Equal Access organized a five-day residential training on "Conflict Affected Environments" in Bhaktapur from March 29-April 2, 2011. The training, participated by 23 nationwide high-profile journalists, had the representation from print, broadcast and online media. The training was organized with the objective of improving security of media workers on media, law and rights, safety and security, conflict sensitivity in reporting and promoting democracy and a culture of human rights. Likewise, safety strategies for women media workers and simulated exercises involving common threats and security scenarios for journalists were highlighted in the training.
The training had representation from conflict-affected districts, with 47% representation of female and/or from minority groups. Journalists from Solukhumbhu, Jhapa, Sunsari, Jumla, Kapilvastu, Taplejung, Makwanpur, Dhading, Bajhang, Pyuthan. Banke, Kaski, Dhanusha, Argakhachi, Surkhet, Sindhupalchok, Jajarkot, Bajhang, Bara, Ilam, Dhading, Kathmandu and Banke districts.
The training was facilitated by highly qualified resource persons, namely, Yashoda Timisina, Mohan Mainali, Satish Krishna Kharel and Equal Access Nepal Program Coordinator Binaya Guragain. Likewise, Equal Access conducted 2 similar training to journalists in the last couple of months. Altogether, 50 highly qualified journalists are provided with Training of Trainers (ToT) who will, after returning from the training, conduct cascading training for nearly 500 journalists in their respective districts.
With the financial support from US Department of State Bureau of Human Rights and Democracy (DRL), Equal Access is implementing a high-profile media project titled 'Media Empowerment for Democratic Information Access (MEDIA) with the aim to build Nepalese media capacity to maintain professional standards resulting into media safety and security.
