WITNESS selects Ghanaian Journalist Joseph Wemakor for Fortifying the Truth Cohort

A Ghanaian journalist and human rights activist, Joseph Kobla Wemakor, has been selected to join 'Fortifying the Truth Cohort' by WITNESS, a global human rights organization empowering individuals to use video and technology to protect and defend human rights.His successful application to the call for the Training of Trainers Workshop on visual verification using a community-based approach has earned him a spot among 17 passionate journalists and frontline human rights defenders in West Africa.His commitment to fortifying the truth and countering harmful narratives has captured the attention of the selection committee, and his cohort finalists will undergo a three-day intensive training in community-based digital verification techniques in Abuja, Nigeria, from May 29th to 31st, 2024.Programme Assistant for Africa at WITNESS, Jacquelyn Jasper-Ikpendu, expressed her excitement about Wemakor's vision and promised support to help see his idea through to completion in a letter congratulating him on his selec tion.This opportunity not only provides Wemakor with a platform to enhance his skills but also facilitates networking with peers from across Africa, fostering idea exchange and mutual learning within the vibrant cohort.This latest accomplishment broadens Wemakor's already impressive record of significant contributions to human rights advocacy and journalism.Wemakor's commitment to excellence and innovation earned him a selection among 30 African human rights defenders for the Human Rights Training of Trainers in Tanzania in October 2023, as well as in his recognition among 25 science and health reporters in Ghana for specialized training in infectious disease reporting and health-related issues by the Centre for Science and Health Communication in May 2023.In addition to being a well-known human rights advocate, humanitarian, and powerful journalist in Ghana, Joseph Wemakor is the founder and executive director of Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG), an organization devoted to defending the rights of underrepresented communities in society.Source: Ghana News Agency