Members from Hayaan Media Development Center met with officials of the European Journalism Center on Tuesday 19 Jan. 2010 over the possibility of better relationship and cooperation between the two organizations towards promoting media activities.

The meeting took place in Maastricht, Netherlands as the HMDC and EJC officials underlined the importance of projects to enhancing the profession of the qualified Somali journalists spread out in the world particularly those still operating in Somalia under hard conditions.

The general director of Hayaan Media Development Center Abdullahi Jama Ali detailed about the insecurity problem in which the journalists work inside Somalia and their needs to be supported on the side of upgrading their professionals.

He sees the meeting with EJC as profitable and helpful to the continuation of the activities relating to energizing of Media doings.

The senior project manager Media Development of the European Journalism Center Josh LaPorte welcomed the briefings given praising HMDC’s efforts towards Media Development in Somalia regarding it as the appropriate and timely organization that has the capacity to maintain such greater media tasks in east Africa region.

“We as EJC works on media development in European Union countries and we carry out media projects in many African countries but we had no access to reach out Somalia because of the insecurity.  But now we can have the opportunity as long as we began contacting an organization based in Netherlands that works on media development and has the competence to perform projects inside Somalia,” said Mr. LaPorte adding that EJC will work closely with HMDC primarily creating trainings and workshops in Africa and throughout the world.

Abdiweli Ibrahim Aden (Gareyare), the East Africa project coordinator of HMDC who told the meeting that if full collaboration between EJC and HMDC is certain that would be a big achievement to the Somali journalists particularly those suffering in the countries neighboring Somalia.

Marjan Tillmans, project manager media development of EJC, speaking at the meeting pledged that they will consult with HMDC over the coming projects to meet the needs of the media people in Somalia.

Hayaan Media Development Center.

Utrecht-Netherlands.