Reports
About the IFJ - Africa Office
The international Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is a global confederation of journalists unions and associations. It is the world’s largest journalists association. Created in 1926, it was restored in 1946 and exists in its current form since 1952 representing over 600,000 journalists in 123 countries.
The IFJ Africa Office was established in January 2002. To date, the Africa office has been vigorously working to strengthen the national unions and associations in the continent. The office focuses on the development of independent and quality journalism in support of democratic, social and economic development.
The IFJ Africa Office has in its fold more than 30 member organizations in the continent. The IFJ Africa Office works to strengthen the unions and associations that will fight for the interests of all journalists at the country level.
The IFJ activities in Africa over the last years are centred on the following priorities:
- Trade union development,
- Safety of journalists,
- Relationship with public authorities and,
- Professional challenges.
IFJ AFRICA OFFICE STAFF
Director: Gabriel BAGLO, gabriel.baglo@ifjafrique.org
Trade Union Development Program Officer: Louis THOMASI, louis.thomasi@ifjafrique.org
Press Freedom Program Officer: Libasse HANE, libasse.hane@ifjafrique.org
Finance Officer: Amy Faye DIA,
Administrative Assistante: Rosalie Ndeye Bassene
PROGRAMMES
The past two decades in Africa have been characterised by various negative factors that have continued to impede the progress of the media. Most African governments have adopted obnoxious media legislations to ensure that they gag the independent press. These included outrageous registration and licensing fees, archaic defamation laws that imprisoned journalists for their work, and forceful arrest and detention of journalists without trial.
Journalists in Africa continue to receive death threats, face intimidation and harassment, arbitrary arrest and detention, and to be severely beaten and tortured. The media houses are relentlessly raided by state security agents and publications and media equipment seized and destroyed.
On the other hand, the public media in the continent continued to be monopolized by ruling parties and governments and in most instances are used as propaganda machineries.
To meet these challenges the IFJ Africa Office has embarked on programmes and campaigns addressing:
- Fight against impunity,
- Access to information,
- Trade Union Development and Collective bargaining,
- Press freedom and Freedom of Expression,
- Safety of the journalists.
Download :
Workplan 2008-2010 : Wkg Prog.pdf
IFJ Africa Leaflet :