To support the protection of journalists, the German government has announced the establishment of the “Hannah Arendt Initiative”, developed with the support of ECPMF and other civil society organisations. At the same time, ECPMF launches the new programme “Voices of Ukraine”.
The European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) welcomes the foundation of the “Hannah Arendt Initiative” (HAI) for the protection of journalists. The initiative was created by the German Foreign Ministry and the Federal Commissioner for Culture and Media. It marks a welcome step towards realising commitments made in the coalition agreement of the current government to improve the safety of journalists in Germany and abroad. Deutsche Welle Academy developed the HAI concept with the support of civil society organisations, including ECPMF.
As for today, ECPMF launches “Voices of Ukraine”, a new programme financed by the Foreign Ministry. The programme entails 120 stipends for journalists on the ground in Ukraine. The stipends provide these journalists with an income that enables them to continue their work and report independently. An additional fund within the programme will be used to replace outdated or broken equipment such as cameras, computers and mobile phones.
In addition, “Voices of Ukraine” supports the Journalists-in-Residence programme in Kosovo, run by ECPMF and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ). It provides 20 fellowships for Ukrainian media workers including a furnished apartment, health care, psychosocial support and professional training.
The third element of “Voices of Ukraine” is a conference on war reporting, exile media and support offers that will take place in the beginning December in Bratislava, Slovakia. It aims to create a strong network that helps rebuild the Ukrainian media landscape after the war.
“We hope the Hannah-Arendt-Initiative will establish itself as a forum, coordinator and funder of the support programmes for the protection of journalists proposed and delivered by German civil society organisations. No further proof is needed to show that journalists, especially women journalists, local journalists and journalists belonging to minorities or reporting about issues of those, are threatened all over the world”, says Lutz Kinkel, ECPMF’s Managing Director.
“Our programme “Voices of Ukraine” reacts to the repeatedly articulated needs on the ground in Ukraine. The media market in the country completely collapsed. The programme provides working stipends, a safe space outside the country and the possibility to engage for the future of the Ukrainian media system. These offers complement the existing projects ECPMF is running in support of threatened journalists in Europe.”
