Hannah Arendt Initiative: A network to protect media workers

In October 2022, Germany’s Foreign Office and the Federal Commissioner for Culture and the Media launched the Hannah Arendt Initiative, a program dedicated to the protection of journalists under threat. This network of civil society organizations supports journalists and media workers from crisis and conflict zones with, for example, fellowships, training opportunities and consultations. Along with DW Akademie, partners of the initiative include the European Fund for Journalism in Exile (JX Fund), Media in Cooperation and Transition (MiCT) and the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF).

DW Akademie is involved in the Hannah Arendt Initiative with the Space for Freedom project. The project supports refugee media professionals from Afghanistan, Belarus and Russia, to encourage independent journalism from exile. Since 2024, the project has also provided support for journalists at risk in Central America.