Thanks for including a Palestinian angle regarding the United States' decision to rejoin UNESCO

"Despite the overwhelming majority in support of Palestine membership, the United States chose to stop funding UNESCO in protest. I appreciate that you provided this context to your segment as it gives viewers important information and acknowledges the Palestinian context of the story."


June 13, 2023

To:

Karen Mitchell, News Director, CTV News Winnipeg

Maralee Caruso, News Anchor, CTV

Dear Ms. Mitchell and Ms. Caruso,

I’m writing to you on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME, https://www.cjpme.org) to thank you for the UNESCO segment on CTV News Winnipeg at 5, which aired on June 12, 2023, and was posted online.

I was happy to see that your segment included a Palestinian angle, unlike many others, by including the fact that the United States originally stopped funding UNESCO following the decision to include Palestine as a member state. The vote, which took place in 2011, had 107 members voting in favour vs. only 14 against. Despite the overwhelming majority in support of Palestine membership, the United States chose to stop funding UNESCO in protest. I appreciate that you provided this context to your segment as it gives viewers important information and acknowledges the Palestinian context of the story.

Thank you again for your coverage. I encourage you to continue providing the full context of these issues. Should you wish, you can contact me at 438-380-5410 for more information.

Sincerely,

Yasmeen Amer

Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East