Varanasi: Human rights activists drawn from various places of Varanasi, such as Dashaswamedh, Gosainpur, Pandeypur, Sarai Mohana, Ashok Vihar, Choubeypur, Rajghat and Sigra, Mirzapur and Sonebhadra districts as well as Jharkhand were imparted with the basic skills of journalism and photography. The 5-day capacity building workshop ended today at Kamesh Hut. Beginning on 27th October, the workshop was organised by PVCHR in collaboration with Denmark- based Rehabilitation & Research Centre for Torture victims (RCT).

Skills of the human rights activists were honed by Tarun Kanti Bose, a Delhi-based journalist, who has proven track record of training grassroots activists, students and stringers. In the workshop, trainees were given tips on reporting and interviewing along with the techniques of writing features for wall newspaper. Capitalising on the skills garnered during the training sessions, participants made a visit to Bajardiha’s weavers colony, Nakhighat and Dhakarbasti.

Participants developed their stories, which was further subbed and edited for giving it a shape of a feature and to enhance its readability. Sam Litin, an American photographer taught the participants with the basic skills of photography. Trainees took appropriate photos required for the stories. Wall newspapers titled ‘Awaaz-a- Bajardiha’, ‘Dastan-a-Bunkar’ and ‘Dakhin Tola Times’ were designed with eye-catching masthead, headlines, features and photos.

Today, these wall newspapers were pasted at Dr Rajendra Prasad Ghat for pre-testing. Wall newspapers were appreciated and readers thoroughly read the stories. Most of the readers were of the opinion that wall newspaper is most effective tool for communication to amplify the voice of the excluded community. In the days to come, it can emerge as a forum for interaction.