During the week of February 27 to March 4, 2008 we have outstanding resource practitioners who will be sharing their experiences and ready to engage with the New Tactics community network in the discussion on "Engaging the Media in Human Rights."

Alan Davis joined the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) in 1994 after training as a journalist and reporting extensively from Indochina and East Asia. A finalist in the UK Press Gazette Regional Journalist of the Year and the Observer Young Travel Writer of the Year, he reported from Vukovar, just before it fell to Yugoslav federal and paramilitary forces in 1991.

He has designed and implemented IWPR programmes in the Balkans, the Caucasus, Central Asia and Afghanistan and leads IWPR's consultancy work. He currently heads up IWPR’s development and programme work in Asia. He studied film and TV production at university in Iowa (USA) while an exchange programme student.

Visit the current project Alan is spearheading - Philippine Human Rights Reporting Project. 

Philippe Duhamel writes the interTactica blog on the New Tactics website. He garnered extensive experience with the media through being a columnist for two years for the French radio network of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and a recognized activist spokesperson in the French-speaking Quebec media on issues of nonviolent direct action, civil disobedience, the alternative globalization movement and social justice issues. He found (or was found by) his life's mission some twenty-five years ago: to become a nonviolent actionist and an educator for social change. His goal is to help spread strategic and tactical knowledge found in nonviolent struggle to help free ourselves from oppression, and safeguard Mother Earth for future generations. Philippe is the author of the "Dilemma Demonstration" tactical notebook. He was a presenter to the West Group Regional Training Workshop held in Venice (2003), and the World Symposium held in Ankara (2004). In 2005 and 2006, Philippe served briefly as a tactical notebook editor and helped design and co-facilitate the Asia Regional Training Workshop held in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Mufuliat Fijabi, is a Senior Programme Officer with BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights. She joined BAOBAB in 1999 as an Assistant Program Officer, and works there on issues of women’s human rights, Muslim laws, violence against women, and gender and communication. Before 1999, she was a full time journalist in both print and electronic media organizations. In 2001 she worked on the media committee in the planning of the National Tribunal on Violence Against Women in Nigeria. There has been an increase in the awareness that women experience various forms of violence.

In terms of Media involvement, a number of journalists now play an active role in reporting violence against women cases and also follow through where necessary. A network of Journalists Against Violence Against Women, formed as a result of a workshop organised by BAOBAB with support from a micro-grant of the New Tactics Project, is growing steadily.

Davinder Kumar is a journalist from India, now relocated in London, with over 10 years experience working in the field of human rights. After his post graduation in media and communication, he started his career in print and worked with leading Indian publications like The Indian Express and Outlook magazine before moving to country's top media house, TV Today, taking the position of new producer for its 24-hr English news channel.

In his various journalistic positions, Davinder continued to specialise in the field of human rights and development issues and many of his articles resulted in court judgments and action by the government. He also attended the Second World Water Forum at the Hague in 2000 and The World Conference Against Racism in Durban in 2001. In recognition of his work, Davinder became one of the first journalists to be awarded the British Chevening Human Rights Scholarship in 2004 to undertake MA in Theory and Practice of Human Rights at the Human Rights Centre, University of Essex. Davinder has since relocated to London and is currently carrying out independent research on media and social responsibility, besides his regular job with a media company.

Sharon Lamwaka is a trained journalist with experience working both nationally and internationally (PANOS Features London). Her specialty is print media although currently very involved in radio work. Sharon joined the African Centre for Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture Victims (ACTV) in September 2004 as the Communications and Advocacy Officer. As a result of her good leadership and work capabilities, ACTV promoted her to the senior position of Programmes Manager. Sharon set up the first Communications and Advocacy Office at ACTV. In an evaluation of ACTV’s advocacy for the period 2005-2007, it was noted that: 1) the profile of the organisation has grown immensely, torture was reported nationally to be on the decrease in 2007 and this reduction was attributed to ACTV’s awareness and sensitisation programmes for the Ugandan security forces; 2) the public and policy makers hear and understand ACTV’s media messages; and 3) the organisation’s relationship with key institutions such as the Uganda Police and Uganda Prisons Service is very amicable.

Recently, Sharon has been invited by a media house in Kenya to write articles on the banking sector in Uganda including articles that touch on the lives of women, giving voice for many Ugandan women.