NPC conducts media reflection Meeting

JUBA, August 16, 2023- The National Press Club South Sudan (NPC-SS) organized a half-day reflection meeting in Juba to reflect on ways to support the activities of journalists’ peer network and media inclusion and sustainability approaches in the country.

The reflection meeting was supported by the IREX through the Sustainable Independent Media Activity (SIMA) project.

Speaking during the opening Mr. Bullen Kenyi Yatta, chairperson of the Board of Directors, said the purpose of the meeting was to enable media actors to come up with recommendations and resolutions to address some challenges encountered during the implementation period.

He disclosed that the meeting was also meant to provide an avenue for interactive discussion among the media actors as well as explore ways to close the gaps in terms and forge out areas of collaboration and joint partnership among the media support organization in a spirit of building synergies and collaboration.

“The half-day event was organized in collaboration with UJOSS to discuss how the efforts of the Journalist Peer Network are shaping up. Under the theme: Troubleshooting challenges and exchanging best practices and lessons learned in strengthening media actors’ peer network in South Sudan,” the Executive Director of NPC-SS Mr. Ochaya James says.

The meeting brought in members from FJN, AMWISS, and AMDISS representatives. The meeting also provided an avenue for troubleshooting challenges and exchanging best practices learned during the implementation period of the SIMA Projects by both NPC and UJOSS.

On the same note, Mr. Tapeng Michael who spoke on behalf of the Union of Journalists of South Sudan applauded NPC leadership for initiating the program for SIMA partners to share experiences and lessons learned during SIMA project implementation.

“We have come to evaluate the activities we implemented together. It is an opportunity for us to tell the challenges to the partners. It is important because we as UJOSS are happy to collaborate with our partners,” says Tapeng.

On his part, the IREX representative Mr. Wani Isaac Kenyi says NPC-SS as one of the implementing partners has been doing tremendous media activities under SIMA projects. And this meeting also provided a platform for NPC to come up with an avenue to promote check and balance, what has gone well and wrong for future improvement.

“I am looking forward to listening to the challenges faced by implementing partners. As you know, we are coming to the end of our financial year, it is important to see what has been done so that we be able to plan for the next year,” Isaac stated.

Mr. Isaac reiterated the commitment of IREX to working with its partners which include NPC, UJOSS, AMDISS, FJN, and AMWISS among others to achieve the objectives of SIMA projects in South Sudan.

“I am looking forward to the contributions including questions to all of us so that if the system of implementation has not been good, we might perhaps change to an appropriate system,” he concluded.