By: Dela Ahiawor
CAJ International Magazine, West Africa Bureau Editor, Ghana
The Longest Trip, The Biggest Stage
When Raju Lama boarded his flight from Kathmandu on April 10, 2026, he carried the concerns of 1.8 billion people across 8 South Asian nations. As International President of the SAARC Journalist Forum, SJF, he was heading to the United States for 132 days of diplomacy, advocacy, and networking.
It was the longest overseas engagement in SJF’s history. The agenda was clear: get South Asian journalism into global policy rooms, defend correspondents in the U.S., and build partnerships that would outlast the trip.
By the time he returned on August 20, 2026, SJF had addressed UN bodies, met with the Foreign Press Association, and signed a strategic partnership with the Intercontinental Connection of Journalists – ICJ.
The April–August period became a turning point: from a regional forum to an internationally recognized voice, now formally linked to ICJ under Founder & CEO Saša Dobrijević.
Why the U.S.? Why Now?
2026 is a tense year for South Asian media. Four SAARC countries face national elections between late 2026 and 2027. AI-generated disinformation is spreading in more than 20 languages. Journalists are facing arrests, legal harassment, and physical threats from Kashmir to Chittagong.
On returning to Kathmandu, Lama said the world was talking about South Asian journalists at the UN and in Washington, and SJF needed to be talking with them.
The U.S. program was built around 3 objectives.
First, put SJF inside rooms where global policy is made.
Second, defend the rights and working conditions of South Asian correspondents in the U.S.
Third, build partnerships for training, safety, and resources that SJF could take back to member countries.
Inside the United Nations: April 13-24
Lama’s first major engagement was at UN Headquarters in New York.
CEPA, April 13-17
He attended the 25th Session of the Committee of Experts on Public Administration. The session covered governance, sustainable development, and public administration reforms. During breaks he met diplomats from Nigeria, Kenya, Brazil and Indonesia to discuss transparency, access to information, and the role of media in holding institutions accountable.
ECOSOC FFD + SDG Investment Fair, April 20-24
At the ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development, Lama followed global discussions on development financing and international cooperation. He used side events to argue that journalism is development infrastructure. Without credible information, he told delegates, development funds cannot be tracked and citizens cannot participate.
Over 10 days he held 17 meetings with UN media officers, SAARC diplomatic missions, and civil society groups. SJF’s 2025 report “Attacks on Journalists in South Asia” was circulated to 6 UN agencies. By the end of the sessions, 3 UN agencies requested SJF to consult on 2027 media literacy programs targeting youth in South Asia.
Note: This UN engagement was SJF-only and based strictly on the official SJF release.
The Newsroom Diplomacy: Foreign Press Association
On April 28, Lama met Ian Williams, President of the Foreign Press Association of the United States.
The FPA represents more than 700 foreign correspondents accredited in the U.S., including 14 from South Asia. Their shared concerns were immediate: visa delays for journalists, restricted access to Capitol Hill briefings, and increasing pressure on international media outlets.
Two concrete outcomes came from the meeting.
First, an FPA-SJF Solidarity Statement condemning visa backlogs for South Asian journalists and calling for expedited processing.
Second, an Exchange Pipeline where 5 South Asian journalists will nominated for FPA’s 2027 fellowship program.
Williams noted that foreign correspondents from Dhaka and Delhi face the same barriers as those from Lagos and Nairobi, and that media bodies need to work together to protect press freedom globally.
Advocacy for Press Freedom
Throughout the 4-month visit, press freedom remained central. As SJF President, Lama advocated for protection of journalists, freedom of expression, and independent media across South Asia.
SJF monitored ongoing cases of arrests and threats in Nepal, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. The Forum also issued a statement of solidarity with the U.S. Press Freedom Coalition, urging Congress to ensure that foreign journalists are not targeted for their reporting.
Lama emphasized that journalists must work without intimidation or political pressure. He told audiences that an attack on one journalist is an attack on the public’s right to know.
Representing South Asian Journalism
At 3 panels and 12 networking events in New York and Washington, Lama pushed for better understanding of South Asian journalism. He argued against crisis-only coverage and promoted stories of community radio in rural India, fact-checkers in Sri Lanka, and women reporters covering climate in the Maldives.
He also promoted journalism as a bridge — using media cooperation to build peace, dialogue and democratic values between societies.
In meetings with think tanks, he presented data on how misinformation spreads across borders and why regional journalist networks are the first line of defense.
The ICJ Partnership: Signed July 31, 2026
While in the U.S., Lama finalized SJF’s most significant institutional step.
On July 31, 2026, the SAARC Journalist Forum and ICJ Global Media Group LLC, operator of the Intercontinental Connection of Journalists, signed a 3-year Memorandum of Understanding.
The MoU was signed by:
Raju Lama, International President of SAARC Journalist Forum, in New York
Saša Dobrijević, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of ICJ Global Media Group LLC, in Belgrade, Serbia
Objectives of the MoU:
*Strengthen international cooperation among journalists
*Promote press freedom and professional standards
*Expand opportunities for South Asian journalists
Under the agreement:
*SJF joins the “ICJ Friends” institutional network
*Reciprocal digital promotion and official SJF profile on ICJ platform
*SJF journalists gain access to ICJ training, press credentials, publishing opportunities, global panels, and ICJ awards
*Premium members get access to the ICJ Marketplace for international distribution of investigative work
Speaking on the partnership, Saša Dobrijević, Founder & CEO of ICJ, said:
“This partnership reflects the very purpose for which ICJ was founded — to build lasting bridges between journalists who share the same values and the same sense of responsibility, regardless of where they call home.”
For Lama, the MoU meant SJF could now access ICJ’s global network while maintaining its South Asian identity and mandate.
Building Bridges to Africa
With SJF now partnered with ICJ, attention turned to other regions facing similar challenges.
The Congress of African Journalists – CAJ, led by International President Michael Adeboboye, has been working since 2020 to defend press freedom and build capacity across Africa. CAJ was registered in Nigeria and now operates as a pan-African movement.
Following Lama’s U.S. engagement, SJF and CAJ began discussions on direct collaboration. Both organizations share concerns: disinformation, shrinking civic space, safety of journalists, and lack of funding for independent media.
Michael Adeboboye, International President of CAJ, said:
“For too long, Africa and Asia have been in separate rooms talking about the same problems. President Raju Lama’s work in the United States shows what is possible when we step out and meet.
SJF’s new partnership with ICJ creates an opportunity. CAJ is ready to work with SJF on journalist training, safety alerts, and cross-border reporting.
By 1, 2027, we aim to train journalists across both continents and ensure that when one of us is attacked, the other will speak.
The Congress of African Journalists stands with SAARC Journalist Forum. Our newsrooms are now linked.”
The goal is a South-South media corridor where resources, alerts, and stories move between Asia and Africa without going through Western gatekeepers.
What’s Next: 2027 Roadmap
From the MoU and new partnerships, SJF outlined 4 priorities for the next 18 months.
First, Training : Joint digital safety and verification clinics for 2,000 journalists through the ICJ network, with modules adapted for South Asian languages.
Second, Rapid Response : A shared alert system for attacks on journalists in Asia and Africa, so that SJF and CAJ can issue joint statements within 24 hours.
Third, Exchanges : 5 South Asian journalists for FPA 2027, plus new South-South exchange tracks between SAARC and African newsrooms.
Fourth, Visibility : More South Asian stories in global media through ICJ platforms and co-publishing agreements.
SJF will also host a regional conference in Dhaka later this year to bring ICJ and CAJ representatives together with South Asian editors.
Lama’s Take-Home
For Lama, the U.S. visit was about access and positioning.
His take-homes were clear.
Access: SJF now has entry into UN policy discussions and U.S. media institutions.
Institutional Strength: 3-year MoU with ICJ signed with Founder Saša Dobrijević.
Solidarity: Direct talks initiated with CAJ under President Michael Adeboboye.
Opportunity: Pathways for training and reporting across 16+ countries.
Lama said:
“The challenges facing journalists are global and require cooperation beyond borders. We went to speak for South Asian journalists. We came back with partners and a platform.”
He added that the work now is to deliver results back in member countries — safety protocols, training, and more visibility for South Asian reporters.
Between April 10 and August 20, 2026, Raju Lama used his U.S. presence to promote South Asian journalism, press freedom, and international cooperation.
The highlight was the July 31 MoU with ICJ, signed with Founder Saša Dobrijević, giving SJF a 3-year institutional home in the global network. The follow-on engagement with CAJ under Michael Adeboboye points to a wider South-South media alliance.
From Kathmandu to the UN to Belgrade, the message is clear: the future of journalism will be defended together. Not by waiting for others to tell our stories, but by building the networks to tell them ourselves.
