FoNIJ, the Federation of Nepalese Indigenous Nationalities Journalists, is a forum for the journalists representing indigenous communities to advocate on indigenous issues for an integrated development.
It has been established as ANIJ (Association of Nepalese Indigenous Nationalities Journalists) on 9 Aug 1999 in HMG/Nepal to consolidate all Nepalese Indigenous Nationalities journalists to address properly a growing issue of indigenous people.
Later, it became “FoNIJ” in 2013. It has 45 district chapters and 8 member organizations across the country and 3 foreign branches in Hong Kong, The United Kingdom and South Korea.
FoNIJ has more than 1500 members in which women members are more than 400.
Objectives :-
- To provide professional leadership and solidarity among the indigenous media persons, safeguard their professional rights.
- To bridge mainstream media and IPs communities
- To facilitate IPs communities by using the media outlets to advocate and raise their voices
- To strengthen the capacity of IPs journalists
- To aware non-IPs Journalists about the Issues of IPs.
- To disseminate awareness against indigenous peoples cultural pollution.
- To foster institutional development for overall development of all indigenous media persons. For instance, establishing Research centers and Indigenous Media Academy.
- To inspire indigenous community to initiate actions towards achieving rights enshrined in ILO convention 169 and in universal declaration of human rights.
- To extend relations with national and international organizations and initiate advocacy and lobbying for rights of the indigenous peoples.
- To disseminate information on the rights and issues of Nepalese indigenous community.
- To bolster promotion of national peace and stability and mainstreaming development.