By Chris Lawton, April 2021
During these past few months we’ve loved working with you all to deliver training in the face of repression, intimidation, conflicts old and new and the ever shrinking civic space our international community shares. We’ve also been through some of the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic and have shared in the loss and sadness this has brought to many.
Yet you have all kept going, all over the world. We have seen course participants in Syria, Myanmar, Yemen, the US, the UK, Lebanon and many other countries. Some of you are journalism, film and documentary students, some of you have been working in conflict zones for years and years, and some of you are telling stories about our planet and our climate. Thank you all for the work that you do.
At Silk Road Training HQ with (l-r) Chris Lawton, Shahida Yakub & Grant Wootton
A new training partnership
Silk Road Training has been chosen by the Mines Advisory Group (MAG) to provide hostile environment and first aid training to their teams across East and Southern Africa and the Middle East. MAG takes a humanitarian approach to landmine action with an impact focused on local communities and recognising the crippling effect landmines can have on a community. This is the kind of partner we are so proud to have the opportunity to work with. For a sample of the amazing work check out this article on a de-mining project with the Yazidi community in Sinjar, north western Iraq.
Going live and virtual in Cambodia
We have been busy preparing for a live, virtual hostile environment and first aid course for a cohort of journalists in Cambodia. We are part of a project designed to improve the environment for online freedom of expression in the country after the crackdown on independent media outlets in 2017. To do this, we’ve sent out the training equipment and we have been hard at work putting together a new studio approach, using fixed presentation areas, demonstration cams and live scenario cameras. This is going to take virtual training to the next level and we cannot wait!
Silk Road Training x Samir Kassir Foundation
Our relationship with the Samir Kassir Foundation continues to strengthen. Delivering training in partnership, in Arabic and English, we have continued to build knowledge and skills across the Middle East and North Africa. We’d like to salute all those who have completed training like ours for the first time. It has been one of the real highlights of the past few months to meet you, listen to your stories and the accounts of the challenges you face across the region, and work with you to help build resilience, safety and first aid awareness.
Thank you to Shahida Yakub who we welcomed to Silk Road Training HQ this month for a day of training and learning. Shahida is an award winning documentary film maker and huge advocate of safety and first aid training. She has previously translated our courses for the Justice For Journalists’ Media Safety Academy. We had a fantastic day with Shahida and hope to collaborate more in the future.
Finally, if you think that you, or anyone you know, may benefit from an introduction to Silk Road’s training innovations, please do get in touch. We’re always happy to show people what we’ve been doing.
Stay safe – the Silk Road Training team.