Opening of the annual Kashif Training Forum.

The Palestinian Verification and Media Education Observatory – Kashif, inaugurated the annual Kashif Training Forum for fact-checking and media education on Tuesday, August 16, 2022. The event was attended by a group of media students and graduates from various Palestinian universities.

The opening speech of the forum was delivered by the head of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, Mr. Nasser Abu Bakr, emphasizing the importance of fact-checking in the face of the spread of rumors on social media. He highlighted the crucial role played by the Kashif Observatory in fact-checking, especially during the recent conflict in Gaza.

On her part, the project coordinator at Witness Center, Dina Al-Masry, explained the negative impact of misleading information in shaping stereotypical images of refugee camps, hence stressing the importance of organized training in enhancing the role of Palestinian refugees.

The two-day forum addresses a series of workshops on the influence of media in shaping stereotypical images of refugee camps, human rights, and gender issues, as well as the impact of misleading information on society. It also covers verification methodologies and tools, along with the optimal use of advanced search engines.

The forum is organized in collaboration with the German Cooperation Agency GIZ, Reform Foundation, and the Arab Network for Information Verifiers, as part of the “Yalla” project in partnership with the Reform Foundation and with support from programs aimed at enhancing the role of Palestinian refugees in influencing aspects of their lives. This project is executed by GIZ and commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).