Registration now open for the 5th course on journalism and human rights

What is the reality inside Brazilian prisons? What are the UN and the OAS for? How does the Brazilian legal system work? What is the relationship between business and human rights?

University students of Journalism and other disciplines, who are interested in learning about and covering these and other assignments should apply by 5/8 for the 5th Course on Journalism and Human Rights.

The course is being run by Conectas in collaboration with OBORÉ and IPFD (The Institute for Research, Training and Broadcasting in Public and Social Policy), with the support of Abraji (The Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism). It will be held in São Paulo from September to November and will include the Reporter of the Future Project.

The 20 students who are chosen will attend, in person, workshops and press conferences with specialists. These will always take place on Saturday, followed by writing an article. The course will bring together the reflective practice of journalistic coverage and theoretical understanding of some human rights issues. The Lecturers and Journalists, Marcelo Soares and Sergio Gomes will coordinate the course.

•  Apply here.

The selection meeting will take place at 9am on Saturday, 11 August, in the Vladimir Herzog Auditorium at the São Paulo Journalists Union (Rua Rego Freitas, 530, sobreloja – Vila Buarque – São Paulo/SP).

 

Candidates will attend an introductory talk on human rights by Leonardo Medeiros, Coordinator of Communications and Political Involvement and will also take a written test. A list of the 20 successful students will be published on 23 August on the sites of the institutions involved.

In this fifth edition of the course, students will participate in workshops and themed press conferences on the role of Brazil on the international stage, the reality of the Brazilian prison system, violations caused by businesses and on migration.

Methodology

The course structure will follow the same model the Reporter of the Future project has adopted since it was set up in 1994: at each meeting, on Saturday, the 20 chosen students attend a workshop of around 40 minutes with a guest speaker and participate in a press conference. Afterwards, students will be required to write a news article on the theme of the workshop.

Weekly, one-to-one sessions will also be available, during which journalists and teachers will provide guidance on writing and journalism to individual students.

Reimbursement

The selection process is free of charge and the course costs R$ 954.00 (the current monthly minimum wage). The students chosen will be required to provide a cheque at registration, to cover the cost of the course and to sign the Reimbursement Agreement.

OBORÉ will provide a 100% grant, returning the cheque at the end of the course, if the following rules of the course are fully met: 1) Punctual participation in all the meetings; 2) Write a journalistic article at the end of every meeting; 3) Schedule and attend a one-to-one meeting with the course coordinators; 4) Publish an article in a media outlet with a responsible editor.

Failure to comply with any of these requirements will imply full payment of the course.

Programme

11/8, 9.00am to 1.00pm | Getting to know you meeting and Selection

What are human rights and what does journalism have to do with all this?

Leonardo Medeiros, Conectas Coordinator of Communications and Political Involvement

He is a Journalist, specialised in scientific, medical and environmental communications at the Universidad Pompeu Fabra (2009), in Barcelona. He worked as a Reporter on the portal Zip.Net, at TV USP and Folha Online. He has also worked in public relations, with particular focus on press relations and the development of media training programmes and image crisis management. He was Communications Coordinator at Greenpeace Brasil and Communications Coordinator for Latin America at World Animal Protection.

23/8 | Successful applicants to be announced

1/9 | 9.00am to 2.00pm – Journalism today: reflections and practices

Marcelo Soares, Course Coordinator

He is a Journalist, Teacher and Specialist in data analysis. He was one of the first Brazilian reporters to work with ‘CAR computer-assisted reporting’, now known as Data Journalism, at Folha de S. Paulo, the first audience development editor in the Brazilian press. He has worked as a consultant and on courses on audience and data analysis since 2016. To see his work: www.intelitexto.com.

15/9 | 9.00am to 2.00pm – The UN and OAS Systems

Jefferson Nascimento

He is an Advisor on the Development and Socio-environmental Rights programme. He is a Doctor in International Law at the Universidade de São Paulo (2017). He graduated in Law at the USP Law School (2005). He is a Lawyer and has worked on global and regional systems for the protection of human rights and litigation in cases of human rights violations by businesses.

22/9 | 9.00am to 2.00pm – The Brazilian prison system

Marcos Fuchs

He is an Associate Director at Conectas. He was one of the leaders in the introduction of the pro bono system in Brazil and is currently spreading this idea in countries in South America. He participated in discussions on the Pro Bono resolution, approved by the São Paulo Bar Organisation, in August 2001. He has given numerous talks at universities and lawyers associations. He is the author of a booklet expanding access to the legal system, published by the Centre for Victims of Torture of the organisation, New Tactics in Human Rights. He worked, in a voluntary capacity, as the administrative director of the community channel of the São Paulo Bar Organisation. OAB/SP (2004/2005).

29/9 | 9.00am to 2.00pm – The impact of large building works

Julia Cortez da Cunha Cruz

She graduated in Law at the Universidade de São Paulo and gained a Masters degree at Harvard University and also at USP, in International Law. She works in the Development and Socio-environmental Rights department at Conectas, through a fellowship funded by the Harvard Public Service Venture Fund. She has worked at the Getulio Vargas Foundation Centre for Human Rights, at the Organisation of American States and at the Gaspar Garcia Centre for Human Rights.

20/10 | 9.00 to 2.00pm – Migration

Camila Asano

She is the Programme Coordinator at Conectas. She is an internationalist and has a Masters in Political Science at USP. She is currently also responsible for coordinating the Democratic Space programme and international activity at Conectas. She is an advisor on the National Human Rights Council and on the Municipal Council for Migrant Policy in the city of São Paulo. She is also Executive Secretary on the Brazilian Committee for Human Rights and Foreign Policy.  She holds a seat on the Council of the Centre for Civil and Political Rights at the Geneva headquarters (Switzerland) and on the GACint, Guidance Council on the Global Scenario Group at USP. She has been a Lecturer in International Relations at FAAP in São Paulo since 2010.

10/11 | 9.00am to 2.00pm

End of Course Get Together

Course appraisal by the coordination team and handing out certificates.