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United News of India
15-05-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
Civil society organisations urge Sri Lankan govt to enact critical reforms
Colombo, May 15 (UNI) Civil society groups such as the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), together with its affiliates the Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA) and the Free Media Movement (FMM), has urged the new government to heed civil society calls to bring the country forward on critical reforms. Issuing a statement, the IFJ raised concerns over the Sri Lankan government's apparent reluctance to engage with civil society, warning that the administration under newly elected President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is falling short of its promises on transparency and inclusive governance, News Wire reports. Despite repeated efforts by civil society organisations, the government has so far remained unresponsive to calls for renewed commitment to the Open Government Partnership (OGP)—a global initiative aimed at promoting transparency, empowering citizens, combating corruption and improving governance. Critics argue that this silence undermines public trust and raises questions about the administration's willingness to foster meaningful citizen participation in decision-making. Under the mandate of the OGP, members are required to create a two-year National Action Plan through a multi-stakeholder process to implement governance reforms in collaboration with civil society. Organisations such as Transparency International Sri Lanka and the Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement, as co-conveners of the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) involved in Sri Lanka's OGP process, urged the government to recommit to the OGP or potentially be expelled from the multilateral initiative. In a statement, the groups said the continued silence underscored a broader pattern of weak consultative governance and emphasised that restoring trust in public institutions required a firm commitment to open, inclusive and participatory governance that reflects the voices and needs of the people. The current frustration from Sri Lankan civil society groups, while targeted at the new administration, is also underpinned by a long pattern of neglect by previous governments. From 2021 to 2023, successive governments failed to submit a National Action Plan under the OGP, prompting the global OGP Steering Committee to designate Sri Lanka as 'inactive' in a resolution passed on May 10, 2024. To restore its active status, Sri Lanka was due to submit a new Action Plan by May 10, 2025, but the current administration has yet to comply. The FMM said: 'The government's inaction – while retaining draconian legislation – exposes its indifference to constitutional freedoms. FMM demands immediate recommitment to OGP with civil society to repeal anti-media laws; embed press freedom in the National Action Plan and guarantee transparent policymaking. Media freedom cannot survive without institutional checks. The OGP is our last firewall against authoritarian regression.' The SLWJA said: 'We believe it's crucial to re-engage the current Sri Lankan government in a participatory governance model that includes civil society organisations. In the past, the Sri Lankan government has had positive experiences working with such civil organisations to implement 'Good Governance.' Reviving this approach could lead to more effective and accountable governance.' The IFJ said: 'Press freedom can only thrive within a functioning democracy, and the continued neglect of participatory governance and civil society engagement raises serious questions about the administration's commitment to legislative reform. It is urgent that press freedom is front and centre of such a discussion.' UNI ANV SS
Saba Yemen
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Saba Yemen
International Federation of Journalists: What happening in Gaza genocide, world's silence shameful
Brussels - Saba: Journalists and representatives of media institutions and international organizations participated in a solidarity vigil in Brussels, Belgium, on Tuesday evening, in front of the European Union headquarters, in support of Palestinian journalists, especially those working in the Gaza Strip. Participants in the vigil raised Palestinian flags and pictures of several journalists killed while covering the aggression on Gaza. They also held banners demanding an immediate end to the targeting of journalists and the urgent need for European and international action to protect them and guarantee freedom of journalism in the occupied Palestinian territories. "What we are witnessing today is the worst phase in the history of journalism, with more than 210 journalists killed by the Israeli army, amid shameful international silence," IFJ Secretary General Antonio Bellanger told Quds Press. He added, "We issue a clear appeal from here: Stop these massacres, stop the genocide, let journalists report the truth, and allow us and our colleagues from around the world to enter the Gaza Strip." Bellange directed sharp criticism at European governments, asking, "We do not understand why these governments are silent, and why they do not act to stop the massacres being committed in full view of the world. What is being slaughtered in Gaza is our humanity as a whole." The Secretary-General pointed out that the targeting of journalists is not separate from the targeting of civilians, including children, women, and medical and humanitarian personnel, calling for real action to hold those responsible for crimes against media professionals accountable. In this context, Bellanger, on behalf of the International Federation of Journalists, which represents more than 600,000 journalists worldwide, called for "the need to hold the leaders of the occupation responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity accountable before international courts, in accordance with the Charter of International and Humanitarian Law." For her part, Dominique Pradali, President of the International Federation of Journalists, said: "Journalism is being slaughtered in Palestine, and we are here to say: Enough. Freedom of expression is not a local issue, but a global one that requires effective international solidarity." Pradali revealed a new initiative led by the Federation, in cooperation with international legal experts, aimed at drafting a binding international convention to protect journalists, given the current absence of an international legal framework to protect them. The proposed convention aims to end impunity by establishing an independent international commission of inquiry to investigate the killing of journalists and hold accountable those who carried out and issued the orders. The International Federation of Journalists called on global media outlets and governments to support this convention, in preparation for its submission to the United Nations for formal adoption, warning that "the absence of protection mechanisms simply means there may be no journalists in the future." Whatsapp Telegram Email Print
The National
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Gazan photojournalist, set to feature in documentary at Cannes festival, is killed in Israeli air strike
Culture Film & TV Fatima Hassouna died earlier this week along with nine members of her family Evelyn Lau April 18, 2025 Fatima Hassouna, a Palestinian photojournalist and artist who captured everyday life under siege in Gaza, was killed in an Israeli air strike on Wednesday. She was 33. Hassouna is the central figure in Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk, a documentary by Iranian filmmaker Sepideh Farsi that was selected this week for screening at this year's Cannes Film Festival. The film centres on video conversations between the two women and paints a portrait of life during war as told from inside Gaza. The attack on Hassouna's family home in Gaza city came just a day after the film's official selection was announced by Acid, a Cannes sidebar dedicated to independent cinema. Nine of her family members also died in the strike. A graduate of the University College of Applied Sciences in Gaza, Hassouna had contributed photojournalism to international media outlets, including The Guardian, often working independently to document the impact of the Israeli military campaign on her community. In the days before her death, she continued to share glimpses of daily life online, such as a sunset from her balcony in a rare moment of quiet. In an earlier post, she wrote: 'If I die, I want a loud death. I don't want to be in a breaking news story, nor in a number with a group. I want a death that is heard by the world, a trace that lasts forever, and immortal images that neither time nor place can bury.' In an interview with France's Le Monde, Farsi described Hassouna as 'a sun', recalling how she sent daily images, messages and voice notes despite the dangers. 'Every morning, I would wake up and wonder if she was still alive,' Farsi said. Acid also paid tribute on social media, writing: 'Her smile was as magical as her tenacity: bearing witness, photographing Gaza, distributing food despite bombs, grief and hunger. Her story reached us and we rejoiced at each of her appearances to know she was alive; we feared for her. Yesterday, we learnt with horror that an Israeli missile targeted her building.' Since the start of the war, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) estimates that more than 150 journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza, though some reports put the figure above 200. The IFJ has called for an independent investigation and an end to the targeting of reporters. Hassouna's story now forms part of the documentary she helped shape, and one that will be screened for audiences in Cannes next month. 'This is a different film than the one we will carry, support and present in every theatre,' Acid said. 'All of us, filmmakers and spectators, must be worthy of her light.'
The National
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Gazan photojournalist, set to feature in Cannes documentary, killed by Israeli air strike
Fatima Hassouna, a Palestinian photojournalist and artist who captured everyday life under siege in Gaza, was killed in an Israeli air strike on Wednesday. She was 33. Hassouna is the central figure in Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk, a documentary by Iranian filmmaker Sepideh Farsi that was selected this week for screening at this year's Cannes Film Festival. The film centres on video conversations between the two women and paints a portrait of life during war as told from inside Gaza. The attack on Hassouna's family home in Gaza city came just a day after the film's official selection was announced by ACID, a Cannes sidebar dedicated to independent cinema. Nine of her family members also died in the strike. A graduate of the University College of Applied Sciences in Gaza, Hassouna had contributed photojournalism to international media outlets, including The Guardian, often working independently to document the impact of the Israeli military campaign on her community. In the days before her death, she continued to share glimpses of daily life online, such as a sunset from her balcony in a rare moment of quiet. In an earlier post, she wrote: 'If I die, I want a loud death. I don't want to be in a breaking news story, nor in a number with a group. I want a death that is heard by the world, a trace that lasts forever, and immortal images that neither time nor place can bury.' In an interview with France's Le Monde, Farsi described Hassouna as 'a sun', recalling how she sent daily images, messages and voice notes despite the dangers. 'Every morning, I would wake up and wonder if she was still alive,' Farsi said. ACID also paid tribute on social media, writing: 'Her smile was as magical as her tenacity: bearing witness, photographing Gaza, distributing food despite bombs, grief and hunger. Her story reached us and we rejoiced at each of her appearances to know she was alive; we feared for her. Yesterday, we learnt with horror that an Israeli missile targeted her building.' Since the start of the war, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) estimates that more than 150 journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza, though some reports put the figure above 200. The IFJ has called for an independent investigation and an end to the targeting of reporters. Hassouna's story now forms part of the documentary she helped shape, and one that will be screened for audiences in Cannes next month. 'This is a different film than the one we will carry, support and present in every theatre,' ACID said. 'All of us, filmmakers and spectators, must be worthy of her light.'
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Photojournalist Fatima Hassona killed in Gaza day after documentary selected for Cannes
Fatima Hassona, a Palestinian photojournalist who's stars in a documentary selected to be screened at Cannes next month, has reportedly been killed in an Israeli air strike on her home in northern Gaza. A graduate of the University College of Applied Sciences in Gaza, Fatima was not just a photographer, she was a visual witness to a reality that is getting harsher by the day. Hours before she was killed, she posted a photo of the sunset from her balcony, writing: "This is the first sunset in a long time." In an earlier post, she wrote: "As for the inevitable death, if I die, I want a loud death, I don't want me in a breaking news story, nor in a number with a group, I want a death that is heard by the world, a trace that lasts forever, and immortal images that neither time nor place can bury." The day before she was killed, the Association of Independent Cinema for Distribution (ACID) announced that the documentary Put your soul on your hand and walk, by exiled Iranian filmmaker Sepideh Farsi, had been selected for next month's Cannes Film Festival Fatma is the central character in the film, and its selection could have been a milestone in her career and an opportunity to share her vision with the world. In an interview with French daily Le Monde, the Iranian filmmaker described Fatima in moving words, saying that she "was a sun". She added: "She was covering the war in Gaza, occasionally collaborating with media outlets by sending photos and videos. "Every day she would send me photos, written messages and audio clips. Every morning, I would wake up and wonder if she was still alive." Since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) estimates that at least 157 journalists and media workers have been killed, with other reports suggesting that the real number may exceed 200. The IFJ mourned Fatima and condemned the continued targeting of reporters, emphasising the need to end Israel's impunity. "This massacre must stop," it said, calling for an immediate and independent investigation into the killing of journalists. "Journalists in conflict zones should be treated as civilians and allowed to carry out their work without interference," said IFJ General Secretary Anthony Belanger. "There is widespread global interest in what is happening in Gaza, but we can only see the truth if journalists are allowed access to it. Doctors Without Borders said in a statement: "Gaza has become a mass grave for Palestinians and those who help them." The organisation's emergency coordinator, Amand Pazerol, added: "We are witnessing in real time the destruction and forced displacement of the entire Gazan population." Fatima Hassona was not only a journalist, but a humanitarian voice and an unforgettable image in the history of a city that dies and is reborn every day. Her work bears witness to a reality that she did not stop documenting until the last moment.
