, fossil fuels and minerals; adding to inter-clan tensions. Paucity of livelihood-related information, including on agriculture, health and sanitation, also contributes to an unstable situation where people’s investment in their land and in improving their living standards is low. Over the longer term, these factors also reduce communities’ abilities to withstand climate-related disasters.
As part of SOMESHA MEDEVPROJ venture for journalism development initiative, the Council is working with partners to help journalists deepen their expertise through professionally curated workshops that help fill the training gap between conference sessions and formal academic training. The workshop program launched in 10/10/10 with two days workshops in which was focused on, Health, Agriculture, Science and Technology innovations as well as statistics and ethics offered as part of 10/10/10 SOMESHA MEDEVPROJ venture.
The Somalia Science Journalists workshop (SOSJOW) at Botanical Gardens Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia will be a joint workshops in cooperation with the World Federation of Science Journalists (WFSJ). Somalia science journalists will be part of the World Conference of Science Journalists (WCSJ) in Medellín participants as scheduled to take place at the end of March 2023.
The World Conference of Science Journalists takes place every two years, and is the largest international event for science journalists to gather as peers, helping one another learn, grow, and thrive. The event has not happened since 2019 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and brings together some of the World Federation of Science Journalists’ 15,000 members in 53 countries.
During the conference, attendees will enjoy seminars, workshops, lectures and access to expertise from around the world. There will be opportunities to build contacts with other journalists and editors and to share ideas and experience, as well as field trips and discussions to provide outstanding material to report on.
SOMESHA is pleased to announce that 6 her member journalists from across the regional member states of the federal republic including Somaliland will obtain pure science journalism profession and attend the World Conference of Science Journalists (WCSJ) and each journalist will be awarded fellowships to cover the science journalists Conference as part its funded partnerships with the SOMESHA MEDEVPROJ.
The applications subject, clearly marked SOMESHA-WCSJ TRAVEL GRANT 2022 and shall be sent to the Somali Media for Environment, Science, Health , Agriculture and Arrivals (SOMESHAA) Secretariat via email info@someshaa.org . Each application must be accompanied by accessible links to the stories done before her creation and or in the past three years and with a letter from their editor’s committing to allow you to travel to the WCSJ and that he/she will publish stories filed from the Conference. There is also in need for that the applicants may be required to sign risk acknowledgment documentation indicating that they understand and accept the risks associated with travel and also partaking in in-person-meetings during a COVID-19 pandemic.
SOMESHAA Background Information
OnJuly 10th, 2010, 30 journalists representing 14 media and journalists Organizations from different regions inSomaliacome together at hotel Sahafi two Mogadishu exchanged views.
The National Association of Somali Science and Environmental Journalists (NASSEJ) was organized the conference per request from the other media and Journalists organizations and supported by local business companies like Qaran Express bank, Telecom Somalia Company, Jubba Air-ways and Hormuud Telecom Company as well as Sahafi two hotel.
The conference participants endorsed onJuly 14th, 2010many important amendments to the organizations constitution. Following the adoption of the proposed constitutional modifications, the name National Association of Somali Science and Environmental Journalists (NASSEJ) was changed to Somali Media for Environment, Science, Health and Agriculture (SOMESHAA).
The Somali Media for Environment, Science, Health and Agriculture (SOMESHA) is an association of journalists and media practitioners who are specialized to expand and improve media coverage of key nation issues, including Climate change, the Environment, Agriculture, Science, Public health, Migration, Peace-keeping and Civil insecurity.
The members of SOMESHA are professionals whose mission is to tell the world about the substantial challenges of environmental concerns in the country which is far less studied. And they are the current journalists and media professionals including reporters, editors, webmasters and producers working for all media outlets in the country.
SOMESHA is non-profit and non-governmental association, which is an umbrella body of professionals from many different families with different districts and it is the third labour union representing over 30 journalists nationwide. It’s the second organization that brings together the largest number of journalists inSomaliaand it became recognized body within the media structure that operates inSomalia.
For more information please contact SOMESHA Development and Projects Departments (DPD) on projects@someshaa.org