Young Iraqi Journalists

In Northern Iraq, children and teens are now writing journalistic articles for various publications and parents and teachers are not happy. Why? Because the young people are providing descriptions and criticisms of family child abuse, violence against children in the schools, and the ineffective educational system. Adults, generally, are being embarrassed by the words of the young journalists but, other than name-calling, no actions have been taken to stop the writers.

They have a trainer, whose identity is secret, that suggested the children write about their own lives and problems.

So they did. They wrote about child abuse in the home, violence against children in the schools, and of an antiquated and ineffective educational system.

So far about 17 articles have been placed in local publications written by children from 6 to 14 years of age. They generally receive about 10,500 Iraqi dinars, or seven US dollars, per story.

Many of the child writers are drop outs - forced to leave school to work.

The children and their journalism teacher meet casually in the market place for short sessions, and they agree on a different location for the next meeting.

This story just warms the cockles of my pea-pickin' heart. Not only is there a free press in Iraq, but there is also a group of young journalists with integrity. In Iraq? Journalists with integrity? How rare is that?