The Anguillian newspaper was represented at a three-day Human Development and Citizen Security Training Workshop for Caribbean Media from November 7-9. Other representatives at the 2012 event, hosted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) at UN House in Barbados, were from Antigua,British Virgin Islands,Dominica,Grenada, Montserrat,St. Kitts,St. Lucia,Jamaica, Trinidad and Barbados.
The UNDP Resident Representative in Barbados, Michelle Gyles-McDonnough, said the workshop was aimed at strengthening media reporting on national and regional issues in the context of citizen security; increasing advocacy to promote attitude and behavioural change which enhances media capacity to articulate key messages that influence public policy reforms; improving engagement with media professionals to enhance the influencing role of Caribbean journalists; and promoting citizens’ perceptions on development issues through innovative media initiatives such as citizen journalism, e-newspapers and virtual news agencies.
She also told the participants that their expectations were “to strengthen communication as an essential tool; to maximise development results and to consolidate democracy and assist in the targeting of very scarce resources.” The UNDP official stressed that in order to improve citizen security the press had an important role to play. She described the press as “an essential channel for transmission of messages that will influence how people perceive their insecurity and their responses to it.”
The workshop comprised many discussions among media personnel and the facilitators. There were presentations by Professor Anthony Harriott, lead author for the Caribbean Human Development Report (CHDR); Pamela Proverbs, PRMR Inc.; Wesley Gibbings, President of the Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM); William Orme, UNDP Human Development Report Officer (HDRO); and Pablo Basz, Regional Communications Adviser (RBLAC). Some of the presentations reflected the evolving role of communication in advancing human development which was delivered by Pamela Proverbs, followed by a panel discussion on communicating on crime in the Caribbean. There was also a presentation analysis of the Caribbean Human Development Report 2012.
The workshop concluded on November 9 when the UNDP launched its SIDS inclusive governance portal. It allows everyone, including journalists, to come together and share feedback information on citizen security, while also providing space where they can showcase themselves on various issues.
Article By Esther Ward
(The Anguillian representative)
