John Cabot University and Inter Press Service Launch Partnership
John Cabot University recently launched a partnership with Inter Press Service (IPS) to offer interactive workshops, where a journalist and an editor from developing countries of Africa, Asia, or the Caribbean will interact with JCU students. The workshops are primarily aimed at students wishing to understand the complexities of working in and covering issues related to the Global South that would also have a bearing on developed countries.
The first workshop, “Reporting on Women and Girls,” held on October 12, featured Rosemary Vargas-Lundius, former senior UN IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development) official. She joined Joyce Chimbi, a journalist based in Kenya, Africa, in unpacking what is required in this decade of action ahead of 2030 to meet the sustainable goals for women and girls. The session was moderated by Alison Kentish, an IPS journalist reporting on science and health.
Reporting on Climate Change
On November 15, 2023, the workshop “Reporting on Climate Change” will be held online and will be moderated by Alison Kentish.
Climate change in Africa means many countries will experience droughts, plunging already stressed communities into further poverty and food insecurity. In Africa, climate change is blamed for exacerbating conflicts because of the nomadic herders’ search for livestock feed. People living in the Horn of Africa are experiencing the devastating consequences of a multi-year drought. In the Caribbean, Asia, and the Pacific, rising sea levels and erratic weather in heatwaves and droughts, and catastrophic monsoons similarly threaten livelihoods.
What has climate change meant for the Global South, the least responsible for emissions, but most vulnerable to climate change and impacts? IPS journalist Busani Bafana will join Jan Lundius to unpack issues such as climate justice and shed light on what it will take to tackle the impact of climate change on agricultural practices and community. They will also address issues of climate induced conflicts on the African continent and explore the efforts needed to mitigate its effects.
The 28th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 28) to the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) will convene in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from November 30 to December 12, 2023. The COP 28 summit will bring parties together to accelerate action towards the Paris Agreement’s goals and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Inter Press Service will be on the ground with an all women team, producing compelling stories throughout the COP28 summit.
Guest speakers
Busani Bafana
Bafana is a specialist climate change journalist and has reported extensively on the continent and his home country Zimbabwe. He is a media trainer with a deep understanding of the continent’s issues, its impacts on society, climate financing, and justice.
Jan Lundius
Lundius is a former UNESCO official and University professor. He has 30 years of experience in social and anthropological research, evaluation of rural development projects, assessment of project impact on rural communities, as well as negotiations of technical cooperation programs for local capacity building within social sciences and humanities in Latin America and Africa.
Moderator: Alison Kentish
Kentish is an IPS journalist and reports on science and health. Her first degree is in Criminal Justice and she holds a Master’s degree in Science Journalism from Columbia University. Her investigation into ecological restoration won one of the school’s top awards. She has bylines in BBC Future, New Scientist and Reuters.
