{"id":7349,"date":"2026-08-26T02:54:45","date_gmt":"2026-08-25T21:09:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/timesasian.com\/?p=7349"},"modified":"2026-09-04T13:21:26","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T07:36:26","slug":"from-kathmandu-to-the-un-how-raju-lama-activated-sjfs-icj-partnership-and-opened-doors-to-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesasian.com\/?p=7349","title":{"rendered":"From Kathmandu to the UN: How Raju Lama Activated SJF\u2019s ICJ Partnership and Opened Doors to Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">By: <strong>Dela Ahiawor<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\n<i><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">CAJ International Magazine, West Africa Bureau Editor, Ghana<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">The Longest Trip, The Biggest Stage<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">When <strong>Raju Lama<\/strong> 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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">It was the longest overseas engagement in SJF\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">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 &#8211; ICJ.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">The April\u2013August period became a turning point: from a regional forum to an internationally recognized voice, now formally linked to ICJ under Founder &amp; CEO Sa\u0161a Dobrijevi\u0107.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Why the U.S.? Why Now?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">The U.S. program was built around 3 objectives.<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">First, put SJF inside rooms where global policy is made.<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Second, defend the rights and working conditions of South Asian correspondents in the U.S.<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Third, build partnerships for training, safety, and resources that SJF could take back to member countries.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Inside the United Nations: April 13-24<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Lama\u2019s first major engagement was at UN Headquarters in New York.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">CEPA, April 13-17<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">ECOSOC FFD + SDG Investment Fair, April 20-24<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Over 10 days he held 17 meetings with UN media officers, SAARC diplomatic missions, and civil society groups. SJF\u2019s 2025 report \u201cAttacks on Journalists in South Asia\u201d 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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Note: This UN engagement was SJF-only and based strictly on the official SJF release.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">The Newsroom Diplomacy: Foreign Press Association<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">On April 28, Lama met Ian Williams, President of the Foreign Press Association of the United States.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Two concrete outcomes came from the meeting.<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">First, an FPA-SJF Solidarity Statement condemning visa backlogs for South Asian journalists and calling for expedited processing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Second, an Exchange Pipeline where 5 South Asian journalists will nominated for FPA\u2019s 2027 fellowship program.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Advocacy for Press Freedom<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">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\u2019s right to know.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Representing South Asian Journalism<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">He also promoted journalism as a bridge \u2014 using media cooperation to build peace, dialogue and democratic values between societies.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">The ICJ Partnership: Signed July 31, 2026<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">While in the U.S., Lama finalized SJF\u2019s most significant institutional step.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">The MoU was signed by:<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Raju Lama, International President of SAARC Journalist Forum, in New York<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Sa\u0161a Dobrijevi\u0107, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of ICJ Global Media Group LLC, in Belgrade, Serbia<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Objectives of the MoU:<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">*Strengthen international cooperation among journalists<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 18px;\"> *Promote press freedom and professional standards<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 18px;\"> *Expand opportunities for South Asian journalists<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Under the agreement:<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 18px;\"> *SJF joins the &#8220;ICJ Friends&#8221; institutional network<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 18px;\"> *Reciprocal digital promotion and official SJF profile on ICJ platform<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 18px;\"> *SJF journalists gain access to ICJ training, press credentials, publishing opportunities, global panels, and ICJ awards<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 18px;\"> *Premium members get access to the ICJ Marketplace for international distribution of investigative work<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Speaking on the partnership, Sa\u0161a Dobrijevi\u0107, Founder &amp; CEO of ICJ, said:<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 18px;\"> &#8220;This partnership reflects the very purpose for which ICJ was founded \u2014 to build lasting bridges between journalists who share the same values and the same sense of responsibility, regardless of where they call home.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">For Lama, the MoU meant SJF could now access ICJ\u2019s global network while maintaining its South Asian identity and mandate.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Building Bridges to Africa<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">With SJF now partnered with ICJ, attention turned to other regions facing similar challenges.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">The Congress of African Journalists &#8211; 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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Following Lama\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Michael Adeboboye, International President of CAJ, said:<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 18px;\"> &#8220;For too long, Africa and Asia have been in separate rooms talking about the same problems. President Raju Lama\u2019s work in the United States shows what is possible when we step out and meet.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">SJF\u2019s new partnership with ICJ creates an opportunity. CAJ is ready to work with SJF on journalist training, safety alerts, and cross-border reporting.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">By 1, 2027, we aim to train journalists across both continents and ensure that when one of us is attacked, the other will speak.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">The Congress of African Journalists stands with SAARC Journalist Forum. Our newsrooms are now linked.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">The goal is a South-South media corridor where resources, alerts, and stories move between Asia and Africa without going through Western gatekeepers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">What\u2019s Next: 2027 Roadmap<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">From the MoU and new partnerships, SJF outlined 4 priorities for the next 18 months.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">First, Training : Joint digital safety and verification clinics for 2,000 journalists through the ICJ network, with modules adapted for South Asian languages.<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 18px;\"> 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.<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 18px;\"> Third, Exchanges : 5 South Asian journalists for FPA 2027, plus new South-South exchange tracks between SAARC and African newsrooms.<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 18px;\"> Fourth, Visibility : More South Asian stories in global media through ICJ platforms and co-publishing agreements.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">SJF will also host a regional conference in Dhaka later this year to bring ICJ and CAJ representatives together with South Asian editors.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Lama\u2019s Take-Home<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">For Lama, the U.S. visit was about access and positioning.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">His take-homes were clear.<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 18px;\"> Access: SJF now has entry into UN policy discussions and U.S. media institutions.<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 18px;\"> Institutional Strength: 3-year MoU with ICJ signed with Founder Sa\u0161a Dobrijevi\u0107.<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 18px;\"> Solidarity: Direct talks initiated with CAJ under President Michael Adeboboye.<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 18px;\"> Opportunity: Pathways for training and reporting across 16+ countries.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Lama said:<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 18px;\"> &#8220;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.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">He added that the work now is to deliver results back in member countries \u2014 safety protocols, training, and more visibility for South Asian reporters.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Between April 10 and August 20, 2026, Raju Lama used his U.S. presence to promote South Asian journalism, press freedom, and international cooperation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">The highlight was the July 31 MoU with ICJ, signed with Founder Sa\u0161a Dobrijevi\u0107, 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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><!--\/data\/user\/0\/com.samsung.android.app.notes\/files\/clipdata\/clipdata_bodytext_260826_025110_859.sdocx--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":7350,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[76],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7349","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>From Kathmandu to the UN: How Raju Lama Activated SJF\u2019s ICJ Partnership and Opened Doors to Africa - Times Asian<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/timesasian.com\/?p=7349\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"From Kathmandu to the UN: How Raju Lama Activated SJF\u2019s ICJ Partnership and Opened Doors to Africa - Times Asian\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"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. 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