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4 NGOs Blame Jamhuuriya For Misleading Report On Meeting With NOVIB
Hargeysa (SL Times) – The four non-governmental organizations of Candlelight, NAGAAD, HAVOYOCO and Samo-Talis, in a press statement issued Thursday, refuted the accuracy of a press report published by Jamhuuriya newspaper on Aug 7, 2003. The report said something to the effect that a meeting sponsored by the Dutch international NGO, NOVIB has been underway at Maansoor Hotel in Hargeisa for several days with the aim of unifying civil society organizations in Somaliland and Somalia under a single umbrella organization.
The 4 NGOs said the purpose of the meeting was entirely different from what has been reported by Jamhuuriya, adding that the real aim of the gathering at Maansoor Hotel was for a number of NOVIB partners working on Educational projects in Somaliland and Somalia to exchange information on their experiences in the field. They also said the other objective of the meeting was to train civil society activists from these organizations on monitoring and evaluation skills. “Before publishing its story, the newspaper should have verified it with the participants or organizers of the meeting itself but the truth is that they haven’t done so,” the statement said.
The four Somaliland NGOs described Jamhuuriya’s news report on the meeting as a grossly misleading and inaccurate piece of information based on hearsay. The organizations demanded that the newspaper retract and correct its story.
Noting that an increasing number of international organizations are now encouraged by Somaliland’s peace and stability to come here, either to work with Somaliland partners or sponsor international conferences, the NGOs have called upon the media to observe journalistic ethics.
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