Media that Matters: Translating Rights into Reality

The following is an excerpt from a piece I wrote in Peace Magazine for the October-December issue.

"Awareness is the first and most necessary step in ending human rights abuses.” ...it’s a statement I have found myself saying over and over again both to myself and to others when talking about human rights violations around the world and the media’s role in reporting these issues. After all, if people aren’t aware of the rights and freedoms they are entitled to, how can one possibly, in the words of the ever-wise Bob Marley, “get up, stand up—stand up for your rights”?

Yes, awareness is the answer. It’s so intuitive, so common sense, so simple. But alas, common sense does not necessarily reflect reality and simple does not mean easy. Regrettably, around the world, including some of the most developed and prosperous countries, there is an outrageous and glaring lack of awareness of our most basic and fundamental human rights.

The media have a huge role to play in solving this problem by highlighting the gap between every individual’s guaranteed human rights and what they experience in reality. With their ability to reach millions of people, whether through print, radio, television, or now in our increasingly digital world, the Internet, the media are essential to a vibrant democracy that does not tolerate arbitrary abuse.

Journalists for Human Rights trainers working alongside a local journalist in Ghana

Let me demonstrate. A single radio station in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the most important medium for information in the country, reaches thousands of Congolese people. Now multiply that by the approximately 360 local community radio stations that exist in the DRC and imagine the number of people who can be informed of their rights. In fact, a study in Ghana on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child found that the media was the largest source of information about the treaty. The media thus has the power to expose human rights abuses when they happen, to hold relevant actors accountable for their actions, and to empower marginalized and vulnerable communities to speak out and protect themselves.

But herein lies the rub: We live in a world where press freedom has been on the decline, where only 35% of all the countries in the world enjoy a free press, and where the infrastructure for a strong and independent media is, in many countries, virtually nonexistent.

In such a situation, it is no wonder that investment in local media is largely missing from the wider discussion of international development. Indeed, media development makes up a meager 0.5% of all international development efforts.

Despite this seemingly insignificant number, some organizations are working tirelessly to strengthen the journalism sector in some of the harshest conditions in the world—and are even achieving tangible success. To continue reading, download the PDF here.

Thank you!

I celebrated my birthday just last week and this year, instead of asking for gifts, I asked family and friends to donate to Journalists for Human Rights. And guess what? Through a simple ask, we managed to raise $600 in less than two weeks...all of which will be going to fund our programs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo!

I honestly cannot think of a better gift than your support of an organization and a cause that means so much to me. I've been blown away by everyone's generosity and cannot thank you all enough for making this birthday so much more special.

Here's a short video to express my thanks and to show you where exactly your money is going :)

Salamat, merci, grazie, gracias, danke, bedankt, asante, meda ase, děkuji, thank you!

Respect for the Democratic System

I'm a little bit late on this post but feel it's still relevant regardless of the time frame. We had a provincial election here in Ontario just last week and this time around, I worked as a poll official. To be perfectly honest, I just really needed the extra cash the job offered. But let me tell you, the reward I got out of doing this was worth so much more than that. As cheesy as this may sound, my respect and appreciation for my country and the democratic system grew a hundred fold after doing this.

I had a training session a week before the election and for a good three hours or so, we were taught our roles and responsibilities, what to expect on election day, and the different scenarios we may encounter with electors. But a large portion of the session focused on the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and our responsibility to treat electors with a disability with all the respect and dignity that they deserve. We were trained to ensure that their experience in voting was as easy, convenient, and comfortable as any other person. As I sat there in the elections office, I couldn't help but think, is this for real? How lucky am I (are we) to live in a country where the major concern is to make sure the electoral process is as accessible as possible to all people. For example, did you know that if you have a disability and cannot make it out to the polling station, you can request someone from Elections Ontario or Elections Canada (depending on what kind of election it is) to have the ballot box come to you in the comforts of your own home? Seriously. This is the kind of country we live in. It is actually amazing. Meanwhile, there are others around the world who are literally dying for their right to vote.

And on actual election day, it just felt good to experience first hand everything that happens behind the scenes...to verify poll officials' empty ballot boxes both at the beginning of the day and at the end of the night, to properly process scrutineers to make sure they are representing who they say they're representing, to interact with electors, and of course, to actually be the one to count the ballots that represent the voice of the people (incredibly low voter turnout aside). In a year that's been rocked by protest movements in the Middle East and North Africa region, this whole experience just meant all the more...the whole day, all I could keep thinking was that while I carry out my seemingly small civic duty, there are millions of people out there on the streets, fighting and risking their lives to do what I'm doing today. And I felt grateful, and humbled, to have been sitting at my poll in a basement of that small church in a suburban city....

Birthday, birthday, birthday!

You guessed it! My birthday is coming up! And in addition to my yearly tradition of dancing my face and feet off to usher in another fabulous year of life, I've decided to give up my presents this year and instead, ask all my friends and family (that's you!) to donate to my favorite organization: Journalists for Human Rights. I've been working with this organization for the past two years now and have seen first-hand the incredible progress we, along with our partners, have made in improving human rights by using the power of the media. Watch my ask in the video below :)

Any donation - $5, $10, $15, $20 - will make a difference and I assure you, 100% of all the money raised for my birthday will go to our programs overseas. If you want more information about jhr and/or where your money is going, visit the website at www.jhr.ca or just give me a shout!

In advance, merci buckets for all of your contributions! You are giving the gift of human rights and that is worth more than anything you could possibly buy anywhere else. You are my heroes.