All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Prevention of Genocide and Other Crimes Against Humanity

Genocide Prevention Group’s Chair hosts workshop for journalists on the media’s “responsibility to report”

Ottawa, (September 1, 2009) – Paul Dewar, Chair of the Canadian All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Prevention of Genocide and Other Crimes Against Humanity (the Genocide Prevention Group), is hosting a workshop for journalists today on Parliament Hill.

Since the Rwandan Genocide in 1994, it’s been acknowledged that governments failed to act, in part, because of lack of pressure from the media.

“The media fulfill an important role in raising awareness, reporting human rights violations and ensuring that Canadians are aware of the humanitarian situations around the world,” said Paul Dewar. “The media are key players in rallying public and parliamentary support for preventing mass atrocities.”

The Genocide Prevention Group aims to promote understanding of the current situations of human rights violations and to increase the flow of information and analysis to Parliamentarians about genocide and other crimes against humanity.

After consulting with Carleton University’s Journalism Professor Allan Thompson in June 2009, the Genocide Prevention Group decided to host a workshop for journalists on reporting global human rights violations from their desks in Ottawa.

At the workshop, University of Ottawa Professor Rita Abrahamsen will provide background information on conflict, genocide and contemporary African politics. Rwandan genocide survivor and CPAC producer, Alice Musabende will discuss early warning signs and tribal and cultural differences, and media trainer Marie-Jo Proulx will share information on best practices for reporting on these issues from Ottawa.  Participants will discuss challenges in covering international conflict stories and identify steps to improve the flow of information to their Canadian audiences.