Unifor is donating a total of $17,000 to three organizations to help get Afghan journalists out of the country following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan.
“The safety of these journalists is paramount, and Unifor is proud to be a part of this international effort by media unions around the world,” said Unifor National President Jerry Dias.
The money includes $1,000 this week from Unifor Media Council, with matching funds from the national Union, to the International Federation of Journalists’ safety fund.
Last week, Unifor donated $10,000 to International Media Support in support of Afghanistan’s journalists. As well, Unifor’s Social Justice Fund donated $5,000 to Journalists for Human Rights for its efforts to help Afghan journalists.
Unifor is also working with the IFJ to provide the federal government with the names of Afghan journalists hoping to escape the country since the takeover by the Taliban.
“The IFJ has been working non-stop to help Afghan journalists escape the country, and we’ve been doing everything we can to help,” said Jennifer Moreau, interim chair of Unifor’s Media Council, and IFJ executive committee member. “This is a life and death situation. We urge Canada to help Afghan journalists and their families before it’s too late.”
Unifor represents more than 13,000 media workers in Canada. The IFJ is the world’s largest trade union organization for journalists, with more than 600,000 media workers in more than 140 countries, including Afghanistan. Unifor’s media workers are also affiliates of the IFJ, which operates a safety fund to help journalists in dire conditions.
For more information or to donate to the IFJ’s effort, go to the IFJ’s safety fund.