Journalists Sanctuary International
Journalists Sanctuary International (JSI) is a not-for-profit independent organization for journalists.
The NGO, which was founded in January 2022 by multiple award-winning journalist, Latif Iddrisu, is purposely established to give real meaning to the cliché, ‘protection of journalists’ by giving the reporters what they actually need to stay safe.
History of Journalists Sanctuary International
On March 27, 2018, the promising journey of a budding journalist was derailed when some officers of the Ghana Police Service, brutally assaulted him and broke his skull in the process.
The head injury and its cascading effects slowed what many journalists and members of the public considered at the time as a promising journalism career. Following that injury, and after years of treatment, Latif did not give up on taking up the frontline position to report the news.
However, persistent relapses of the injury forced him to stay out of work for days and in some instances weeks whenever he defied medical advice to undertake ‘difficult’ assignments in Ghana, and when he had to travel to Kenya, Germany, UK, USA, and Switzerland on international assignments.
As passionate as he is about the journalism profession, Latif Iddrisu in January 2022, conceived and established Journalists Sanctuary International (JSI) in order to prevent other journalists from suffering similar damages to their person in the event that they get assaulted while doing their independent work.
JSI also marshals, publishes and takes action on behalf of journalists who may come under any form of attack while doing their work anywhere in the world.
One other important role JSI performs is to conduct research, engage experts to draft bills, and lobby the legislative branch of government for the passage of same into law to help create a sanctuary environment for journalists to practice their trade without fear.
The organization has been set up to uphold the safety of journalists who at great personal cost, go to perilous places less travelled by other reporters and take frontline position to report on issues that are given less, or ‘armchair’ news coverage because of the risks involved.
Mission
Journalists Sanctuary International upholds and promote press freedom and the safety of journalists who at great personal cost, go to perilous places less travelled to shine light on threats, rots, and evil. JSI does that through advocacy, training, and provision of protective gears to frontline journalists worldwide.
Vision
To create a world in which journalists feel safe and go about their independent work without having to look over their shoulders in fear of being attacked.
