Legend has it that Cadiz was founded as a result of the mythical 12 labours of Hercules which included separating Europe from Africa. The first settlers came here after their oracle advised them to construct a city overlooking the Atlantic between the Pillars of Hercules.
What we know as historical fact is that this is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Europe. The Phoenicians established a trading post here in 1,100 BC and called the town Gadir (meaning enclosure), a name which later transmuted to Gades under the Romans..
Journalists in this particular city have decided to offer a refuge to colleagues fleeing persecution and torture from their own homeland due to the exercise of their profession.
The Cadiz Press Association ( http://www.prensacadiz.org/) with the help of the ( http://www.ifj.org/) has decided to build a house that will host journalists seeking refuge and asylum in Spain and the (http://www.nuj.org/) will provide some technical and referral support to the project. This cooperation has been materialised on Wednesday 16 March by the signing agreement between the Cadiz Press Association ( APC) and the International Federation of Journalists.
Fernando Santiago Munoz, the acting president of APC and Jim Boumelha for the Ifj have both signed the cooperation agreement in the presence of the general Secretary of the Nuj, Jeremy Dear and his deputy Michelle Stanistreet.
Pete Murray and Donnacha Delong, president and deputy were also present at the ceremony that took place in the conference room situated at the fifth floor at the Headland House in London.
Jeremy explained to the spanish colleagues how the Nuj has been involved in campagnings in order to avoid one of his member been removed from the UK and also highlighted the support that asylum seeker members are receiving from the union...
On the agreement it is said that the APC undertakes to promote the construction and complete fitting-out of the journalists`house and also to provide sufficient staff for its operation and security.
Journalists will be admitted in that house on condition that their asylum application has been approved by Spanish authorities and that they have the status of refugee. They will receive necessary services to pursue their journalistic work and also will have to learn the language that will be a criteria to integrate the community.
There are 16 rooms that are going to be funded by media groups in Spain in a scale of 50% of the management and the other 50% will be donated and collected through the European fund for refugee and other International federation of journalists. Funds will help the maintenance and the complete function of the House.
The Ifj will put forward names and specific cases of journalists needing or requesting protection to the Journalists`House. The Spanish initiative comes after French and German and the Ifj hopes that other European countries will follow these examples of housing persecuted journalists.
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