ACILA builds capacity of journalists on human rights

 
Stories from Isaac Akwetey-Okunor
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The Africa Center for International Law and Accountability (ACILA), a research and education, non-profit and non-partisan think tank incorporated under the laws of the United States of America and Ghana, has trained about 30 selected journalists drawn from the Eastern and Volta regions on human rights.

The two days training seminar, which took place in the Eastern Regional capital, Koforidua, was to enhance the awareness of and capacity to deal with human rights issues among experienced and practicing media professionals.

A lecturer at the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) and human rights lawyer, Zakaria Tanko Musah, charged media practitioners to read more on human rights laws in order to be in the best position to defend the rights of the venerable in society.

He averred that every human being has a reserved fundamental human right to exercise, and that right has to be respected.

The Executive Director of ACILA, Mr. William Nyarko, encouraged journalists in the country to be circumspect in their reportage, notwithstanding the freedom of speech and expression provision in the Constitution.

A reporter and participant of the two days training seminar, Mr. Isaac Ofori of Oman FM, lauded the initiative of the management of ACILA to organise such an important training programme.

According to him, many journalists don't have a proper understanding of human rights and, therefore, abuse people instead of protecting them.