(Leipzig, Germany – 15 May 2023) Within the framework of its ongoing “Opportunities in Exile” programme, ECPMF has coordinated a series of German language workshops for journalists and media workers in exile in Germany, together with Amal, Berlin!.
The workshop series officially kicked off at the beginning of May with all participants already taking part in their particular workshops. Over the course of five months, a small group of exiled journalists with similar language skills will have the opportunity to participate in an individually tailored series of training courses. They mainly consist of intensive German language lessons with a focus on journalistic language and conversation training. Furthermore, experts are teaching the participants how to write articles in German and provide individual text coaching.
“We are delighted to be able to partner with Amal, Berlin! to launch this series of language workshops. The language barrier is one of the biggest hurdles for journalists in exile to overcome. By joining these workshops, we hope that we can support journalists to establish their journalistic careers again here and to participate actively in the discourse in Germany” says Katrin Schatz, Project Manager Practical Support at ECPMF.
The goal of this activity is to break down structural barriers for journalists in exile and to promote the diversity of journalistic voices in the public sphere. The outcome of the workshop series will be public contributions by the participants in the form of newspaper articles and involvement in relevant conferences. Amal, Berlin! is an internet platform featuring local news in Arabic, Ukrainian, and Farsi/Dari. Fourteen exile journalists now work at Amal, covering local issues key to daily life in Berlin.
“We believe that it is important to include the positions and the perspectives of Journalists in Exile into the German media discourse. It’s important to make their voices heard by a broader public. That’s why this language course is more than a language training for individuals – it’s a step to make the public discourse on migration and participation in Germany better”, says Julia Gerlach, Founder of Amal News platform.
