Tunisia: the Transitional Justice Academy fosters exchange between Libyan and Tunisian media on transitional justice and the ICC

 
On 12 June 2013, Al Kawakibi Democracy Transition Center (KADEM) and No Peace Without Justice (NPWJ) concluded under the Transitional Justice Academy framework a two-day training course for Tunisian and Libyan media representatives on Transitional justice and the International Criminal Court. By offering a stable framework for enhanced cooperation and exchange of experiences for main stakeholders in the MENA region on Transitional Justice, the Academy maximises the impact of individual initiatives on this issue.
 
This event, which was held in Tunis, Tunisia, offered a unique opportunity to Libyan and Tunisian media representatives to share lessons learned and best practices on Transitional Justice and the ICC, reinforcing their respective capacity to work on these issues. Given the lack of transparency under the former regimes, in fact, Libyan and Tunisian media are not yet fully accustomed to cover news and events relating to justice and they often have misconceptions and misunderstandings that are reflected in their work.
 
Media can play a key role in shaping and mobilising public opinion around accountability mechanisms and media coverage is more likely to be objective and accurate if it is well-informed and has a good knowledge of these issues. To this end, the two experts who conducted the training engaged the 21 participants on Transitional Justice mechanisms and goals as well as on the ICC and how the Rome Statute can support accountability mechanisms in Tunisia and Libya. The program of the course alternated presentations from the trainers to practical exercises and brainstorming sessions. The trainers also simulated a press conference on transitional justice and the ICC and asked participants to prepare a brief piece using the media channel they usually use for their work.
 
Mr Fadi Al Abdallah, ICC Spokesperson and Head of the Public Affairs Unit, conducted the sessions on the ICC while the other Tunisian expert, Monia Ammar, focused on Transitional Justice.
 

 

 
Documentation:

• Download the Training Workshop Report on "Transitional Justice and the International Criminal Court in Libya and Tunisia"

For further information, please contact Greta Barbone on gbarbone@npwj.org or +216 28385079 or Nicola Giovannini on ngiovannini@npwj.org or +32 (0)2 548-39 15.
Read more on NPWJ and KADEM’s work to “Support the Democratic Transition in Tunisia through Transitional Justice”