By: Hafsatu Z Bangura
MRCG National Coordinator, Dr. Sowa & SLAJ Secretary General, Manika officially launched the Transitional Justice Manual on the 31st of July 2022 at the SLAJ hall building in Freetown.
With support from Africa Transitional Justice Legacy Fund (ATJLF), the Media Reform Coordinating Group (MRCG) has launched the Transitional Justice Manual which would serve as a resource guide for journalists, Civil Society Organizations and researchers working on Transitional Justice Issues in West Africa.
The Transitional Justice Manual would help to capacitate media practitioners in West Africa to understand the forms and approaches of transitional justice and the angles they would like to report on when it comes to justice.
The launching ceremony was held at the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) Hall, Campbell Street in Freetown.
Speaking to media practitioners during the launching ceremony, the National Coordinator of MRCG, Dr. Francis Sowa said the Transitional Justice Manual is part of a project titled, “Engaging the Media to Change the Narrative on Transitional Justice (TJ) Issues in Sierra Leone,” and that the project is implemented by MRCG with the support they received from the Africa Transitional Justice Legacy Fund (ATJLF).
He maintained that the idea of transitional justice reporting started at the end of the conflict in which media practitioners reported on stories dealing with the country’s transition from conflict to peace, adding that reporting on transitional justice occurs mainly after instances of civil conflict, war and human rights abuses in Africa.
Dr. Sowa pointed out that the major focus of the project is to work with media institutions and practitioners to engage in coverage and reportage on transitional justice mechanisms thereby increasing public awareness and following up on commitments and actions on Transitional Justice issues. He said most journalists focus on reporting on transitional justice immediately after human rights violations and abuses, so journalists should start reporting on transitional justice issues.
He maintained that the Handbook is to serve as a toolkit for media practitioners in West Africa to understand the forms and approaches of transitional justice and the angles and frames of reporting on them.
He continued that some of the things that took the country to war like human rights violations, human rights abuses, and corruption among others are still happening but not at a very large scale, but people should concern that they are happening in a certain part of the country and some of the recommendations that were made by the TRC are still not properly implemented.
“The MRCG hopes that media practitioners in West Africa will use the manual to hone their skills in reporting on transitional justice. While the Handbook is produced primarily for media practitioners, trainers and advocates on TJ issues will also find it very useful and helpful,” he disclosed.
The National Coordinator pointed out that the role of the Media Reform Coordinating Group is to engage the media to change the narrative on transitional justice reporting, stating that transitional justice reporting is not the type of reporting that should stop only at the time the war ended in the country but said even in time of peace it must be noted that we must keep reminding ourselves about the things that took the country to civil war.
“I want to encourage journalists to go back to the TRC report and see those recommendations that are not yet been implemented and develop stories and ideas around them. I will like to inform journalists that we will soon launch our second set of coaching and mentoring projects Transitional Justice” said Dr Sowa.
Giving a testimony, one of the mentees of the 2020 Transitional Justice Mentorship Programme, Ishmael Sallieu Koroma, expressed appreciation to MRCG and ATJLF for creating the platform for him during his 2020 Transitional Justice Mentorship Programme which he described as an eye-opener towards Transitional Justice issues.
He pointed out that during the process of reporting the stories he realized that many of the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Report have not been implemented by the Government of Sierra Leone.
Koroma disclosed that the 2020 Transitional Justice Mentorship Programme serves as a platform for him towards improving his skills in transitional justice reporting.
Launching the manual, Secretary General of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists, Alhaji Manika Kamara commended MRCG for the laudable venture towards putting together the manual which, he said, will capacitate media practitioners in West Africa to understand the forms and approaches of transitional justice.
He said that the Association, over the years, has been encouraging journalists to specialize in various areas and one of them is Transitional Justice reporting because the issue of transitional justice still occurs in the country, adding that it is the responsibility of journalists to remind the Government about those issues in our society.
The Secretary-General encouraged journalists to make good use of the Transitional Justice Manual which will serve as a resource guide for journalists, CSOs and researchers working on Transitional Justice not only in Sierra Leone but West Africa as a whole.
