Latin American Region, European Union Region · 27 October, 2021

EUROsociAL+ and the Gabo Foundation join forces to include the challenges of social cohesion in Latin America in news coverage

The European Union Programme and the Foundation based in Colombia have launched a call for journalists from Latin America and Europe, open until 4 November, which will involve the selection of twenty of them to participate in five workshops on "Coverage of the challenges for social cohesion in Latin America”.

The Gabo Foundation, created by the journalist and Nobel Prize winner for Literature Gabriel García Márquez, and the European Union’s EUROsociAL+ programme through its Governance area managed by FIIAPP, have launched the workshop ‘Coverage of the challenges for social cohesion in Latin America’, which aims to expand the capacities of journalists to better cover the challenges posed by social cohesion in the post-pandemic era in Latin America.

According to Jaime Abello Banfi, general director of the Gabo Foundation, “in the face of the signs of crisis in democracy in a region marked by inequality, impoverishment and the destructive effects of the pandemic, journalism has the task of helping to rethink the future and investigate alternatives in order to design scenarios for overcoming our problems collectively in the post-pandemic era.”

“We appeal to a type of journalism that with its ethical viewpoint and commitment to public service can investigate and amplify proposed solutions, promote trust and hope, and counteract the polarisation and misinformation that fragments societies”, added Abello Banfi.

For this reason, in this workshop, which will be led by the journalist and member of the Governing Council of the Gabo Foundation, Mónica González (Chile), different methodologies will be addressed and experts used in different subjects to identify new focuses and protagonists, narrate the changes we are experiencing, and inform and impact in different formats, but without neglecting journalistic ethics.

For the EUROsociAL+ Programme director, Juan Manuel Santomé, in the face of this crisis of mistrust “social cohesion stands as a force that can increase our sense of belonging to a community, of forging links and relationships.”  In addition, as pointed out by Sonia González, coordinator of the EUROsociAL+ Governance area, in this situation “access to rights, the need to create new social contracts and fiscal pacts to fight inequality, giving a voice to and involving territorial actors in decision-making, promoting transparency and citizen participation become fundamental axes for democratic governance in the region.”

European and Latin American journalists with at least three years of experience in permanent coverage of topics related to the activity’s theme, whether linked to a media outlet or freelancers can apply to this call , of which up to 20 participants will be selected. The call will be open until Thursday 4 November.

Country: Latin American Region, European Union Region
SDG: Peace, justice and strong institutions, Partnerships for the goals
Policy area: Democratic governance policies, Gender equality policies, Social policies