By Bassem Abo Alabass | Thu., November 3, 9:45 AM
Bassem Abo el Abass receives his end of course certificate from Mathieu Robbins and Lisa Essex, Thomson Reuters Foundation course trainers
My cell phone rang at about 11am and when I answered it I was greeted by an English voice. At first I thought that one of my friends was fooling around with me upon my return from London, where I had completed the "Writing and Reporting News" program at Thomson Reuters Foundation, but I was surprised by the caller’s fluent English.
This was no one kidding me as I found out that my caller was indeed Professor Phillip Robbins who is the social researcher at the University of Oxford. He asked to meet with me upon his arrival in Cairo which would be his second visit here. On his first visit, I had helped him with one of his research projects.
At six pm, I went to meet Robbins and on my way, the most prominent thing on my mind was the upcoming day of the 5th of November in London which would see massive anti-capitalism protests similar to the famous film ’V for Vendetta”.
I was curious to discuss whether the director’s view would become real or if these protests were just another flimsy call, like those made by revolutionaries in Egypt every Friday for the last three months in Tahrir Square, aimlessly, unconsciously and against nothing.
We sat in a cafe and exchanged greetings. My curiosity pushed me to ask him about the demonstrations in London, suddenly he was shocked and asked: “How do you know about that?”
I told him I was in London doing a Thomson Reuters Foundation Course for Writing and Reporting news where, along with participants from different countries, I had learned a lot of things about stories. We learned how to make them colourful and interesting to attract readers, and about what real news is, which will serve people’s inquisitiveness.
“All of these skills, the great trainers and fantastic participants are what made me aware of the demonstrations and London’s new “V” and I will keep searching and reporting with Reuters criteria to reach the truth,” I told Robbins.
Thanks a lot Thomson Reuters Foundation and fellow participants because without both of you maybe I wouldn’t be able to write this colourful story.
Hope you are always well London… and God bless you too Egypt.
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