Conflict prevention: IMPACT project trains online media and CSO actors

The project Involvement of Digital Media for the Active Prevention of Conflicts and Tensions (IMPACT) is currently holding a workshop in Abidjan for online media and civil society actors from Côte d’Ivoire on the theme of ” Ethical, responsible and balanced coverage of conflicts ” to ensure better prevention of conflicts and preserve social cohesion.

The workshop brings together 40 participants divided into two groups. The sessions of the first group are scheduled from Monday 16 to Tuesday 17 January 2023; and those of the second group will take place from Thursday 19 to Friday 20 January 2023.

During the opening ceremony, Lassina Sermé, President of the Network of Online Press Professionals of Côte d’Ivoire (REPPRELCI) explained to the participants that the IMPACT project is implemented in Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire by five organisations namely two French structures, Avocats Sans Frontières France (ASF France) and Danaïdes, a pan-African platform AfricTivistes, and two national associations which are the Association of Bloggers of Guinea (ABLOGUI) and REPPRELCI.

Sermé urged the participants to increase their attendance to take advantage of the training provided by three experts, namely Ms. Stephanie Lamy of Danaïdes, Mr. Abdoulaye Guene and Sally Bilaly Sow of AfricTivistes.

On her part, Stephanie Lamy said that this project funded by the European Union (EU) delegation aims to strengthen the capacity of journalists to cope with the proliferation of fake news and hate messages that divide the population and create tensions.

The two-day training will focus on two themes with two sessions on investigating and reporting on violence and rights violations related to conflicts (how to document, analyse and process them, etc.).

At the end of the training, participants will be able to monitor, document and cover conflicts in a balanced and responsible manner to ensure better conflict prevention.

The 24-month IMPACT project is funded by the EU delegation through its Instrument for Contributing to Stability and Peace (ICSP). The project started in March 2022 and aims to contribute to the consolidation of sustainable peace in West Africa and to strengthen the positive role of civil society and digital media in conflict prevention.