2015-05-04

As a leader in media training and education in the Palestinian community in Israel, I’lam leads a range of initiatives that aim to develop the skills and knowledge of professionals in our community. Through workshops, debates and other initiatives, we are able to train and empower journalists, civic activists, and even NGOs. Through our own experience we can teach these groups to utilize a variety of media tools to promote their mission and achieve their goals, and through this to disseminate information and frame public opinion.
Among such projects are educational courses for reporters, civic activists and NGO members. They are taught by Palestinian experts in the field of media, and cover a range of topics from editing and photography, to specialized journalism sensitive to issues such as human rights, conflict, and gender. A number of such courses have been held in collaboration with Birzeit University near Ramallah. In addition, I’lam leads study groups and educational workshops at six local high schools, teaching young people how to critically consume, classify and utilize media. Through these projects we teach about the importance of freedom of expression and the potential of new media tools for this expression, and also about the collective memory that we are now forming in our community through past and present prominent journalists. Through these workshops we aim to empower a new generation of youth in our community.
Another training project that took place recently was a workshop led by I’lam for the Coalition of Women for Peace (CWP). This women’s group campaigns for peace, a just society, and the inclusion of women in public discourse. They also run a series of lectures and courses for the public, covering a range of issues including culture, gender, social activism and economic justice. These take place both locally and internationally, often alongside human rights organisations and global women’s movements.
I’lam’s workshop took place at the CWP headquarters, and both educated and trained members of the coalition in media strategies and the use of different media tools. In this way we could support and empower the women present, helping them to continue their own empowering and capacity-building work by making the most effective use of the media. This is just one example of I’lam’s training initiatives – another, which focuses on the training of young leaders in our communities, has recently begun, and you can find out more about that project on our website.