Gulf Journalists Discuss Democracy and Media Issues

Forty journalists from four Gulf Countries, including women journalists, gathered to discuss democratic transition in the Arab World and how to transform democracy into a cultural concept.  The two-day workshop, which was organised by the Network of Democrats in the Arab World (NDAW), was hosted by the Al-Wasat Newspaper and took place in Bahrain from the 25th to 26th of January 2009. The MEPI funded project aims at enhancing the capacity of Arab journalists to monitor media violations, combat restrictions on independent media, and protect journalists.  Participants discussed steps that journalists need to take in order to create a network that gathers them together, allows them to communicate, and unites them in facing obstacles.

The workshop embodies cooperation between journalists throughout the Arab world.  It is part of a project that aims to create a network that brings together journalist from different Arab countries to allow them to benefit from each other’s skills and experiences.  NDAW believes that their Network Initiative will help protect journalists from exposing themselves to prosecution and censorship. In addition to the Bahrain workshop the Network has carried out other workshops in Cairo and Algiers, and will soon hold a workshop in Jordan in order to target journalists from eight different Arab countries. The Jordan workshop will be concluded by a founding conference for this network to adopt a charter, elect the board, and approve an action plan.