End Impunity Campaign 2014

This campaign is reminding the world that journalists do matter. They have families who love them, they are mums and dads, ordinary people; all carrying out the important and increasingly dangerous duty to keep society informed. But for every reporter threatened, for every life extinguished, democracy also suffers the ultimate price.”

endimpunity

Journalists across the Asia-Pacific continue to be harassed, threatened, tortured, intimidated, jailed and worse for exercising their basic right to report and inform. Most crimes go unpunished.

This November, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) asks you to join and support our regional campaign against impunity for attacks on journalists and media workers.

IFJ affiliates can join this campaign as well as conduct national campaigns on impunity. Please advise our network of if you conduct a “national day of action” and we will add it to our campaign calendar.

Due to their ongoing high level of killings and impunity levels, the IFJ Asia-Pacific will this year continue to focus on Pakistan and thePhilippines as well as highlighting impunity issues in other countries in the region over 22 days.

§     In the Asia-Pacific last year, a journalist was killed at the rate of one every ten days. 

§     Nearly three out of four killed are targeted for murder. The rest are killed in the crossfire of combat, or on dangerous assignments such as street protests.

§    The 2014 Impunity Index, published by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) ranked 13 countries around the world as the worst offenders for impunity, including five countries in the Asia Pacific region; Philippines (3), Sri Lanka (4), Afghanistan (6), Pakistan (9), and India (13).

§    Already this year, 96 journalists and media workers have been killed around the world according to the IFJ’s Killed List. See specific country detail here: http://ifj-safety.org/en

Campaign Activities – Key Dates: November 2- 23, 2014

November 2 –   On the newly-declared United Nations’ “International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists” we call on IFJ affiliates to call their governments to account on impunity. This year, we also join our colleagues in the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) to support a “Pakistan National Day of Action Against Impunity”. To mark this day, IJF will join the PFUJ to campaign on the country’s horrific impunity record. You can join this campaign on social media and sign on to the petition letter for Pakistan.

See the IFJ Impunity Inforgraphics focusing on Pakistan.

November 23 – 5th anniversary of the Ampatuan Massacre, The Philippines.

“One Million Candles”, People Power Monument, Manila

Five years on from the biggest massacre of journalists in history, the National Union of Journalists Philippines (NUJP) will conduct a major campaign to call for justice into the massacre – which is yet to secure a single conviction. The IFJ and South East Asian Journalist Unions (SEAJU) will conduct a Mission to the Philippines and release a report.

Support the NUJP by changing your Facebook profile to black on November 23 and sharing stories about the injustice of Ampatuan and by calling the Philippines government to account.

Aims of the 2014 IFJ Asia-Pacific campaign:

1.       Lobby UN Member States leading up to November 2:

a.       To stop a culture of impunity, governments have to show political will and take concrete actions. They have to be held accountable to ensure that justice is served. This year’s campaign begins on 2 November 2014 – the inaugural International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists.

b.      The International Freedom of Expression network (IFEX) is leading a campaign calling on UN member states to mark the Day, implement the recommendations of the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, and comply with the reporting requests of UNESCO’s Director-General’s Report on The Safety of Journalists and the Danger of Impunity.

c.       The IFJ encourages you to amplify and enrich the global campaign bysending a letter to your government, tailored to highlight cases of impunity in your country and convey the specific message you want to deliver, and copying the UNESCO office in your country as well as your country’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

2.       Call those in power to account on social media:

a.       We ask all IFJ affiliates to use the hash tag #whatareyoudoing? together with the name of your country’s leaders in your campaigns

For example:

#whatareyoudoing? #NawazSharif #Pakistan #SAMSN #IFJ

OR

#whatareyoudoing? #Acquino #Philippines #SEAJU #IFJ

b.      Join our photo campaign on social media for #whatareyoudoing? – by taking a photograph of yourself and sharing it on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @ifjasiapacific – or using it as your avatar/profile pic for November. The IFJ will aim to gather all the photographs together as a sign of regional and global solidarity against journalist attacks. You can also send your photographs to ifj(at)ifj-asia(dot)org

3.       Hold a national day of action

a.       Encourage broader civil society to join your campaign

b.      Share what you’re doing with the IFJ network to call governments to action against impunity for journalist crimes.

4.       Highlight specific cases of impunity in your country:

a.       Focus your campaign by targeting a specific case that has potential for wider support from the victim’s family, civil society and the international community.

b.      Impunity is not just about journalist killings, it’s also threats, intimidation and violence. Authorities failure to investigate death threats is a significant violation of a journalist’s rights. Many journalist killings are preceded by death threats and should be closely monitored. Showcase a case of intimidation or threat in your country that has not been investigated.

c.       Show that justice against impunity can be achieved by telling stories of impunity success – when justice has been delivered.

d.      Share your stories with IFJ, SAMSN, SEAJU and IFEX

5.  “22 days – 22 stories” – Send us your blogs, videos, campaign actions and stories

The IFJ Asia-Pacific campaign will be looking to feature stories from around the region dealing with impunity every day through the campaign.

Share your stories, Facebook posts and events with us at ifj(at)ifj-asia(dot)org or on our Facebook pagehttps://www.facebook.com/IFJAsiaPacific?fref=ts

6.       Stay in touch with activities by:

a.       Liking the IFJ AP page https://www.facebook.com/IFJAsiaPacific?fref=ts h

b.      Follow us on Twitter @ifjasiapacific

c.       Email us at ifj(at)ifj-asia(dot)org

Join the campaign

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Join photo campaign

Join our photo campaign

on social media for

#whatareyoudoing?

by taking a photograph of yourself and sharing it on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @ifjasiapacific - or using it as your avatar/profile pic for November. The IFJ will aim to gather all the photographs together as a sign of regional and global solidarity against journalist attacks. You can also send your photographs to ifj(at)ifj-asia(dot)org