Pulitzer Center Update July 10, 2024
Pulitzer Center Hosts DRC Film Screening, Debate on How To Protect Forests
Country:
Artisanal timber harvesting in the DRC has become the preserve of the authorities and their families...
The Pulitzer Center organized a side-event film screening and debate on forest governance on June 4, 2024, during the 20th meeting of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership. Participants highlighted three key points: the creation of new partnerships to improve media content on forest governance, the need for quality journalism to guide decision-makers, and the improvement of the media environment in favor of journalists.
Twenty-four participants, including journalists, members of civil society, and decision-makers from the Congo Basin, attended the Pulitzer Center's documentary screening of At the Heart of Artisanal Timber Exploitation in the Congo Basin, directed by Alfred Ntumba, the head of Environews RDC, with the support of a Rainforest Reporting Grant (formerly the Rainforest Journalism Fund). The ensuing discussion highlighted the challenges and opportunities for journalists to work toward positively impacting the forest governance mechanisms that benefit the protection of the Congo Basin's forests.
"Our work compliments the knowledge of decision-makers, who are sometimes unaware of what's happening in the field," stressed Environews RDC journalist Sarah Mangaza. She also denounced the fact that authorities are sometimes complicit with those who violate the laws, thus failing to apply the law fairly, according to investigations.
Taking the floor, Alain-Parfait Ngulungu, a researcher in natural resource governance, stressed that the work of journalists, particularly on the effects of artisanal logging in the Congo Basin, has an impact on political decision-makers. The state must raise awareness to train magistrates in environmental crimes and instill ecological awareness in the entire population.
The discussion turned to the challenges faced by journalists in producing relevant content, including lack of resources, difficult access to information, and lack of training for journalists in environmental issues. To this, Augustine Kasambule, editorial coordinator at the Pulitzer Center, explained the Center's support and encouraged journalists to apply for grants.
Raoul Nsiemeni, coordinator of the Réseau des Communicateurs pour l'Environnement et l'Information en Afrique Centrale (RECEIAC), stressed the need to build new partnerships, train young journalists, and ensure good distribution mechanisms, notably through awareness-raising campaigns.
"Environmental information will certainly dominate all media topics in a few years' time, so we need to work to make journalistic content available on a larger scale and open up opportunities for those who have embarked on the path of environmental journalism."
For the Pulitzer Center, the side event of the film screening and debate is part of its Transparency and Governance initiative. The event aimed to inspire informed decision-making, equitable resource-sharing, and active participation in the collective mission to preserve the forests and natural resources of the Congo Basin.
