JOURNALISTS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RACHEL PULFER HONOURED WITH THE SPENCER MOORE AWARD FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT ON WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY

TORONTO, May 3, 2023 /CNW/ - This World Press Freedom Day, Rachel Pulfer, Executive Director of Journalists for Human Rights (JHR), is being awarded the Spencer Moore Award for Lifetime Achievement by Ottawa-based nonprofit World Press Freedom Canada (WPFC) for JHR's work to help move thousands of at-risk Afghan human rights defenders and journalists to safety, after the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan. JHR is a Canadian charitable organization that works to empower independent media across the world and strengthen their coverage of human rights issues in their local communities. Pulfer will receive the award at WPFC's annual luncheon today to mark the United Nations' World Press Freedom Day, bringing together parliamentarians, journalists, diplomats and businesspeople to acknowledge the importance of a free and robust media in our democracy.

Upon the award's announcement, Pulfer said, "This award recognizes what has been both the greatest challenge and the greatest privilege of my time as Executive Director at Journalists for Human Rights – JHR's work evacuating thousands of Afghans, including hundreds of journalists and human rights defenders and their families, from Afghanistan after it fell to the Taliban in August 2021. I'm both grateful for and proud of what JHR has been able to do — work that continues to this day. Our small team has consistently shown tenacity, creativity, competence and compassion in the face of the tallest odds and most horrific brutality imaginable. This award honours the JHR staff as well as our extraordinary network of partners and supporters, without whom this life-saving work would not have been possible. It is also a celebration of the lives we have changed and a reminder of our duty to those who still need our help." 

When the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021, the world saw one of the worst humanitarian disasters unfold in the country overnight. Thousands of Afghans found themselves in extreme danger from the Taliban and desperately sought a way out of the country. Within days, JHR, alongside like-minded organizations, initiated an emergency effort to evacuate vulnerable Afghans. Since then, the organization has relocated, referred and resettled more than 2,000 vulnerable Afghans, including 500 journalists, human rights defenders and their family members.

Sonia Shinwari, a reporter for the popular female-run TV channel Zan TV, is one of the Afghan journalists resettled in Canada by JHR in 2022. Of the organization's efforts, she said, "JHR hasn't saved just one, two or even 10 families. JHR has saved many generations of Afghanistan, the children of our children. And we're thankful for that." She plans to keep fighting for the rights of Afghan women. "Women in Afghanistan are being deprived of their basic rights — access to equal education and working shoulder to shoulder with men. My goal is to advocate for the rights of Afghan women and fight for this cause till the end of my life," stated Shinwari.

With support from the Government of Canada and private funding, JHR's work to relocate, refer and resettle vulnerable Afghans continues to date. With funding from the Meta Journalism Project, JHR has also worked to secure up to 10 year-long, paid work placements for Afghan journalists in Canadian newsrooms, allowing them to resume their careers and ensure their vital voices continue to be heard. These placements highlight invaluable perspectives added by Afghan journalists to the Canadian media. 

This year, to mark World Press Freedom Day and continue building awareness about these initiatives, JHR is organizing a two-part networking series for women journalists in exile. The series will start with a virtual panel on May 24, featuring topics like the state of women in journalism around the globe, navigating professional challenges, and overcoming barriers to employment in Canadian journalism. This will be followed by an in-person panel and networking event on June 8 in Toronto where JHR and allies will gather, share advice, and support the work of immigrant and refugee writers and journalists here in Canada.

For additional information about Journalist for Human Rights, please visit https://jhr.ca/ and follow @jhrnews on Twitter.

Journalists for Human Rights (JHR) trains journalists worldwide to cover human rights issues ethically and objectively. For 21 years, Canada-based JHR has worked with over 19,000 journalists around the world. Currently, JHR operates sector-wide programs in over 16 countries.

SOURCE Journalists for Human Rights (JHR)