The Freedom Forum

Reporters Covering Armed Conflicts

During 2001 The Freedom Forum sponsored the participation of six Colombian reporters and photographers in a safety training course designed for journalists covering armed conflicts throughout the world.

The five-day course was designed by Centurion Risk Assessment Services Ltd., a British company and led by Paul Rees, a former commander of the Royal Marines, who started the company in 1995.

The Colombians, many of whom have already been caught in crossfire while covering their country's armed conflict, attended the course along with other international journalists who gathered in Woodstock, Va., 6o kilometers west of Washington D.C.

The Freedom Forum sponsored the following journalists: Ricardo Calderón, from Semana magazine; Bernardo Peña, from Cambio magazine; Nubia Camacho, from El Tiempo newspaper; Winston Viracachá, from Caracol television; Jesús Abad Colorado, from Número magazine and Adriana Aristizabal, from RCN television.

The training course included participation in a mock kidnapping. In addition, the journalists learned a broad range of skills including how to recognize land mines, looking for shelter, taking care of personal safety and covering social riots.