Ellen Agbavor
Resident of Whistleblowers, Activist s and Journalists Safety International centre (WAJSIC ) have commended WAJSIC for equipping them on digital security and self resilience.
According to the participants the four – day digital security and self resilience training is very crucial in today’s digital landscape.
The training aim to sharpening journalists and Whistleblowers skills on the trending, digital security issues and also ensuring the personal safety of participants.
The training was on self defense, first aid, digital security and self resilience, one of WAJSIC project to equip journalists adequately in their line of work.
The project was sponsored by Open Society Foundation and the Netherlands embassy Ghana.
Resource person were from Lazarus Training Centre in United Kingdom.
Participants said journalists and Whistleblowers really need digital security, self resilience training because they have to protect their sources, secure communication tools, protect their data, identifying and avoiding common cyber traps.
“With cyber threats on the rise, journalists and Whistleblowers need training of this nature to protect themselves, their sources and their work”, they said.
“WAJSIC ‘s training is clearly filling a critical gab for journalists and Whistleblowers. Holding leaders accountable, fighting for human right, pointing wrong doings in governance isn’t easy. Digital security and self resilience are essential skills for us to keep doing our work safely”, Participants said.
The training on digital security and self resilience is a crucial set in our line of work.
As training was ongoing participants shared harrowing tales of threats, intimidation and censorship they faced while investigating stories on corruption, abuse of power, etc.
One participant from a town in Togo spoke of the secret code (rice and beans language) they use to communicate among themselves when they are danger while another from the north recounted being targeted by government officials for exposing mismanagement.
Other participants described the constant online harassment they faced for writing about social justice issues.
They appealed to donors and sponsors to come to WAJSIC’s aid.
“WAJSIC is a Ghanaian – based non – profit organisation with continental reach, is also for providing shelter, financial stipends, legal representation , medical assistance, and psychological support to individuals facing persecution for exposing corruption, defending human rights or uncovering injustices, there it need the necessary support. It can not do all these alone”, Participants said.
WAJSIC knows the challenges Whistleblowers and Journalists faced, and they are committed to supporting them.
Resident journalists and Whistleblowers at WAJSIC are fully equipped and ready to share the knowledge acquired with their colleagues who didn’t get the opportunity to participate in such an educative training.
