HRNJ-Uganda is growing and learning organization that believes in continued improvement as it copies with changing demands and operating environment. The network will continue building the capacity of journalists, media organization and HRDs. The capacity building will be in different capacity areas as required and identified during the capacity needs assessments, the capacity building by HRNJ-Uganda will be extended to the public, government agencies and ministries, local and option leaders as well as civil society organization to appreciate the roles of media, to work with and support the media in Uganda. HRNJ-Uganda believes that the more people acquire knowledge and information about media rights and the rights of journalists, it will lead to increased respect and support for journalists rights and freedoms in Uganda. Capacity building will take different forms these include but not limited trainings, meetings, awareness raising, use of information education and communication (IEC) materials, workshops, demonstrations, cross learning visits, mentoring and coaching, acquiring of equipment and assets that facilitate organizational and individual performance, further studies, short courses, and conferences
This entails undertaking research and documenting human right violations, monitoring and reporting to treaty and regional bodies on the country’s performance in regard to the international human rights instruments. HRNJ-Uganda will commission numerous investigative missions on national topical and human rights at large which shall be widely documented and used as evidences in courts of law, for reporting and media and other campaigns. Because of the strategic linkages between HNRJ and Media Houses in Uganda, HRNJ-Uganda will expose such violations and other practices of the state that demonstrate compelling elements.
To ensure the safety, protection, and favorable legal environment for journalists, media, and HRDs in Uganda, the network will continue providing legal aid and support. This strategy has been one of the most successful and appreciated by the media industry, given the current operating environment in Uganda. The network will provide mediation services, legal advise, and court representation to journalists, media, and HRDs that will be faced with human rights violation in line of duty. HRNJ-Uganda will utilize its in-house legal team, but also depending on the circumstances will hire external legal experts to support the cause. The network also plans to grow and further develop the legal department as a formidable force of the institute. This calls for meaningful involvement and engagement of the legal family in Uganda but also raise enough resource to facilitate the legal support process.
HRNJ-Uganda will continue to acknowledge the important role and contribution other player in promoting and guaranteeing the conducive working environment of journalists and media organizations as well as HRDs in Uganda. A lot of success has been registered by HRNJ-Uganda in working with individual journalists, media institutions and association, like-minded civil society organizations, government ministries and agencies, as well as international and national development partners. Lessons learnt and challenges encountered have been and will continue to be utilized to better position HRNJ-Uganda is a vibrant & preferred partner of choice for many actors in the private, public, and academia and CSO sector. Identification, building and managing of partnerships and collaboration initiatives is part of the core focus for the network on a continuous basis. The networking and collaboration efforts within HRNJ-Uganda membership and like-minded organizations have amplified the important role journalists play in social, economic and political transformation and development, thus increased respect and listening ear from the government.
Backed-up by documented facts and evidences from the research work, HRNJ-Uganda will continue to engage duty bearers, policy makers and government to enact, and enforce the implement of enabling ordinances, bi-laws, laws and policies for journalists and media practitioners. HRNJ-Uganda will continue to advocate for the rights and freedoms of journalists, media organizations, and human rights defender through a number of media and public campaigns as deemed fit and lawful in Uganda. HRNJ-Uganda will primarily tap into its broad based and national wide networking mechanisms to advocate and influence policy change to enable journalists and media practitioners to enjoy rights and improve their wellbeing.
HRNJ-Uganda as an umbrella organization for journalists will continue its mandate of coordinating the works and activities that promote and protect the rights and freedoms journalists, and media practitioners in Uganda.
This area of focus entails to strengthen the operation and policy context with the purpose of strengthening its systems, structures and programs in order to enhance its output. This underscores the relevance of building confidence of the various public”s to whom HRNJ-Uganda accounts and also building a credible image as a journalists’ human rights body. Institutional capacity building will enable the organization to explore numerous funding opportunities available from development partners for the protection, promotion and upholding of human rights in Uganda as it values the significance of financial resources in building a strong institutional apparatus that can engage the state at consistent level.
