Fellowship Alumni

DRC and Zimbabwe

Empowering Journalists, Building Peace

A man and woman hand a certificate to man.
Lydie and Golden present training certificates to participants.

2021 Fellowship Alumna Lydie Mukasekuru Mungala from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and 2016 Fellowship Alumnus Golden Maunganidze from Zimbabwe embarked on a project with a clear goal — introducing the concept of peace journalism to journalists and editors based in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Their mission was to facilitate a training program that focuses on accurate reporting of conflict situations, origin identification, and practical solutions.

A man stands in front of a powerpoint presentation.
Fellowship Alumnus Golden Maunganidze explaining the concept of peace journalism.

The collaboration, completed through a Leveraging Innovations in New Communities (LINC) Grant, brought together participants from various media platforms to impart essential peace journalism skills and contribute to conflict resolution and peace-building in the DRC. 

A man holds a sheet of paper with a scenario written out on it while a woman speaks.
Training participants present on a news scenario.

This collaboration helped me realize that I can use my skills, knowledge, and expertise to change the narrative of my community through journalism and credibly inform the community on the importance of peace and development.

Lydie Mukasekuru Mungala, 2021 Fellowship Alumna, Democratic Republic of the Congo

The training unfolded over three days and included a comprehensive overview of peace journalism, its inherent challenges, and promising prospects for positive community change. The subsequent modules delved deep into the heart of peace journalism, its nuances, and practical applications. Participants were encouraged to apply their newfound knowledge, as they were divided into groups and tasked with reporting on scenarios of their choosing. This exercise aimed to gauge their understanding of peace journalism in the context of news reporting and promote the practice of impartial and accurate journalism. 

A group of around 15 people pose for a picture standing around a sign about the workshop and holding training certificates.
Group photo with all the training participants.

In the final segment of this transformative journey, Lydie and Golden brought participants to visit two influential media houses, HK6 TV and Moliere TV. These visits provided a valuable platform for discussions and brainstorming about future collaborations, reflecting the growing interest in peace journalism in this region. 

A person and person standing next to a sign
Lydie and Golden posing for a picture after the training.

All participants in the training expressed their unwavering commitment to establishing a peace journalist platform over the next year, providing a forum to share challenges and developments related to the application of peace journalism. Two participants even envisioned an online content initiative dedicated to peace journalism, aiming to extend its reach to journalists in more remote regions of DRC.  

Lydie Mukasekuru described her experience working on the project, “This collaboration helped me realize that I can use my skills, knowledge, and expertise to change the narrative of my community through journalism and credibly inform the community on the importance of peace and development.” 

Written by Karigania Mwamlole.

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