Nobel laureate Maria Ressa to address Thomson Reuters Foundation’s conference
Thomson Reuters Foundation will host a two-day conference focused on a post-pandemic roadmap to inclusive growth and the protection of free media and civil liberties.
Nobel peace laureate Maria Ressa, economist Jeffrey Sachs, philanthropist Craig Newmark and Afghan reporter Zahra Joya will be amongst the speakers in the foundation’s flagship annual forum Trust Conference on 17 and 18 November.
The conference will address urgent global challenges through a series of talks, debates and high-profile exchanges. Themes of the conference include: Climate change as a human rights risk, making a ‘Just Transition’, the impact of financial vulnerability on editorial independence, the race for cyber sovereignty, defending media freedom and newsroom diversity.
Human rights defenders, innovators, media experts, policymakers and business leaders will also join the online forum, which will bring together thousands of delegates from around the world, says a press release.
With 18 hours of live-streamed talks, plenaries and insight sessions, leading experts from a variety of disciplines will share new insights on shifting the post-pandemic economy onto a more inclusive and sustainable path, one built on the principles of human rights, media freedom and climate justice.
They will weigh in on cutting-edge solutions to tackle the world’s most consequential challenges, including the business case for economic inclusion, the path to zero emissions, the human cost of internet shutdowns and a legal network for journalists at risk, adds the press release.
“The converging economic, health and climate crises are putting our democracies, people and planet under an existential threat,” said Thomson Reuters Foundation CEO Antonio Zappulla adding, “But there is also a great opportunity for a coordinated global response - the success of which depends on how well we work with and learns from each other.”
In response to drastic deterioration of media freedoms, the foundation will launch a new Legal Network for Journalists at Risk (LNJAR) at the conference in partnership with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Media Defence.
The LNJAR comprises 15 organisations, and strategically coordinates different types of legal support to enable journalists and independent media outlets to continue to cover public interest stories and hold power to account without fear of retribution.
Additionally, the foundation will unveil its partnership with UNESCO, the International Women’s Media Foundation and the International News Safety Institute (INSI) through which it has developed practical and legal tools for journalists, media managers and newsrooms to counter harassment.
“We hope to contribute to creating a safer environment for women journalists. Our collaboration with the Thomson Reuters Foundation is an example of this, and we are excited to publish this series of practical guides,” said Guilherme Canela, chief, Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists Section at UNESCO.
The programme and the speaker line-up of Trust Conference are available here. Register for your complimentary ticket here.