The Africa Center for International Law and Accountability (ACILA), a non-governmental organization is collaborating with the Panos Institute West Africa (PIWA) to train ten selected journalists on anti-human trafficking and migration.

The workshop, the first of its kind in Ghana is expected to promote network of investigative journalists specialized to throw the spot light on the two social issues calling for global attention.

Experts have hailed it as one of the major steps in tackling migration and human trafficking issues as journalists are educated on the tenets of Ghana’s National Migration Policy, challenges and dangers associated with irregular migration, opportunities and challenges in rescuing and rehabilitating enslaved children as well as regional, international laws  and protocols on migration.

 With support from the European Union, participants are also being taken through anti-human trafficking investigative techniques, old and new methods of investigative journalism and laws and ethics of investigative journalism, among others. It is under the theme: “Reporters of Borders: Towards a Network of African Journalists, Professionals, and Citizens Specialized on Migration Issues.”

Director at the Center of Migration Studies at the University of Ghana, Dr. Delali Badasu who chaired the opening and took participants through Ghana’s Migration Policy say migration is an area neglected not only by journalists but also by academia. Underscoring the importance of the training programme, she is worried the center where she teaches research methods on migration has not had reference on migration for the past two years.

But there’s a glimpse of hope beaming because according to her, the workshop will help whip journalists’ interest in the area of migration.

“I am very glad that the journalists themselves are coming out boldly on migration.”

Hope the workshop will lead to journalists showing more interest in the area of migration.”

Panos Institute West Africa key objectives are to build a public debate and open political dialogue for democratization of communication, contribute to the production, dissemination and accessibility of information favourable to social change as well as strengthen communication capabilities of actors of social change.

It is the first time the organization is partnering with ACILA.        

Mr. MouhamadouTidiane Kasse, Panos Institute West Africa Programme officer in charge of Migration says

“We all know the importance of migration and the cultural and social development of our countries. Our states have started giving attention with the adoption of national migration policies and we want the media to eliminate the subject by asking the real questions related to it and this investigative journalism training should help you with this.”