By: Mariama Njie
Erich- Brost Institute of Journalism organized day training for 30 young journalists on migration aimed at generating interest to give them deeper understanding of reporting on migration, and contribute to the national development.
Many people on the Africa continent don’t know about migration and by 2050 around 2.2 billion people could be added to the global population and more than half of that growth will occur in Africa.
Veye Tatah representative of African Institute for Media Migration and Development described the training as key, adding that migration is an interdisciplinary subject that connects a lot of doors.
“It has to do with development in our countries, like political situation, climate change and the living standard of people”, she added.
She pointed out that migration entails lot of issues in our societies that journalist should focus on those issues and look for a way to solve them.
“This training for the journalist is important, we will exchange ideas and look in depth to critical factors that are hindering living standard of our people”, she noted
Mrs. Tatah, explained that, the government of The Gambia should invest a lot in agriculture to create job opportunities for the youths.
“When youths lack the perspective in their society, they think that it is better somewhere than home. Back home we have all the potentials but we are not looking at it critically”, she said.
Eric Chinje, International Consultant on Communication and Development, Said migration climate change and trade are the biggest issues in Africa.
He also described the training as significant, adding that journalist should focus on migration because it entails a lot of issues.
He urged journalist to engage migrants by asking them why they decide to migrate and a lot more.
“If you don’t have a purpose in journalism, you will end up been purposeless. Every journalist should have purpose to bring change in the country”, he said.
Chinje, stated that migration is one of the biggest issue at this time in today’s history, adding that it is a big story that tell one about the quality of development.
According to him, people migrate away from difficulties, adding that if people are moving away from any country in Africa, then journalists should ask what’s pushing them out.
“People move away from their natural environment when there is a problem, the Syrian migrates as a result of war, Somalians in millions when their country went into crisis”, he noted.
He explained that, many people migrate for different purposes such as economic policies that is not creating job opportunities, health and educational reasons.
“We are inviting journalist to take a positive attitude towards migration, positive in a sense that it can allow you learn more about your country”, he added.
