JHR Night for Rights 2015
Welcome to the liveblog for Journalists for Human Rights' annual Night for Rights, being held this evening at the Arcadian Court in Toronto. The evening will feature vibrant updates from JHR-trained journalists, the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award for Human Rights Reporting, and a dynamic live auction hosted by the one-and-only Auctionista. It will be an unforgetable evening of celebrating rights-based media reporting, with proceeds going to support JHR's work around the world.
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A Night for Rights
Welcome to the liveblog for Journalists for Human Rights' annual Night for Rights, being held this evening at the Arcadian Court in Toronto.The evening will feature vibrant updates from JHR-trained journalists, the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award for Human Rights Reporting, and a dynamic live auction hosted by the one-and-only Auctionista. It will be an unforgetable evening of celebrating rights-based media reporting, with proceeds going to support JHR's work around the world.We'll be bringing you live updates starting at 7 p.m. EDT—so set your reminders and we'll see you then! You can also follow along with the evening on Twitter, with the #night4rights hashtag, or on the jhr Twitter account.P.S. If you're in Toronto, tickets for the #night4rights after party are still on sale! Come out, support human rights journalism, and make a difference to media development around the world. -
The guests have started to arrive at the Arcadian Court in Toronto. The formal program will kick off in about 45 minutes. Before that begins, we'd like to take a second to thank our sponsors.IT'S HERE! #Night4Rights is TONIGHT! Thank you so much to our supporters and sponsors for making this event possible! (1/5)8:13 AM - 01 Oct 2015
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8:15 AM - 01 Oct 2015- Reply
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.@CBC @globalnews and #BayTreeFoundation as Gold Sponsors, @CPAcanada and @CdnPress as Silver sponsors (3/5)8:16 AM - 01 Oct 2015- Reply
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and a very special thank you to @OurForte @newstalk1010 @PECWines #CrestviewStrategy and @The_Auctionista!! (4/5)8:20 AM - 01 Oct 2015- Reply
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Proceeds and donations from #Night4Rights helps to support our media development programs around the world! http://t.co/GcHnl4nOAx (5/5)8:21 AM - 01 Oct 2015- Reply
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Also, a big thank you to @RBC for being a gold level sponsor! We couldn't have done this without your support!11:18 AM - 01 Oct 2015- Reply
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The Grey Cup is at JHR's Night for Rights! Have your photo taken with it in the reception area for a suggested donation of $10. -
Welcome, everyone, to #night4rights. A great night of dinner, dancing & fundraising for human rights is ahead of us! http://t.co/DE11nqtqLH
6:52 PM - 01 Oct 2015- Reply
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Momentarily, we'll have 300 of Canada's top journalists, media execs, and other leaders in this room #night4rights http://t.co/aGo0bEfynN
6:59 PM - 01 Oct 2015- Reply
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We're about 10 minutes away from kicking off our evening program. Everyone is filtering into the room. It is noisy and exciting and we can't wait to get started
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Our @CPAcanada team with the #night4rights cup :) http://pbs.twimg.com/media/CQRIh-vUsAAzZ-O.jpg
by maragulens via twitter edited by Belinda Alzner 10/1/2015 11:10:14 PM -
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Rachel Pulfer, JHR's executive director, is kicking off our evening reciting some highlights from the past year. In South Sudan, 165 journalists trained with no security issues to report. In Canada, more than 300 journalists have been trained on how to cover Indigenous issues, and have developed partnerships that are integral to the program's success.Rachel thanks the staff of JHR and the gala co-chairs and committee, whose hard work makes everything possible.
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Rachel also announces that the National NewsMedia Council is using the gala to launch in central Canada tonight.Psst! Look what just landed on my table at #night4rights. The National NewsMedia Council is real and it is here. https://t.co/4zBth1Ji5u
6:12 PM - 01 Oct 2015- Reply
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Rachel introduces Mustapha Dumbuya.
A human rights journalist and community radio trainer/mentor with BBC Media Action in Sierra Leone, Mustapha produced BBC Media Action’s programme “Leh Wi Know” (Let us know). Prior to this, he covered the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone, where he reported on human rights issues. Mustapha is currently a Fisher/JHR Fellow at Massey College at the University of Toronto. -
Mustapha works as a human rights journalist in Sierra Leone, and has spent the last year as a WIlliam Southam Fellow at Massey College in Toronto.
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Dumbuya is one of the journalists in his country who has been fortunate enough to receive JHR training, he says. He learned how to cover human rights stories for maxiumum impact. And he's proud to tell us tonight that the skills he learned from the JHR trainers have transformed his skills as a journalist.
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Dumbuya found these skills most important in times of crisis—and he knows this. He worked to cover the Ebola crisis, in one of the last remaining Ebola hotspots in Sierra Leone. Here's an example of his reporting on the crisis.
Sierra Leone may extend nationwide Ebola lockdown
CBC.ca PlayerCBC News speaks with Mustapha Dumbuya, a local reporter from Freetown, for the latest on the lockdown -
Because of the reporting around the crisis in the area, the government took action to provide more resources in order to help.Without his training from JHR, he says, he would not have been able to as effectively tell the story of a woman who was turned away from treatment, and explain the impact that it had not only on her family, but on the community and the fear that it created.
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"Journalists have lots of questions about how Parliament is spending the millions of dollars donated for Ebola, but at the moment they are scared to ask," Dumbuya said. "They are worried they might be arrested. Under this state of emergency, the government doesn't need to explain if it makes an arrest. Accountability has been shelved. MPs [members of Parliament] just say, 'Ask your questions after Ebola.'"
Amid Ebola outbreak, West African governments try to isolate media - Committee to Protect Journalists
On the first Saturday of November 2014, when media owner and broadcaster David Tam Baryoh switched on the mic for his weekly “Monologue” show on independent Citizen FM in Freetown, Sierra Leone, he had no idea that criticizing the government’s handling of Ebola would mean 11 days in jail.... -
Dawna Friesen is up, and discussing the impact that JHR's work has had. We're watching a video on its impact on Jordan, now.
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So many journalists in Jordan haven't received training on their rights and their role to responsibly report on the migrant crisis, from Syria.JHR is on the ground making sure that journalists are equipped to tell their stories, including data journalism training.
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Here's a story about JHR's work on enabling data journalism in Jordan.
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Inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award for Human Rights Reporting RecipientCongratulations to @camanpour for winning JHR's inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award for Human Rights Reporting!7:35 PM - 01 Oct 2015
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Christiane Amanpour has reported from dozens of countries and a number of conflict zones. She has challenged governments, and dictators. In introducing her, CBC's Catherine Cano says, "No one can escape her tough questions, not even Bill Clinton, who she questioned over the Bosnian war."
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She is also a passionate journalist. She once said that sometimes, pure objectivity can make you an accomplice. Objectivity doesn't mean giving both sides equal treatment, it just means allowing them the chance to speak.
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Christiane Amanpour joins us at Night for Rights via video. She is thankful for the award and says she has spent her entire career reporting on human rights issues.
by Belinda AlznerShe's always felt empowered to use the power the media have to shine a spotlight on the corners of darkness where power needs to be held accountable.She says it's pertinent to be receiving this this week, as the Pope has wrapped up a tour in North America. Many around him have said that his life mission is to "comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable." Sound familiar? This phrase is also true of all great journalism. -
And with that, we take a break. To eat, of course!
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We're back from dinner, and Dawna Freisen welcomes Toronto Raptors GM Masai Ujiri to the stage.
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Masai UjiriNight for Rights Honourary Co-ChairMasai Ujiri is the general manager of the Toronto Raptors, and is here tonight to talk about corporate responsibility and giving back.He starts off by shouting out to the Blue Jays, who he says are not a rival Toronto sports team. "It's unbelievable what they're doing."Ujiri is from Africa, and he believes in what Amanpour said earlier, that as leaders, they are responsible for speaking about things that are going around the world. Ujiri spent some time in East Africa this year. He tries to not to focus on the negative, and instead uses positivity to affect the youth through sports.Toronto Raptors GM @InMUWeTrust speaking now about creating change through positivity, through his experiences in Africa. #night4rights8:21 PM - 01 Oct 2015
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Ujiri introduces a video about JHR's work in the world's newest country, South Sudan.
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Another highlight in JHR's programs this year has been in South Sudan.In August, after the President of South Sudan uttered what could many interpreted as a threat, (“If any journalists do not know that this country has killed people, we shall demonstrate it one day, one time.”) Peter Moi, a reporter with the New Nation newspaper and the business weekly Corporate, was shot in the back in Juba. He was the eighth journalist to die in South Sudan this year.In response, private news media in Sudan held a news blackout. The President retracted his statement. Read more about the ongoing efforts in South Sudan from the Toronto Star.
Canadian journalism program sparks glimmer of hope in South Sudan | Metro News
metronews.caToronto-based Journalists for Human Rights has spent the past year in South Sudan working to create space for journalists. -
Grant McDonald
As a professional journalist and journalism trainer, Grant has been living and working in South Sudan implementing JHR’s latest project. While in South Sudan, Grant also freelanced as an international correspondent for Radio France International. Prior to his work overseas he was a News Anchor and Reporter for Talk Radio AM640 in Toronto. -
David De DauBorn in what is now the Republic of South Sudan, David became a child soldier at the age of nine. After 15 years he left the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement and Army for studies in Kenya. David now has a Bachelor’s degree and is Executive Director of the Agency for Independent Media.
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McDonald and De Dau are talking about their experiences in South Sudan. The individuals who McDonald worked with had seen war, but also knew perspective.David De Dau, former child soldier in Sudan, tells of dangers of ppl in war, not knowing what the war is abt @jhrnews http://t.co/By2qqyhsaK
8:30 PM - 01 Oct 2015- Reply
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De Dau and McDonald are asking people to donate in order to continue the South Sudan program.When you give, you're not investing in 50 journalists. You're investing in millions of innocent people in South Sudan.—David De Dau
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For the first time ever, we're doing a live-auction style donation round in hopes of reaching the $15,000 goal to continue the South Sudan program.We had a donation of $2,500! And $1,000. And numerous $500 donations. And even more $100 donations!THIS IS SO MUCH FUN.
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Going once...In addition to that donation lightning round, this year's Night for Rights also includes a live auction, hosted by The Auctionista! We're bidding on a number of prizes, including a trip to the Bahamas, the chance to sail with an Olympian and, my personal favourite—free cookies for a year. Yes please!8:38 PM - 01 Oct 2015
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Edit: No, I was wrong! My personal favourite is definitely the opportunity to have your kid read the weather forecast on Global News. -
Fun fact: Lisa Laflamme, anchor of CTV National News, won the Global News weather reading auction prize.And with the conclusion of the auction, the formal dinner portion of the evening is over. On to the after party!
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The #night4rights formal program has come to an end, but the night is just beginning. To the after party! Don't forget to share your photos!by Josh via twitter 10/2/2015 1:00:02 AM -
How to donateThank you for following along with the 2015 #night4rights liveblog! Like the work you saw here? Would you like to see it continue? You can donate on our website any time.Have a great night! Belinda Alzner, your resident liveblogger, signing out.
