- Prof. Dr. Pham Minh Son, President of the Academy of Journalism and Communication
- H.E. Caroline Beresford, New Zealand Ambassador to Viet Nam
- H.E. Hilde Solbakken, Norwegian Ambassador to Viet Nam
- H.E. Thomas Gas, Swiss Ambassador to Viet Nam
- Ms Leigh McCumber, Counsellor, Canadian Embassy in Viet Nam
- Young journalists and students. 
- Esteemed colleagues and friends.

Good morning,
I’m very happy to be with you today at the Academy of Journalism and Communication.

Before I joined the UN, I was a journalist. And there is one book that had an outsized impact on me.
When I was very young, I remember my father talking about a book by British journalist Edward Behr. The title of the book is “Anybody Here Been Raped and Speaks English?" 

Behr was a BBC journalist, working in Africa and Asia and his book is a powerful exploration of the complexities surrounding the refugee experience, the trauma of displacement, and the difficulties of communication and survival. 

The title itself intrigued me. To this day I remember how my father would put on the haughtiest accent he could muster almost as a way to juxtaposition the incongruity of a high brow accent with its weight of the question. 

The title references a line that Behr overheard when a journalist walked into a camp hosting Belgian nuns evacuated out of Congo in 1964, looking for a story, and made this appeal out loud.

It highlights the absurdity and cruelty of language barriers and the disempowerment of the subjects. 
In the book, Behr portrays how refugee status reduces individuals to numbers or cases, stripping them of their identity and dignity. 

But it was the importance and power of language that left the strongest impact on me. How language can become a weapon of exclusion and control. 

At the time, I couldn’t believe anyone could be so insensitive, and yet we hear similar stories regularly. Of a journalist asking a child to tell them how she feels about seeing her parents killed or of a journalist asking a victim of crime what they did to bring on an attack.

When I later became a journalist, the words of Behr remained in the back of my mind.

In 1996, I covered the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, a devastating war that killed and displaced thousands in my community.

I remember walking into the affected areas with my notebook and with Behr’s words ringing in my head.

I met families who had lost everything—homes, belongings, and, in some cases, loved ones.

As I listened to their stories, I realized how much care I needed to take in the questions I asked and how I presented their experiences.

I wanted their voices to be heard, but I also didn’t want to retraumatize them or to patronize them.

That experience stayed with me, and continues to color how I approach communities who we work with who may have been traumatized by war or natural disasters.

That experience taught me that being a journalist is about more than reporting facts.

It’s about amplifying voices responsibly and with empathy.

This is why today’s discussion is so important.

Trauma-sensitive reporting is not just a skill—it’s a commitment to doing no harm.

It’s a commitment to the dignity of the people whose stories we tell.

As young journalists, the stories you write will shape how the world sees and understands critical issues, like human trafficking or the impact of natural disasters.

You have the power to raise awareness and inspire change.

But with that power comes responsibility.

Today, you’ll learn from experienced professionals about how to approach these sensitive topics.

You’ll hear about techniques, principles, and real-life examples that will help you become ethical and impactful storytellers.

I encourage you to listen, ask questions, and reflect on what you learn today.

Because the work you do can make a real difference in people’s lives.

I’d like to thank co-hosts—the Embassies of Canada, New Zealand, Norway, and Switzerland—and the Academy of Journalism and Communication, for organizing this meaningful event.

Thank you!