Dune Voices is a multimedia platform set up by MDI to gather, train, and mentor local journalists committed to reporting on stories from the Saharan regions of Algeria, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia.
Dune Voices specialises in providing reliable, in depth, well investigated stories covering topics such as: smuggling, border control/movement, trafficking and organised crime; refugees and population movements; human rights; isolation and marginalisation from decision-making; nomadic perspectives as contrasted to settled ones and ethnic tensions; conflict, armed groups and extremism; local grievances around issues of development; and culture and heritage. It aims at raising awareness of issues from the heart of the Sahara and giving a voice to marginalised groups and ordinary people inhabiting the region, and often forgotten by the mainstream media and their governments. The stories are regularly republished and rebroadcast by media outlets throughout the region, as well as by international outlets.
The ultimate objective of the project is to establish a self-sustaining commercial feature & news agency media outlet covering the Sahara region that ensures greater availability of accurate information on security issues, political inclusion, human rights and development affecting marginalised communities in remote areas, and thereby contribute to reducing the likelihood of conflict and instability in the Sahara region.
Countries Covered: Algeria, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia
Timeframe: 2014-2017
Funder: Arab Partnership Fund, UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office
Partners: Multiple
