UTPC ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
* Opening, Speech by M. Korff
* Remarks of MCT Executive Secretary
* Revival of UTPC
* Development Strategy
* Elected Leaders
* Closing Speech by Prof. Mmari
* UTPC PHOTO GALLERY
* UTPC CONSTITUTION
THE ROLE OF THE MEDIA IN PROMOTING DEMOCRACY IN TANZANIA & ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD
Union of Tanzania Press Clubs - October 29, 2003
J. Michael Korff
Mr. Mengi, Mr. Mwakilili:
It is an honour for me to be with you today. As you know, the United States Information Service, in whose footsteps I follow, was instrumental in the creation of press clubs around the country, and thus I am delighted to see the children of that creation coming together to revive a Union of Tanzania Press Clubs.
Associations represent the "social capital" of nation, and social capital is essential for a thriving democracy. Thus the fact that you are acting together with one another in a voluntary association is a sign of the strength of your democracy. I congratulate you.
Most homilies begin with a word f scripture, so please forgive me for a minute while I begin my remarks with a brief passage:
Many forms of government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government-except for all the other forms that have been tried from time to time.
Those eloquent words were uttered by an honorary American citizen, Winston Churchill, in the House of Commons on November 11, 1947. They reflect a commitment to democracy that I suspect everyone in this room shares.
But I think Americans have more passion when it comes to democracy that most people in the world today. Many would say that we have an evangelical spirit that dates back to the circumstances of our founding and the revolution that we waged.
In the most famous book ever written about Democracy in America, the French travel author Alexis de Tocqueville noted this passion. He was an aristocrat, and he was quite mystified by the Americans' zeal for democracy, their disdain for people who thought they were superior to others because of birth or "station". He marveled at the Americans' faith in the collective wisdom of the entire population, whether educated or not, whether of high birth or low.
Americans' faith in democracy is steadfast, unchanging, fundamental to their being and identity as a people. Americans have made many sacrifices over the years in the name of democracy. They have fought two world wars and the Cold War in the belief that democracy was the greatest virtue, the greatest good - something worth fighting for at all costs. They fight it today when they battle the forces of terror around the world.
I remind you that it was an American President who led his people into a devastating war against Germany that they did not want by telling them that, "The world must be made safe for democracy. Its peace must be planted upon the tested foundations of political liberty."1
*Counsellor for Public Affairs, Embassy of the United States of America, Dar es Salaam
That President of course, was Woodrow Wilson, who had been reelected in 1916 after promising the American people that he would keep the United States out of war, but who, a year later, was leading his people into a war that he justified on the basis of spreading the ideals of democracy. He could not have succeeded in changing the minds of the isolationist-minded Americans any other way.
It was another great American president, Franklin Roosevelt, who in 1935 amidst our worst economic depression, reminded the American people that those people who said that democracy had failed them were wrong. He told them that,
"It is time to provide a smashing answer for those cynical men who say that a democracy cannot be honest, cannot be efficient….. We have in the darkest moments of our national trials retained our faith in our own ability to master our own destiny."2
That is a statement that Tanzanians would do well to remember. When you complain that corruption is too great, that the state of your development is too low, remember that other countries also "developed" and also had dark moments. But like Franklin Roosevelt, you must have faith in your own ability to master your own destiny: Do not accept that is inevitable that outsiders or a political elite will have to control your future because you can't do it yourselves.
My friend Jenerali Ulimwengu is fond of reminding me that the same American President who penned our First Amendment and its pronouncement that, "Congress shall make no low…abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances" also wrote that, "I deplore….the putrid state into which our newspapers have passed and malignity, the vulgarity, and mendacious spirit of those who write for them."3 Thomas Jefferson also wrote that, "From forty years' experience of the wretched guess-work of the newspapers of what is not done in open daylight, and of their falsehood even as to that, I rarely think them worth reading, and almost never worth notice."4
A press that is free to investigate and criticize the government is absolutely essential in a nation that practices self-government and is therefore dependent on an educated and enlightened citizenry. Jefferson himself suffered greatly under a vicious and "creative" press during his presidency, a press that wasn't particularly "professional", fair, or factual. But he was a great believer in the ultimate triumph of truth in the free marketplace of ideas, and looked to that for his final vindication.
Likewise, President Roosevelt once said, "Freedom of the press is essential to the preservation of a democracy; but there is a difference between freedom and license. Editorialists who tell downright lies in order to advance their own agendas do more to discredit the press than all the censors in the world".
But despite their bad experiences with the free and vibrant press of their days, both would agree with Jefferson's statement in 1787: "The basis of our governments1. Woodrow Wilson (1856 - 1924), U.S. Democratic politician, president. Speech to Congress, April 2, 1917. Selected Addresses (1918).
2. Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945), U.S. president. FDR Speaks authorized edition of speeches, 1933 - 1945 (recording of Franklin Roosevelt's public addresses), side 1, Fireside Chat (Apr.28, 1935), ed. Henry Steele Commager, Introduction by Eleanor Roosevelt, Washington Records, Inc. (1960).
3. Thomas Jefferson to Walter Jones, 1814.
4. Thomas to James Monroe, 1816. being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter."5
Jefferson's insistence on a free press was closely related to his belief in democracy - and how it could be made to succeed where other forms of government had failed.
"Our citizens may be deceived for a while, and have been deceived; but as long as the presses can be protected, we may trust to them for light". So wrote Thomas Jefferson to Archibald Stuart in 1799.
Earlier, in 1787, he had written that, "I am persuaded that the good sense of the people will always be found to be the best army. They may lead astray for moment, but will soon correct themselves. The people are the only censors of their governors, and even their errors will tend to keep these to the true principles of their institution. To punish these errors too severely would be to suppress the only safeguard of the public liberty. The way to prevent these irregular interpositions of the people is to give them full information of their affairs through the channel of the public papers, and to contrive that those papers should penetrate the whole mass of the people." 6
I hope you can begin to see the basis of the American faith in democracy, and our insistence on the freedom of the press and its role in protecting democracy - and the rights of the people.
But I would like to turn now to your country.
I want to bring to your attention the results of a PEW RESEARCH CENTRE FOR PEOPLE AND THE PRESS7 survey as it concerns Tanzanian perceptions of the importance of freedom of the press.
The study 8 reveals that only 42% of Tanzanians want a Free Press-the lowest in all of Africa!-and only 22% say they have it.9 There are many other interesting statistics about Tanzanian perspectives in the report, 10 but the press freedom should be of most concern to this group.11
According to the Pew report, "Freedom of the press….is highly valued in Africa. Majorities in nine of ten nations surveyed - all except Tanzania - say that living in a country with a free press is very important to them."12 There is, however, a gap between its perceived importance and whether the media is currently permitted to report the news free of censorship.
The report says that, "Most Africans feel their countries' media can operate freely to some extent, although relatively few gave their countries very high ratings for press freedom. Kenyans and Tanzanians are the most negative in this regard. Just 14% in Kenya give their country high marks for press freedom, though nearly half (48%) believe the statement 'the media can report the news without government censorship' describes their country at least somewhat well. In Tanzania, 22% say press freedom characterizes their country very well and 37% have a negative view of their country on this issue."13
5. Thomas Jefferson to Edward Carrington, 1787.
6. Thomas Jefferson to Edward Carrington 1787.
8. http://people-press.org/reports/pdff/185.pdf
9. p.69
10. Some of those findings were reported in my speech that was published in the African on June 21, 2003.
11. Other results of the survey reveal that 62% of Tanzanians want Honest Elections, but only 29% believe they have them; 80% want religious freedom and 74% believe they have it; 71% want a fair judiciary but only 28% believe they have one. (p.67) Likewise, 56% want free speech but 28% say they have it.
There may be many explanations for the low esteem in which a Free Press is held in Tanzania. That is an area for you to ponder.
For one thing, you may object to the methodology that was employed. According to the PEW CENTRE, the survey was conducted August 2 - 24, 2002, among 720 adults in English and Kiswahili and it is representative of 100% of the adult population. 14 I would simply note that the survey was similar to studies in the other Sub-Saharan countries included in the survey, and thus the results should concern you.
As you consider the implications of the survey results and what you should do about them, I would throw out one possible implication: The results as they apply to Tanzania appear to suggest that the people of Tanzania don't realize why your chosen profession is important. They do not realize why a free press is vital.
It occurs to me that the lack of civic education has influenced this statistic. You need to do a better job of explaining to your fellow citizens their rights and obligations in a democracy and why a free press is important. That is something you can do something about.Before I conclude my remarks, I would be remiss if I did not ask you to worry about one of your SADC neighbours.
As Assistant Secretary of State Lorne Craner reported on July 29, the role of neighbours is indispensable in spreading democracy and democratic ideals in their "neighbourhood". As he put it, "the neighbours really have a stake in the outcome…it's a very economic stake in the outcome. Their economies are going to be dragged down. In the case of Africa it's also an image issue. It is very difficult for African leaders to claim your continent is turning more and more towards democracy if they can't solve the problem of Zimbabwe".Over the weekend, the Government of Zimbabwe again took action against the 'Daily News' and its publisher.
The government's reaction to an October 24 court ruling favourable to the 'Daily News' publisher, which included the forced re-closure of the newspaper and arrests of the publishing company's journalist and directors, offers disturbing evidence of its unrelenting drive to stifle freedom of the press.
Zimbabwe's actions to regulate and suppress press freedoms have created a bizarre and needlessly complicated legal environment. It is clear that the intent of the October 24 court ruling was that the government should remove, not reinforce, the obstacles that prevent the Daily News from publishing.
The spirit of any responsible media law would allow independent voices to be heard. The government of Zimbabwe's rejection of this principle is a sign of its determination to stifle voices of dissent.
The United States has condemned the action. But it seems to me neighbouring countries, and especially journalists' associations, should join hands to condemn the latest actions by Zimbabwe. I hope you agree.
The deliberations of the Constitutional Convection of 1787 were held in strict secrecy, and would never survive today's standards of transparency and full-disclosure. Consequently, anxious citizen gathered outside Independence Hall in Philadelphia when the proceedings ended in order to learn what had been produced behind closed doors. The answer was provided immediately. A Mrs. Powel of Philadelphia asked Benjamin Franklin, "Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?" With no hesitation whatsoever, Franklin responded, "A republic, if you can keep it".
As Professor Richard Beeman of the University of Pennsylvania has pointed out, "The brevity of Franklin's response should not cause to under-value its essential meaning: democratic republics are not merely founded upon the consent of the people, they are also absolutely dependent upon the active and informed involvement of the people for their continued good health."15
That's true whether you're talking about the United States or Tanzania or Zimbabwe. The survival of a democracy, with all the positive benefits that accrue to a population as a result, depends on a people who understand their responsibilities. And those responsibilities can only be understood with the help of a free, vibrant and responsible press.
As President Ronald Reagan once said, "Democracy is not a fragile flower; still it needs cultivating". It is your job to cultivate and nourish democracy in Tanzania and in your neighbourhood.
REMARKS BY THE MCT EXECUTIVE SECRETARY AT THE OPENING OF THE UTPC MEETING HELD AT TEC, OCTOBER, 29TH 2003
o Honourable Guest of Honour
o Representative of the Embassy of Sweden
o Members and Leaders of Press Clubs
o Invited Guests
o Ladies and GentlemenWe are here to be witnesses of history in the making. We are here to play witness to the rebirth of the Union of Tanzania Press Clubs (UTPC).
We are here to pay tribute to all those who have made this historical event possible.
The Embassy of Sweden stands high as one institution, which deserves accolade for promoting press freedom efforts and initiatives in this country, and for understanding and appreciating the role of press clubs in this respect. The Embassy of Sweden has been quick to subscribe to the philosophy which places press clubs at the apex of all journalistic activities in the country - the philosophy that clubs are pivotal institutions for the advancement of journalism practice.
So frankly, it has not been a laborious, tedious or onerous process for the Media Council of Tanzania to convince the Embassy of Sweden to support press clubs. And therefore it has not been a gargantuan task to argue the case for supporting this meeting - which would tomorrow give birth to a new leadership of the UTPC. We thank the Embassy of Sweden most sincerely for being such a willing facilitator of this dispensation.
We hope the new leadership of the UTPC will be able to listen and lead. We implore them to the resourceful and accountable to stakeholders. They should learn from the mistakes of their predecessors. They should be honest custodians of the UTPC property and finances and embrace transparency as their guiding philosophy. I am saying this because once upon a time the United States Embassy here provided support to UTPC. Unfortunately, that support was misused.
The new leadership which assumes office tomorrow will have to be exemplary as role models for the UTPC member press clubs. The UTPC leadership will have to play a vital role in conflict management, prevention and resolution among press clubs' members or even among press clubs themselves.
We want press clubs to be the pride of everybody in their respective regions. They should not only provide hope and inspiration to everybody but also earn the trust of everybody.
This is a wake up call to all of you here representing your respective press clubs. For we are told that some press clubs which are represented here are simply a laughing stock, a disgrace to our profession.
So there must be change in the way you are conducting yourselves. Time is not on your side. Without change, the tide of history will sweep you asunder.
We challenge the new UTPC leadership to convince press clubs to adopt a code of conduct for members and leaders so that we may no more hear stories of corruption, rancour, bitterness and resentment among press clubs members. Of course, there are press clubs which have excelled. With committed leadership, they have made great strides. I do not have to mention them.
Let UTPC members recognize that only ethical conduct and professionalism will earn them confidence, recognition and respect from government, businesses and the general public.
Thank you.
UNION OF TANZANIA PRESS CLUBS
DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
TANZANIA EPISCOPAL CENTRE
29TH - 30TH OCTOBER 2003PREPARED BY:
ABUBAKAR KARSAN,
ACTING SECRETARY GENERAL,
UTPC,
P.O. BOX 2516,
TEL: 0741 467887,
E-MAIL: utpctz@yahoo.co.uk,
MWANZA.1. INTRODUCTION:
Journalists based in the regions working for various media outlets, formed press clubs for the benefit of improving and enhancing their profession, raising the awareness on the media ethics, professional standards, press freedom and providing a platform to express their views and forge solidarity among themselves.
To further their objectives press clubs formed the Union of Tanzania Press Clubs in 1997. The establishment of UTPC was made possible by the financial and moral support from the USA Embassy.
2. UTPC OBJECTIVES:
(i) To facilitate the operations of the Regional press clubs in Tanzania.
(ii) To provide services to Regional press clubs.
(iii) To organize and coordinate activities of the press clubs.
(iv) To render service designed to ensure efficiency and uniformity in the conduct of the business of its member clubs, standardizing their operational setup etc.
(v) To represent member clubs in collective bargaining.
(vi) To provide consultative services to member clubs
(vii) To print and circulate any newspaper or newsletter or any other publication designed to foster or increase interest in the objects of the member clubs.
(viii) To seek, to broaden the knowledge of the club members by identifying training needs, coordinate training, research including finding scholarships, conduct seminars, workshops and organize exchange programs for member clubs.
(ix) To establish links with other organizations and societies involved in marshalling press freedom, human rights and related matters.
(x) To do any other thing which in its opinion is connected with or is ancillary to the above enumerated objectives and aims.
(xi) To establish and maintain effect of professional code of conduct.
(xii) To mobilize its members in fighting against Laws and Regulations that infringe on the freedom of the press.3. VISION:
Our vision is to promote a democratic society through a free, responsible and effective media.
4. MISSION:
The mission of the Union of Tanzania Press Clubs is to promote, maintain and safeguard freedom of the media by building the capacities of our member press clubs, so that they can serve the society consciously, effective and efficiently.
5. DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY:
We present this strategy to our members today so that you can critique, and put more input or even modify it. We will only present the outline of the strategy, which after your approval will be developed into a strategic plan to be submitted to development partners. It will be the responsibility of the new elected leaders to develop the strategy into a bankable project document.
The strategy will cover the following priority areas:-
a) Training:
Members of the Regional press clubs will be trained on:-
* Basic Journalism
* Investigative Journalism
* Gender Reporting
* HIV/Aids Reporting
* Election Reporting
* Leadership Skills
* Financial Management
* Computer training
* Human rights trainingb) Advocacy:
Press clubs will be facilitated to conduct advocacy work on:-
* Environmental Protection
* Civil Rights
* Sexual behavioral change
* Gender Equity and Equality
* Citizen's Information Rights
* Women journalists in the newsroom.
* Small arms proliferation
* Child abuse and child labor
* Killing of elderly people
* Genital mutilation
* Impact of beggarsc) Establishment of information and media centre:
We will establish information and media centres in all press clubs, which will be used by the general public and the media practitioners, to interact with the aim of enhancing and promoting reportage of activities in their respective regions.d) UTPC Website:
We have been provided with a space within the MPC website to establish UTPC website with a very nominal fee. UTPC will design its webpage providing a space to all press clubs in the country. This will make UTPC to be known by many stakeholders and partners.e) Project Time Frame:
The project time frame of our Development Strategy will be 2004 - 2006.f) UTPC Secretariat:
It is proposed that UTPC Secretariat be established in Mwanza to be overseen by Mwanza Press Club. The following are the reasons of this proposal:-
(i) MPC has got able leadership that can manage to host UTPC Secretariat.
(ii) MPC leadership is a role model in the press clubs management in the country.
(iii) MPC has hosted the UTPC Interim Committee for approximately 18 months very successfully.g) Establishment of UTPC SACCOS:
It is hereby proposed that UTPC form its SACCOS that will provide soft loan to individual journalists around the country through their press clubs. The loan will help them to raise their income by establishing small business ventures, thus fighting poverty which is threatening the observance of media ethics.6. CONCLUSION:
The specific underlying objective of UTPC is to promote and enhance the profession of journalism, through strengthening regional press clubs. The new UTPC leadership will be charged with the task of developing the strategy, into a bankable project document to be presented to development partners after your inputs.
Thank you very much for your attention.
UTPC ELECTED LEADERS
The following leaders were elected to lead UTPC for the next 3 years.
1. Ulimboka Mwakilili from Mbeya Press Club - The President
2. Habiba Swedi from Arusha Press Club - Vice President
3. Barnabas Mluge from Central Press Club - Director
4. Vicent Mhangwa from Tabora Press Club - Director
5. Jokha Sarhan from Pemba Press Club - Director
6. Rachel Mkudai from Dar City Press Club - Director
7. Kenneth Simbaya from Iringa Press Club - Director
8. Abubakar Karsan from Mwanza Press Club - Executive Director
CLOSING OF UTPC CONFERENCE, THURSDAY 30TH OCTOBER, 2003By Prof. G. Mmari
* The Chairman
* Union of Tanzania Press Clubs
* Members of the UTPC
* Conference participants
* Ladies and Gentlemen:It gives me great pleasure to be able to attend this final session of your important Conference.
I am sure you were able to discuss many issues on the two day agenda and that will return to your respective places better informed.
I hope also that you were able to establish closer contacts for your mutual and collective benefit.
Sixty years ago, a writer tried to draw the distinction between those of us who can call ourselves professional journalists and the rest of us who are free-lance or amateurs. To be a professional journalist one needs to have long and hard training. One begins in a humble capacity on a small newspaper or media house reporting on council meetings, social events, funerals etc. Those with real talent and a flair for news will then move upto the top. Professional journalists need strong constitution, tough and resilient temper and a lively and wide-awake mind.
For the rest of us we need to observe small but important factors for success. We need to be punctual with our reporting. To quote that writer "Delay of even an hour or so may mean that another contribution on the same subject has been accepted first". Some arrive so late that their stories are quite incomplete.
We need to dig for information in the public libraries, in our archives and download from data banks. His Excellency the President Benjamin William Mkapa reminded us the other day on the need to consult our archives. But some of you know that with just Shs. 3,000/= for a whole year, one could visit any library for the kind of information HE the President was referring to.
But our archives or libraries or information centres must themselves be accurate. We know of some data banks which are inaccurate and no one bothers to correct them - sometimes even when the errors are pointed out. In that case you need to cross-check and counter-check with other sources.
We need to be able to write quickly and fluently. To quote the writer again "It is no use being able to write exquisitively if it takes you half an hour to perfect one sentence".
We must be accurate in our reporting. The writer says "It is a mistake to send in anything you know to be below standard on the chance of its acceptance, for once your name is associated in the editor's mind with bad work, even your best efforts will not stand a fair chance". And may I add here that it is not just the editor's mind that matters. It is that of readers also. There are people to-day who will only read some papers or articles by some reporters or journalists because they know that those papers or journalists maintain very high standards of accuracy and credible stories. This really means that we must work very hard and perfect our work. It has been said, "A reputation can be built only by steady and careful work. Shoddiness never pays".
It has been suggested that we each try to specialize in certain themes since it is not easy to master everything. "Success is often achieved by steady writer who specializes in one kind of article, or knows one subject thoroughly than the versatile one who tries his luck in every field".
Finally, a word about the Press Clubs. People in South Africa this October remember a person they call an African giant. That person is the late Oliver Tambo who was born of 27th October in 1917 and together with his peers shaped the future of the African National Congress (ANC). An article appearing in THIS DAY this week reads "Among its members the ANC counted people from the middle class, the working class, the rural working poor, aspirant capitalists and entrepreneurs, as well as militant socialists and communists. There are obvious tensions among these components, yet they all had to be accommodated. Tambo, perhaps better than many others, understood it was impossible to suppress the contradictions inherent in such a diverse movement. He mastered that art of giving the ANC political leadership by the creative management of these contradictions, permitting open and free debate within the movement's ranks so that every proposal was weighed and tested in the light of reason.
But he never permitted these debates to impair the movement's capacity for unity in action. This required that debate at some point, give way to implementation".
I hope that we in the Press Clubs will pick a leaf from the Oliver Tambo style. Let us allow democracy to prevail in our Clubs. But let us not forget that we have a job to be done. Talk and no work will not help us.
I thank you for your attention and wish you all the best in your endevours.