Rising Voices took part in the StoryMaker Camp held in Amman, Jordan in January 28-30, 2014. As a partner in the project, it was an opportunity to meet with key actors taking part in the development of the app and the implementation of the training and mentoring project.

This group also included the National Training Centers in Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, and Iraq, which have been primarily responsible for the organizing of the various training events.

In Egypt, the trainings were organized by Al Sawt al Hurr, in the localities of Minya and Port Said, among other sites. They provide training, research, and legal support for journalists.

Their mission:

With its years of experience in the field, Al Sawt al Hurr contributes to the development of freedom of expression and journalistic quality in the MENA region, bringing reliable information closer to the people. Through extensive networking, training, support and other activities, we aim to widen the space for free expression in the Arab world, and to strengthen the journalistic sector in terms of quality and sustainability.

At the StoryMaker Camp, we had the opportunity to speak with Emad Shenouda, the local project coordinator. In this podcast interview, he talks about the local nature of the content produced by the participants, as well as the some of the ongoing challenges in the project. He also shares his thoughts on how beneficial bringing everyone together at the StoryMaker Camp has been for improving coordination and knowledge sharing.

You can find Al Sawt Al Hurt on Twitter (@AlSawtAlHur) and on Facebook.