By Alex Baluku
Umbrella for Journalists in Kasese-UJK is set to celebrate World Press Freedom Day in style and has organized a number of activities. The day will be celebrated on 3rd May 2022.
Umbrella for Journalist in Kasese (UJK) a non-profit organization that started in the year 2013 with a desire to amalgamate practicing Journalists, in conjunction with other Media Practitioners and Academicians intends to celebrate the World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) scheduled for 03rd May, 2022 at Verina Hotel in Kasese town.
WPFD serves as an occasion to inform citizens of violations of press freedom – a reminder that in dozens of countries around the world, publications are censored, fined, suspended and closed down, while journalists, editors and publishers are harassed, attacked, detained and even murdered.
It is a date to encourage and develop initiatives in favor of press freedom, and to assess the state of press freedom worldwide.
If democracy is a platform for many voices, and the voices of the many, journalists serve democracy by bringing these voices to the forefront of governance by asking trying questions to those in power.
According to Geofrey Baraka Kanyonyi, UJK President, the celebrations will be a one-day event consisting of a mid-morning opening session at Verina Hotel in Kasese town, and an evening closing session at Nyakasanga playground for a football match between the Media and the Judiciary/ UPDF.
Kanyonyi says they decided to a have a sports tournament and lunch to further the unity of the fraternity, have a rest and joyful time away from work deadlines and other work related stresses and hazards.
“The entire media fraternity is invited to celebrate in the WPFD at the highest-level including journalism students from Institutions that offer journalism, communication experts and Academicians” Kanyonyi adds
The World Press Freedom Day for 2022 will be commemorated under the theme; “Journalism under surveillance: Much focus on digital challenges in relation to media and Press freedom”.
The following are the expected activities.
- Procession around Kasese town,
- Panel discussions by key note speakers from Police, UPDF, Judiciary, Media and Communication experts, CSOs and Legislature.
- Question and Answer session/experience sharing with the practitioners
- Report, Showcasing and awarding Media models
- Speeches: Mayor, CAO, C/P LC5, RDC, Chief Celebrant
- Football match