Today’s guest is Xhemajl Rexha, a Kosovar journalist and Chairperson of the Association of Journalists of Kosovo, an organization with some 700 members of all ethnic communities in Kosovo. Xhemajl is currently on a two-month fellowship with the World Press Institute, based in St. Paul/Minneapolis, Minnesota. In this episode, Alon and Xhemajl discuss the state of media freedom and journalist safety in Kosovo, government interference in the media’s workings, and Kosovo’s upcoming election in February 2025.
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Xhemajl Rexha is a journalist from Kosovo, working with main broadcasters there since 2005. He worked as a journalist, host, and editor-in-chief for KTV, part of Koha Group, Kosovo’s biggest media company. He covered main political and social events in the country and region, including status talks with Serbia, declaration of independence, and a series of election cycles. He created and hosted “Interaktiv”, a nightly current affairs show, interviewing and holding accountable Prime Ministers, Presidents and MPs. He was re-elected this summer for a second three-year term as Chairperson of the Association of Journalists of Kosovo, a body of some 700 members of all ethnic communities in Kosovo. AJK promotes media freedoms and freedom of expression in Kosovo, and works on safety of journalists, gender sensitive reporting, and programs including combating disinformation. AJK works with international partners including the US Embassy and the National Democratic Institute in Kosovo. Mr. Rexha is in US on a two-month fellowship with the World Press Institute, with 9 other journalists from across the globe. He joins us now from the twin cities of St. Paul/Minneapolis Minnesota, to talk about the current state of media and journalists’ work in Kosovo.
Today’s guest is Agather Atuhaire, a Ugandan lawyer, journalist, and digital activist. She is the host of Agora Discourse, a digital public square, and has been involved in social media campaigns that have sparked national conversations and policy changes on the poor state of roads, healthcare, and security. Agather is the 2023 recipient of the EU Human Rights Defenders Award and a 2024 recipient of the US State Department’s International Women of Courage Award.
In this episode, we discuss freedom of the press and the situation for journalists in Uganda, including intimidation of journalists, the current political situation in the country, and what steps can be taken, both within the country and by foreign powers, to improve the political and human rights situation for Ugandans.
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Agather Atuhaire is a Ugandan lawyer, journalist and digital activist. Her investigations have exposed high-profile public corruption scandals, such as the Ugandan parliament’s overspending of public funds in the purchase of luxury cars. She is the host of Agora Discourse, a digital public square, and has been involved in social media campaigns that have sparked national conversations and policy changes on the poor state of roads, healthcare, and security. Her work has appeared in news outlets such as the BBC and National Geographic Magazine, and she has worked as a television news commentator and host. She is the 2023 laureate of the EU Human Rights Defenders Award and the 2024 laureate of the International Women of Courage Award.
Today’s guest is Fatou Baldeh, a survivor of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and a Gender Justice specialist with an extensive experience in gender, health and development. Over the past decade she has been a leading advocate and contributor to knowledge on women’s rights and the eradication of entrenched gender norms and practices, including eradication of FGM in The Gambia and the UK. In this episode, Alon and Fatou discuss the challenges from local communities in combatting female genital mutilation, the proposed repeal of The Gambia’s FGM ban and its consequences, and how to break the culture of silence around FGM and educate women about the effects that female genital mutilation has on their bodies.
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Fatou Baldeh is a survivor of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and a Gender Justice specialist with an extensive experience in gender, health and development. Over the past decade she has been a leading advocate and contributor to knowledge on women’s rights and the eradication of entrenched gender norms and practices, including eradication of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in The Gambia and the UK.
To further empower and advance the agenda for gender equality, women empowerment, and rights of children, Fatou founded a Civil Society Organization (CSO) called Women In Liberation and Leadership (WILL) in 2018. Using WILL as a platform for advocacy and awareness raising, Fatou leads a group of 8 women who engage communities to raise awareness on the harm that FGM causes to women, girls, and communities at large. The organization uses initiatives such as community dialogues, women only safe spaces, and positive masculinity to raise awareness at the community level.
In recognition of her work, Fatou was honored by The Late Queen Elizabeth as a Member of The Most Excellent Order of The British Empire (MBE) in 2019. In March 2024, Fatou was awarded the prestigious Women of Courage Award by the First Lady of the United States Dr. Jill Biden and Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken in recognition of her dedication and lifetime service to women and girls in The Gambia.
Today’s guest is Lamar Zala Gran, an Afghan activist and founder of the nonprofit organization Empowering Afghan Women, which provides online courses for high school girls in Afghanistan. She is currently a student at Berea College in Kentucky, continuing her educational journey from the American University of Afghanistan after escaping the country in 2022. In this episode, Alon and Lamar discuss her firsthand experience of the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021, the status of women and young Afghans currently under Taliban rule, and what role the international community can play in alleviating the terrible human rights situation in the country.
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Lamar Zala Gran is the founder and president of the nonprofit organization, Empowering Afghan Women, which she led for a year in Kabul, Afghanistan. The organization offers online courses, and formerly offered in-person classes for high school girls in Afghanistan for three years. Empowering Afghan Women has also developed internet campaigns to raise awareness of women’s rights issues, and conducted workshops on various topics. Over the past four years, she has actively advocated for women’s rights, sharing her voice and experiences on various global platforms, including BBC News, Los Angeles Times, Al Jazeera English, La Repubblica, and Tagesspiegel.
She has been featured on global media outlets, including an interview with Secretary Hillary Clinton on BBC World News, discussing the challenges faced by Afghan women. Gran was also a columnist for the German daily Tagesspiegel, where she contributed 20 weekly diaries from Kabul over the course of six months. Her activism extends to speaking with German Parliament members and EU Parliament members.
Previously, Gran participated as a delegate in the UN Least Developed Countries conference in Doha and spoke at the UN on the refugee forum in 2022, and at the 2023 UN International Youth Conference about the human rights and women’s rights situation in Afghanistan. She is a youth advocate for Silatech and Education Above All foundation in Doha, and has participated in an advocacy video group with the HÁWAR.help organization in Berlin regarding the situation of Afghan women. She also spoke with Ambassador of US for Afghanistan in Doha and US special envoy for Afghanistan in Doha about the situation of Afghan women, and on an Australian embassy panel discussion about Afghan women, together with international donor and its ambassador as well.
Despite facing challenges and mental health struggles, she recently moved to the US from Doha after escaping Afghanistan in 2022. She is currently a student at Berea College in Kentucky, following her educational journey from the American University of Afghanistan in Doha, a summer school program at the American University of Central Asia, and Bard College in New York. She is determined to continue her activism, using her voice to bring about positive changes in her country.
Today’s guest is Gulnoza Said, Europe and Central Asia program coordinator at the Committee to Protect Journalists. She is a journalist and press freedom advocate, and at CPJ, she has conducted several missions to Europe and Central Asia, and advocated for greater press freedom and the release of jailed journalists. In this episode, we discuss the state of press freedom across the world in 2023, what work CPJ does to protect journalists and advocate for press freedom, and the impact that global conflicts such as in Ukraine and Gaza have had on journalists operating on the ground.
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Gulnoza Said, CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia program coordinator, is a journalist and press freedom advocate with over 20 years of experience in New York, Prague, Bratislava, and Tashkent. At CPJ, she has conducted several missions to countries in Europe and Central Asia, and advocated for greater press freedom and the release of jailed journalists at forums including the U.S. Congress, the United Nations, and the OSCE. Before joining CPJ in 2016, she was a journalist and covered issues including elections, politics, media, religion, and human rights with a focus on Central Asia, Russia, and Turkey. She also worked in communications for the United Nations Secretariat and the UNDP. Her op-eds, reports, and comments have appeared in CNN, the BBC, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, PBS, NBC, Voice of America, RFE/RL, Fergana, Eurasianet, and other outlets, and she authored the Uzbekistan chapter in a book on the study of social entrepreneurship.