The Union of Journalists of South Sudan (UJoSS), in partnership with the South Sudan Human Rights Defenders Network (SSHRDN), on Friday launched a one-day paralegal training on human rights laws for journalists, aimed at strengthening legal awareness and enhancing press freedom in the country.
The training brought together journalists from various media houses to equip them with basic knowledge of human rights and legal frameworks that can help them carry out their work safely and professionally.
Speaking at the opening, UJoSS President Oyet Patrick said the media fraternity was still mourning the loss of colleagues, noting that the situation had also affected the Media Authority.
“So, as a media fraternity, we are all mourning that loss, and it is also affecting the Media Authority negatively, especially because the new team needed some guidance from people working in the system,” he said. “So we still appreciate them; we will be in communication with them.”
Oyet thanked the SSHRDN for partnering with UJoSS to organize the training, emphasizing that journalists play a vital role in defending and promoting human rights.
“I would also like to thank the South Sudan Human Rights Defenders Network, which is one of our partners. They are all here, and I would like to appreciate them for coming,” Oyet said. “We are having this paralegal workshop because journalists are human rights defenders. The work that journalists do promotes human rights, defends human rights, and protects human rights.”
He stressed that understanding the law is essential for journalists, saying legal knowledge can help protect media practitioners in the course of their work.
“You do not necessarily need to go to a law school to understand the law, but you can understand some basics that can help you to promote your work. And the same law, if you do not understand it, can be used to restrict your work,” Oyet stated. “So, for media practitioners to have some basic knowledge of how the law operates. That is why we think this activity is very important, and that is why our partners are also here to help as much as they can.”
For his part, Omara Joseph, Chairperson of South Sudan Human Rights Defenders Network, described the training as an important investment in strengthening journalists’ capacity to promote press freedom and protect themselves.
“It is my pleasure to be here on behalf of the South Sudan Human Rights Defenders Network. I would like to really thank the UJoSS president and our partners who are organizing this paralegal training,” he said. “This is a very strong commitment in terms of empowering journalists with skills and knowledge as far as promoting press freedoms is concerned.”
“Acquiring this knowledge is not just a professional asset; it is also a tool for protection, for advocacy, and for effective, responsible public service delivery,” Omara added.
He noted that the training comes at a critical time as South Sudan prepares for elections amid uncertainty over the electoral process.
“Because we live in a country where there is a lot of legal uncertainty, journalists generally face restrictions on accessing information. There are also barriers to freedom of expression. So, we feel this kind of capacity building is very important for journalists to prevent the impediments that will be ahead of them,” he said. “For us as a network, we believe that acquiring this kind of knowledge is fundamental to promoting democracy and good governance in the country. It is only through this kind of capacity building that our journalists will be able to utilize the skills they have acquired to amplify the voices of communities and promote peacebuilding across the country transparently and professionally.”
“Please use the knowledge that you are going to get from here effectively,” Omara concluded.
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