The Witness Center Organizes the First “From the Camp” Forum

On Saturday, November 23, 2024, The Witness Center, in collaboration with the International Media Support (IMS), organized the first “From the Camp” forum. The event included a discussion session titled “The Role of Media in Creating a Sustainable Environment in Camps”, alongside a training workshop for media students on content production and media coverage within camps.

Facilitator Firas Al-Saifi welcomed participants, emphasizing the importance of uniting efforts between local institutions and media outlets to enhance collaboration and develop shared solutions to improve living conditions in camps. He stated: “We hope this session will be an opportunity to exchange ideas and establish sustainable mechanisms that serve our community and ensure media coverage reflecting the true reality of camps.”

Ahmed Jarousha, the Executive Director of The Witness Center, highlighted that the forum aims to strengthen community ties, where media plays a key role in fostering unity and solidarity among camp residents. Media serves as a means of communication and interaction, offering a platform for residents to voice their opinions and supporting collaboration between local institutions and civil society. The forum also helps raise awareness on issues like health, education, and social rights, thereby enhancing community solidarity and developing sustainable solutions to improve living conditions in camps.

Popular committees and institutions from Nablus Governorate camps pointed out weaknesses in communication with media outlets, which hinder efforts to highlight refugee issues. They called for strengthening communication channels between local institutions in camps and media outlets to unify efforts and continuously spotlight the daily struggles and societal pressures faced by residents. These efforts aim to emphasize their needs and potential solutions.

This was discussed during a forum organized by The Witness Center through the “From the Camp” platform titled “The Role of Media in Creating a Sustainable Environment and a Strong Community in Camps.” The Witness Center called for a coordination meeting between representatives of local institutions and journalists to establish joint work mechanisms, enhance collaboration, and ensure comprehensive media coverage that reflects the daily reality of camps.

Ahmed Shamikh, Head of the Popular Committee for Balata Camp Services, spoke about the main challenges faced by the camp, including unemployment, lack of basic services, and housing difficulties. He noted that external media often perpetuates stereotypes about camps, fueling misconceptions. He urged local media to play an active role in changing this perspective and showcasing the humanitarian and cultural aspects of camp residents.

Ayman Noubani, a member of the Journalists Syndicate and a photographer for “WAFA,” emphasized the sacrifices of Palestinian journalists, noting that 182 journalists have been martyred and 370 injured while performing their duties. He stressed that media is not limited to reporting news but also plays a pivotal role in fostering social unity within camps. He highlighted that media coverage often focuses on incursions and security events while neglecting the daily lives and societal pressures of camp residents, deepening the gap between media and camp institutions. Noubani called for activating media centers within camps to provide a daily voice for residents, documenting their humanitarian and social realities and highlighting their challenges and demands beyond seasonal coverage.

The forum concluded with several recommendations, including:

• Focusing on workshops to develop the skills of youth in media, enabling them to produce content that reflects the daily challenges and human stories within camps.
• Creating visual human-interest content that highlights challenges and successes, moving away from negative stereotypes.
• Enhancing collaboration with community police to showcase their role in ensuring security and resolving disputes within camps.
• Supporting media projects that highlight the success stories of women and youth in camps, serving as inspiration for the local community.
• Establishing local digital media centers to allow camp residents to voice their opinions and highlight their issues directly.

As part of the “From the Camp” project, The Witness Center, in partnership with IMS, also organized a training workshop on content production and filming in camps, led by trainer Alaa Badarna. The workshop saw significant engagement from participants, who emphasized the importance of the training in enhancing their media skills and creatively and professionally showcasing camp stories.

The workshop focused on developing participants’ skills in video production and the use of filming tools to highlight camp issues. It also provided an opportunity to use The Witness Center’s studio to complete their projects. The training aimed to empower participants to improve media coverage of camp realities and offered practical application opportunities.