Using New Media to Report and Document Climate Change - A Call to Women Journalists (Community Radio and TV)

Following the Women in Media and Environment conference, Women’sNet in partnership with the Media Development & Diversity Agency MDDA are hosting a workshop to train women journalists from community media (Radio and TV) in the practice of online and mobile citizen journalism in the wake of the COP17 conference to held in Durban from 28 November to 9 December 2011. Twelve years after the adoption of the Kyoto protocol, the United Nation Conference of the Parties (COP) will reconvene in Durban to discuss climate change.

The Johannesburg workshop will be the first phase in a series of activities facilitated around the COP17 conference, with the aim of empowering women to produce information that offers an alternative to mainstream media coverage, makes the link between the global issue of climate changes and local communities in South Africa, and proposes a feminist perspective on environmental issues, voicing the concerns of South African women. As the voice of women is missing from critiques, debates and reports on Climate change, our participation in offering an alternative voice through citizen journalism is crucial to ensure that women’s interest are taken into account in the negotiation undertaken by the COP conference.

Participants are invited to be part of the following activities:

1. Johannesburg workshop from 22 to 25 November 2011: introduction to climate change issues, citizen journalism, social media and mobile advocacy.Participnats will create online content to share with partners locally and around the globe.
2.  Durban conference from 28 November to 9 December 2011: attendance to the Durban COP17 events and C17 civil society events to be held on UKZN campus: reporting and commenting on the conference using Online Platforms and linking to alternative media with the help of Women’sNet facilitators.
3.  Report back activity to be held in Johannesburg following the conference.

Women’sNet will cover the cost of participation (transport, accommodation & food) to the Johannesburg workshop and the Durban COP17 conference for 10 participants.

Only 10 journalists will be selected, so please hurry and send in your motivation to secure your participation. To register your participation please confirm your attendance before the 18 November 2011 to:

Lerato Legoabe,
Co-Director, Women’sNet
lerato [at] womensnet [dot] org [dot] za or Fanisa [at] womensnet [dot] org [dot] za
Phone: +27 11 429 0000