International Association Of Independent Journalists Inc.

[Maurice Ali]

A Pictorial Time line Of IAIJ!



By Maurice Ali, IAIJ



As we continue with our Citizen Journalist Initiative, I would like to offer a time line pictorial for us to keep our development in perspective:





Here is Emily Smith with our first press card (with url support) in December, 2003. I think Emily was all of 17 at the time. She was one of our first members and opened our first TV Show in 2005. The association was created first and then the archiving company was incorporated in 2004 and both have co-existed ever since.




Here I am reading our first newspaper in April of 2004. We printed the first paper as a real paper (and continue to do so) because the many constitutions in the world give protection to the Press but specifically allude to the printing press, so we did it the old fashioned way to ensure we were covered under these protections. Copies of our paper now reside in Canada's National Archives so protections are ensured.




This is our first published book by FOF and IAIJ in September of 2004. what is interesting about this book is the foresight into the importance of protests which are changing the world as we speak and the emergence of the Citizen Journalist, also changing the world at the present time.




Our first TV show broadcast across Canada on September 18, 2005 (cable and satellite, terrestrial over Ontario and upper New York State) where we laid the foundations for all organizations at IAIJ and FOF!





Some of the IAIJ personnel in the early days, from the left is Samantha Blackwell, Sue Earps (Director) and Ainsley Wronski.




A big day as the association is incorporated on February 12, 2008 (above)! Dave Getchel (below left) became IAIJ's latest apppointed Director in 2009.






IAIJ started a diploma program for self-improvement in July 2008.




Our second TV show, a collaboration between FOF and IAIJ. Ainsley hosted the documentary and Donald Brasseur later got the IAIJ Award for Journalism for his research for the show! This show was broadcast during daytime over 33 different channels in addition to CTV and reached a broadcast population of over 40 million in Canada and northern USA! The show aired July 26, 2009 at 10:30am.




IAIJ became an Institutional Member of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO in June of 2011!




Another FOF IAIJ collaboration was the making of the documentary "FOFSTOCK" which documents how we put on a concert in downtown Toronto and the free speech issue and lobbying that resulted from issues at the concert. The concert was held at Toronto's Yonge-Dundas Square on August 1, 2011.

So we are moving along with The Citizen Journalist Initiative. We are reaching as always and nothing is for sure. But looking back I have to say how honored and proud I am at all of you at this organization! We were one of the first and remain one of the longest lasting of these types of journalist associations. We are at the forefront of advocacy and lobbying for Citizen Journalists (and all journalists for that matter) recognition and rights. Eight years and we are only just starting!


IAIJ: JOURNALISTS IN ACTION AROUND THE WORLD!