On 22 August 2013 Mekki Elmograbi (makkimag@gmail) published a piece in the Sudan Vision Daily which tries to make a distinction between ‘legal’ and ‘illegal’ practice of journalism with the consequent distinction that in the first case human rights defenders should defend the journalists but in the second case use dialogue techniques to defuse the situation. It is a rambling article and the categorization cannot be easily understood. However, I am sharing it anyway as it is in order to illustrate the state of thinking in parts of the world:In some cases, “Human rights Defenders” must not launch campaigns against “Human Rights Violators” based on “Naming and Shaming Techniques” but based on “Mediating and Protecting Techniques”. Mediating between Journalists and Violators and Protecting the Journalist as an individual citizen who has the right to legal and constitutional fair procedures and trial. According to my experience and my proposal “Transitional Freedoms” I am calling for double roles for “Human Rights Defenders” in most of Sub-Saharan African and developing countries, the double roles are “to advocate and to mediate”. To do this, we must not limit their role in defending Human Rights and must not copy their techniques from “Human Rights Defenders” in Western Civilized World. The proposal of Transitional Freedoms based on classifying the violations against the right to freedom of expression for journalists\media practitioners into two categories:
1\ Violations against freedom of expression in a case that the journalist or the media practitioner is fulfilling professional work. In this case the journalist\media practitioner is not part of the problem but he\she is professional; he\she is not a member in an armed group, religious extremists group, ethnic division or similar kinds of groups and trends. He\she is not supporting one of these groups through his\her work in deeds that violate peace and security.
2\ Violations against journalists\media practitioners in a case that they are practicing journalism in an illegal way according to international codes of journalism ethics.
On the first category Journalists Trade Unions, NGOs and Human Rights Defenders will defend the journalist and will stand with him\her in one line. On the second category Journalists Trade Unions, NGOs and Human Rights will declare themselves as mediators between journalists\media practitioners and the government or the second party such as out of law militias etc. In this case they must not launch campaigns based on “Naming and Shaming Techniques” but “Mediating and Protecting Techniques”. The dialogue will fill the gap, the power of the Union, NGOs and Human Rights Defenders must be used to reach a fair settlement\reconciliation or to protect their rights as citizens in fair and transparent trial.
via Sudan Vision Daily -Article Details.
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 
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