SOLJA Holds Panel Discussion on Organizations’ Three Years Development Strategic Plan
Hargeisa, -(SOLJA) – Somaliland Journalists Association (SOLJA) in collaboration with the Academy for Peace and Development (APD) and Inter-peace organized a three day panel discussion workshop at Guled Hotel with the objective of
validating the organization’s draft three year strategic plan.
The opening ceremony of the workshop was attended by Deputy Information Minister, Shukri Harir Ismail, Attorney General Hassan Ahmed, MP Hassan Awale Ainan, Chairman of Academy for Peace and Development (APD) Mohamed Farah and other distinguished guests.
The participants of the workshop belong to Somaliland media institutions, government, and private sector and Civil society organizations. Through organizing the workshop, SOLJA aims at revolutionizing the country’s media within a span of three years.
Shukri Harir Ismail, deputy Information Minister, in her opening remarks on Tuesday said that sound, bold and independent journalism is vital in any democratic society. Deputy Information Minister also stated that the country’s strong and independent media became a referee between government and
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the workshop, the chairman of SOLJA Mr. Mohamoud Abdi Jama aka Huto stated that the three years strategic plan drafted by his organization requires input by all media stakeholders in the country thence an all-encompassing design before implementation.
Slated for actualization from July 2015 to July 2018 the strategic plan has three main goals that are geared towards facilitating a robust public information disbursement mechanism namely:
I. Improved Regulatory and Policy environment conducive to pluralistic and diverse media work,
II. Increased skill based capacities for media houses and individual journalists and
1. Establishment of effective Internal Structures Policies and Procedures-ISPP within the SOLJA hierarchy Vis ‘a’ Vis its affiliate organizations and individuals.
From the above major goals that SOLJA intends to achieve within the lifespan of the strategic plan members and institutional capacity building as well as putting in place an effective code of conduct for stringent self-regulatory measures are supreme.
The lead facilitator of the SOLJA strategic plan validation workshop and former BBC Somali service anchorman Younis Ali Nuur told participants that “while improved journalistic skills are of import to your work that has governing laws approved by parliament more important is the availability of a code of conduct which is an internal process by relevant actors”.
Stressing on the importance of the Code of conduct the veteran journalist who is currently a media training consultant for both SOLJA and the Somaliland ministry of information in Hargeisa said that availability and proper adherence to such a process shall go a long way towards reducing friction with the government.
The three days Somaliland Media development Strategic plan Validation workshop runs from 2nd to 4th July 2015.
About SOLJA
Somaliland Journalist Association –SOLJA was established in 2003 with the purpose of “Defend and Promote” the rights of the media in the country.
SOLJA which aspires to ensure that the local Media realizes its capacity in executing its activities within its ethical norms hence exercise freedom of expression in a fearless atmosphere is indebted to its main sponsor the National Endowment for Democracy-NED and others for supporting its Mission of Empowering Somaliland media in its field of expertise hence safeguard its professional rights to Guarantee ethical journalist.