Panos Caribbean & Central America 2002

Child Rights . Public Health (in particular HIV/AIDS) . Environment . Gender and Social Justice . Archive Regional Training Courses

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2002 Annual Report Panos Caribbean and Central America programme

The year 2002 saw a large increase both in the scope and reach of Panos activities in Haiti as well as in the Caribbean region. During the year we significantly expanded projects and activities in the following three thematic fields: child rights, HIV/AIDS and environment.

The Panos Caribbean and Central America Programme was launched in 1989. In recent years, due to financial constraints, most of the programme activities had been concentrated in Haiti, the poorest country of the Western Hemisphere. However, media productions were regularly disseminated to the media and journalists in the entire region, in English, French, Kreyol and Spanish. This year we were able to implement many more activities in Haiti, as well as to start a specific programme for the Eastern Caribbean sub-region.

In 2002, Panos organized 156 training courses and other events in Haiti, in particular in the area of child rights and HIV/AIDS. Media workers (journalists and media managers) were targeted for training and production events, as well as groups affected by the issues under consideration, such as children - in particular child journalists - and people living with HIV/AIDS.

Two training courses for journalists were held in the Eastern Caribbean, where a sub-regional programme was started, initially focusing on the environment.

Panos continued the production of media support material - in four languages - in the form of media briefings, feature articles and journalistic guidelines. Within the scope of the Global Movement for Children and various projects, we facilitated the production and dissemination of information produced by children. We also embarked on photojournalism as a new major area, both in Haiti as well as in the Eastern Caribbean.

We continued to collect oral testimonies of people marginalized in the development process, such as street children, children in domestic servitude and people affected by HIV/AIDS.

Journalistic networks were strengthened through the implementation of many joint activities. In Haiti we worked in particular with the Centre for Communication on HIV/AIDS (CECOSIDA) and the Association of Haitian Photographers (APH). In the Caribbean region close collaboration was continued with the Caribbean Environmental Reporters Network (CERN).

Two new offices were opened. In July, we opened a resource and information centre for child rights and child journalists in Jacmel. In August, the Panos office for the Eastern Caribbean was opened in Barbados (Panos Barbados). Together with the Headquarters for the Caribbean and Central America region at Panos Haiti in Port-au-Prince, this brings the total number of Panos offices in the region to three. This year, Panos recruited one new full-time staff member in the Port-au-Prince office and started administering the first full-time officer of CERN in Barbados.

Finally, our participation in international initiatives was strengthened. Panos officers participated in strategic planning at the Latin America and Caribbean level for UNICEF and an international university education initiative for health journalists under the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). As Panos Caribbean region, we also joined the Panos Global AIDS programme, based in Lusaka, Zambia.

Selected Project Highlights:

Child Rights:

"Our Own Voice!," a three-year project with Plan Haiti, was launched in March 2000 to give voice to children, their perspectives and their rights by promoting their effective participation in the media through story selection, training and media production activities.

In 2002, Panos continued to enable two groups of child journalists in the Northeast to produce regular radio magazines, which are broadcast through local radio. Additionally, a new group of child journalists was started in the West Department (Croix-des-Bouquets), focusing on video documentary production and digital photography. A great number of training events were held for the children, implemented by media workers in TV, radio and print. We also organized excursions for the child journalists in order to provide practical reporting opportunities, exposure to information and sources, interaction and contacts. Moreover, for a total of 240 children involved in radio listeners clubs, we organized day trips to learn more about the country and about the business of media.

In addition to radio, video and photo productions, child journalists produced a series of four children's supplements with a national newspaper. Moreover, stand-alone feature articles were done by children as well as by adult journalists. We brought out two media briefings on the themes of street children; and children and violence. All materials were published also on a special website in the four languages, to encourage international information exchange between child journalists.

Several technical workshops were also held for adult journalists, including one on investigative reporting on child rights issues. Moreover, a journalistic competition was done on reporting on child rights. Prizes were given in the radio and TV categories.

We held three forums of a day length where child journalists and adults could exchange media experiences. Subsequently on several occasions, through the Internet, children have exchanged experiences regarding their group's activities.

Global Movement for Children (MME). The campaign Say Yes for Children started in April 2001 at the international level, as well as in Haiti. Panos participates in a coalition of more than 20 Haitian NGOs and governmental entities, and in general is in charge of the media work of this campaign (in 2001 among other activities, a series of seven training courses for journalists and the production of a media briefing was implemented).

In May 2002, with support of Plan Haiti, we covered the special session of the UN General Assembly (UNGASS) in New York, in which a delegation of seven Haitian children participated. Two of the participants were child journalists from the Northeast. The information was brought to the Haitian press through press conferences and the distribution of articles.

Additionally, with financial support of UNICEF, we organized the re-broadcasting during May and June of 10 different radio spots produced by children in 2001 under a Panos/Plan activity. A total of 22 radio stations in the 9 departments of Haiti participated.

Campaigns on Children's Rights - by children, for children. In August, with support of Plan Haiti, children were engaged in two campaigns (in the South-East and in the West departments of Haiti) for increasing local awareness on child rights priorities, as identified by children. After initial training in survey techniques, children carried out a survey on knowledge and attitudes towards child rights by people in the community. Subsequently, through a production seminar, messages were prepared for marketing. These messages, distributed through radio, banners, T-shirts and stickers, focused on the rights of street children, rights of children in domestic servitude, the need to reduce violence at school, the right to free expression by children, and HIV/AIDS prevention.

"Haitian communities through children's eyes." In collaboration with Plan Haiti, in October, the preparation of 92 community profiles was started, each done by a group of 30 children. The project aims to provide basic community information from the perspective of children living in that community. An illustrated book (aimed at a Haitian audience) and a website (aimed at an international audience) will be produced in 2003.

Training of Journalists on the theme of Child Exploitation. This project, which focused on children in domestic servitude, was carried out in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (BIT/IPEC). Panos implemented five training courses: one two-day course at national level in Port-au-Prince (May) and four one-day courses in Hinche, St. Marc, Cayes and Cap Haitien (October-November). There were about 170 participants and a number of them have followed up with media reports on the issues covered in the courses.

HIV/AIDS:

"Building Capacity of Journalists in the Caribbean and Central America to Report on HIV/AIDS: a Focus on Haiti, Dominican Republic and the Bahamas." This project is supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)/Fogarty Center of the USA, and is implemented in collaboration with the GHESKIO Centres/Cornell University and CECOSIDA. It was started in December 2001 and during the first year focused on Haiti. Based on a draft prepared by Panos in early 2001, a Manual/Reporting guide on HIV/AIDS in Haiti was produced and introduced to the press in a series of training courses: a national seminar of four days in June, and subsequently eleven one-day seminars in provincial cities in July and August. A video report of the national seminar as well as the set of other source materials was widely used by the 400 journalists who participated in the training.

In May, Panos carried out a communication seminar for 15 people infected by HIV. This seminar focused on journalistic communication (interview techniques), communication in counseling and in advocacy.

A media briefing on the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS was brought out, and several radio programmes were prepared for regional distribution. Many of the results are loaded on a website.

Journalist Training Courses on Reporting the National Strategic Plan on HIV/AIDS. In October, Panos organized the first two training courses of a series of nine courses implemented by CECOSIDA. There were 80 participants.

Environment:

"Caribbean Environmental Communications Initiative (CECI)." CECI started in July and is being implemented by the Loyola University New Orleans / Center for Environmental Communications (LUCEC), the Panos Institute and CERN. The primary focus is the Eastern Caribbean region, but there is some outreach to other parts of the region and in the four languages of Panos.

In October and November, two training workshops for photojournalists were held in St. Lucia. The workshop emphasized hands-on training in digital photography and the use of photo-essays and other forms of photojournalism. 12 reporters and photographers of OECS newspapers participated.

A fellowship was granted to Matt Peltier of Kairi FM, Dominica who attended the CCA Annual General Meeting in late November. The daily radio coverage, embedded in the series, IslandBeat Special, was distributed through the CANARadio Satellite Network to regional stations. A great number of other activities are being prepared.

General activities:

In February, in collaboration with the Caribbean Press Network (RECAP) and the Association of Haitian Photographers (APH), the Panos Institute organized a Workshop on Photojournalism, with purpose to introduce members of APH to taking photos in a photojournalistic style, as well as provide them with suggestions on portrait-taking. There were 11 participants.

Panos continued its collaboration with the Haitian Movement for Rural Development (MHDR) in website and technical support. Office space was provided to the Group for Research and Action for the Freedom of the Press (GRALIP).

The Island Beat Print Features series continued as both a training and production mechanism. Junior journalists are invited to provide texts, which are reviewed and edited by senior journalists, prior to publication. The series of MediaNET Media Briefings on Haiti was also continued.

Main partners in Haiti:

• Association for National Solidarity (ASON)
• Association of Haitian Photographers (APH)
• Association of Youth Journalists of Croix-des-Bouquets (AJJCE)
• Centre for Communication on HIV/AIDS (CECOSIDA)
• GHESKIO Centres
• Group for Research and Action on the Freedom of the Press (GRALIP)
• Groupe Medialternatif (GM)
• Haitian Coalition for the defense of Child Rights (COHADDE)
• Haitian Movement for Rural Development (MHDR)
• International Labour Organization (ILO-BIT) / International Programme for the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC)
• Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP)
• Plan Haiti
• Promoters of the Goal No-AIDS (POZ)
• Society for the Facilitation of Social Communication (SAKS)
• United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
• United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)
• Voice of the Child Journalists of Fort Liberte (VEJFOL)
• Youth Photographers Club of Jacmel (CLUJEPHJ)
• Many mass media all across Haiti.

Main partners in the region in 2002:

• Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM) - Trinidad and Tobago
• Caribbean Conservation Association (CCA) - Barbados
• Caribbean Environmental Reporters Network (CERN) - Barbados
• Caribbean Press Network (RECAP) - Guadeloupe/Haiti
• Commonwealth Liaison Unit (CLU) - Barbados
• Loyola University/Centre for Environmental Communication (LUCEC) - New Orleans, USA

Donors in 2002:

• Plan Haiti
• USAID/Caribbean Regional Program - Jamaica
• National Institutes of Health (NIH)/Fogarty Center - USA
• International Labour Organization (ILO) - Haiti
• UNICEF - Haiti
• Centre for Communication on HIV/AIDS (CECOSIDA) - Haiti

We also received gifts (donated salary and private donations) and generated some other revenues through the provision of services.

Staff:

Full-time:

Jan Voordouw - Regional Director Caribbean and Central America (Based in Barbados)
Jean Claude Louis - Director Haiti Programme (Based in Port-au-Prince)
Nicole Simeon - Project Development Officer (Full-time since October 2002, based in Port-au-Prince)
Julius Gittens - Programme Director, CERN (Full-time since July 2002, based in Barbados)

Part-time:

Patrique Lamour - Journalist Child Rights (Based in Trou-du-Nord)
Ives Marie Chanel - Editor Island Beat features (Based in Port-au-Prince)
Ronald Colbert - Consultant media briefings (Based in Port-au-Prince)
Strauss Vedrine - Logistics Officer / Director Jacmel Office (Based in Jacmel)
Simon Florival - Messenger (Based in Port-au-Prince)
Anne Shroeder - Consultant web site design (Based in Washington, DC)
Ismene Zarifis - Banking and Accounting Support Officer (Based in Washington, DC)

Additionally, in 2002 as in other years, many people were recruited for specific tasks and services.