IAWRT honors members for service, achievement

In the recently-concluded 39th IAWRT Biennial Conference in Tanzania, three members received the Service Award and one was given the Lifetime Achievement Award from outgoing president Violet Gonda, on behalf of the IAWRT International Board 2020-2022. 

Birgitte Jallov from Denmark, Nupur Basu from India and Liz Miller from USA were conferred the IAWRT Service Award. Rose Haji Mwalimu of Tanzania was given the Lifetime Achievement Award. 

Read the citations for the awardees below:

The IAWRT International Board 2017-2020 conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award to IAWRT USA Chapter head Sheila Dallas-Katzman and Service Award to former IAWRT web journalist Nonee Walsh from Australia in the IAWRT online biennial in 2020. The biennial was held online then due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns around the world. 

Al Jazeera files case at ICC over journalist Shireen Abu Akleh’s killing 

The Al Jazeera network has submitted a case against Israeli forces at the International Criminal Court (ICC) over the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh. 

Al Jazeera, based in Doha and funded by the Qatari state, said in a statement on December 6 ‘ , “The claim by the Israeli authorities that Shireen was killed by mistake in an exchange of fire is completely unfounded.”

“Al Jazeera has highlighted in its submission to the ICC Prosecutor that the new witness evidence and video footage clearly show that Shireen and her colleagues were directly fired at by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF),” the network said.

Shireen’s family submitted their own complaint to the ICC in September. 

The Palestinian-American journalist was shot dead by the Israeli Army in Jenin in the West Bank on May 11, 2022 while wearing a body armor and a helmet clearly-marked “PRESS.” 

Shireen’s funeral was the longest in Palestine, lasting for three days, and going through four Palestinian cities: Jenin, Nablus, Ramallah and lastly in Jerusalem, where she was laid to rest.  Shireen was mourned by millions of Palestinians inside the country and in diaspora, in addition to millions of Arabs and internationals around the world.

Shireen, 51, spent the last 25 years reporting for Al-Jazeera Arabic Channel.

IAWRT welcomes efforts to continue seeking justice for the killing of Shireen. 

Read IAWRT story on the killing of Shireen. 

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Lady Ann Salem nominated for RSF’s Independence Prize in 30th Press Freedom Prize

IAWRT Philippines member and IAWRT Communications Officer Lady Ann Salem was nominated among five journalists and media outlets from around the world for the Independence Prize in the 30th Annual Press Freedom Awards of Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Fifteen journalists and media outlets including Salem were shortlisted for the three categories, the other two are Courage and Impact. Salem is the only nominee from the Philippines. 

Salem is nominated for the Independence Prize along with Tolo News from Afghanistan, Omar Radi from Morocco, Bettie K. Johnson Mbayo from Liberia, and Bolot Temirov from Kyrgyzstan.

The Prize for Independence is awarded to journalists, media or NGOs for resisting pressure (including financial, political, economic or religious pressure) or because of the values and rules that enable them to resist.

“She embodies journalism’s future in the Philippines, a new generation of journalists following the trail blazed by Maria Ressa,” RSF said of Salem.

Salem led the building of the IAWRT’s first digital safe house for women journalists, using her own experiences as a guide.  

Manila Today, her alternative media outfit in the Philippines, said they are “elated with the nomination and recognition of its editor who continues to face charges in connection to her imprisonment in 2020. The government sought to reverse the dismissal of the charges against her at the Court of Appeals in 2021, a case that is pending up to this day.” 

International Human Rights Day on December 10 this year will mark the 2nd year since Salem’s arrest. 

The RSF Press Freedom Awards will be presented in Paris on December 12 this year in a ceremony opened by 2021 Nobel Peace Laureate Dmitry Muratov. 

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