Workshop on Non-Violent Reporting Held Jointly by Pressenza and DRU
A virtual workshop titled “Reporting on Non-Violence” was jointly organized by the international news agency Pressenza and the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) on Friday (April 18). The event was coordinated from Chile, Argentina, the United States, and the United Kingdom, with participation from over a hundred DRU members.
The workshop commenced with an address by Pressenza’s Co-Director Pia Figuera, who emphasized the importance of adopting a non-violent approach to journalism to promote a peaceful and stable global environment.
“Sometimes, negative reporting can widely incite violence in society, which is never desirable in responsible journalism,” she said. “It is important to think deeply and learn about non-violent approaches in news coverage. This workshop was organized with that objective in mind.”
Pia Figuera further added, “We arrange such workshops across various countries to promote healthy journalism. We are grateful to the Dhaka Reporters Unity for hosting such a meaningful session for Bangladeshi journalists.”
In his opening remarks, DRU President Abu Saleh Akon stated, “At a time when violent conflicts are destabilizing regions like Palestine and other parts of the world, this international workshop on the non-violence approach holds significant importance. We believe it will be highly beneficial for DRU members. We look forward to collaborating with Pressenza on similar initiatives in the future.”
DRU General Secretary Mainul Hasan Sohel extended his gratitude to Pressenza for organizing the initiative and requested continued collaboration on workshops addressing such sensitive themes.
The workshop featured distinguished trainers including David Anderson from New York, Javier Tolcachier and Valerio Marinai from Buenos Aires, Antonio Carvalho from the UK, and Davide Torment from Italy.
At the inauguration, DRU’s Secretary for Information, Technology, and Training Borhan Uddin, Pressenza’s Dhaka representative Shamsul Haque Bosunia, along with Ayub Ansari, Sheikh Arif, and Sabrina Khan, were present.
Though the workshop was conducted in Spanish and English, live Bangla interpretation was provided by Farzana Alam, Sharmin Rahman Sumi, and Sumaiya Zaman.
