In partnership with the International Media Support (IMS) and FOJO: Media Institute Linnaeus University, the Somali Media Association (SOMA) has undertaken a three -day training workshop on safety and protection of Journalists in Mogadishu.
The training workshop has been held at Jazeera Palace Hotel in Mogadishu, Somalia from the 14th to 16th July 2016.
Twenty five editors (23 male and 2 female ) from the various sectors of the media outlets were the key participants of the training course.
The main purpose of the training workshop was to improve the safety and protection of Somali journalists through raising their knowledge and awareness on the standard safety and protection procedures to follow and adopt for maintaining the security of journalists in Somalia.
The main key courses covered during the three-day training workshop were: Situational Awareness, Civil unrest, Risk Assessment, Vehicle safety and travel, Personal and workspace security, Digital security, Suicide attacks and IEDs, Security Forces and the Media, Accommodation Safety and Security, Planning, Medical: Trauma First Aid and Sensitivity related to the election time.
The media members participants of the workshop realized that the Somali journalists are working in unsafe and dangerous conditions prevailing in the country, and as result have considered the workshop would eventually make change in improving the safety and protection of the Somali journalists.
All the participants have been provided with certificate of attendance at the end of the three-day training workshop.
In conclusion, the participants expressed their appreciation to the FOJO: Media Institute Linnaeus University, the International Media Support (IMS) and SOMA for organizing and conducting such important training workshop, and have suggested implementing similar workshops in future for other media members that have not received this opportunity.