“By suppressing a newspaper that was often very critical, the government broke the laws that it requires Gambians to respect under pain of severe penalties,” the press freedom organisation said.

Click here for full article: Reporters Without Borders

“It is vitally important to recognise and value the press” – Barry Wells, US ambassador to The Gambia

A media workshop on covering human rights issues, organised by the Commonwealth Secretariat together with the British High Commission and the US Embassy in The Gambia, opened in the town of Serekkunda on 4 March 2008 with a call for journalists to take every opportunity to learn the skills and principles of responsibly reporting on human rights from a broad perspective.

Full story: Commonwealth Secretariat

Click here: Virtual Cape Verde

Editor: I came across this website while researching citizens journalism and thoroughly recommend anyone interested in the challenge facing media and journalism in the developing world to view it.

The vision of the MFWA is for a sub-region in which the fundamental human rights of freedom of thought and expression are guaranteed; and in which free mass media serve to bring to fulfilment all the other universally subscribed rights and freedoms for all persons.

The Foundation pursues its objectives through activities that encourage collaboration with organisations and individuals working for the promotion of Media Rights and Freedom of Expression.

The areas of activities include:

• Advocacy
• Research and Documentation
• Publication
• Conferences, Seminars & Workshops

Website: MFWA

When it comes to communicating with the population spread out across a large geographical area, it is still hard to beat radio.

Because of its unrivalled access and its low production costs, radio is the technology that best meets the information and communication needs of farmers, world-wide.

Most farmers in developing countries won’t have internet access in their lifetime.

About four fifths of the world’s people don’t even have access to a telephone.

Developing Countries Farm Radio Network is a Canadian-based, not-for-profit organization working in direct partnership with approximately 300 radio broadcasters in 39 African countries to fight poverty and food insecurity.

Check website: Radio for Development

I thought the 100th post on the site should be marked by a few words to remind all our visitors what EWAN stands for.

Its about reporting the facts and encouraging people to ask questions about why things are the way they are and most importantly, get involved!

Citizens journalism, reporting, participation, user generated content or whatever its called this week by the mainstream media is essentially about people looking at the news they are spoon-fed and saying ‘that’s not accurate, its really like this here…’

The only way business people, tourists and the general public in the developed world will know about West Africa is if we take responsibility for reporting what its really like. All of us. It’s not all smiles and fun on the Smiling Coast but neither is it civil war and famine across the region. Somewhere in the middle is the daily life of people living in West Africa.

So lets all make a decision to get involved and re-shape what the world thinks of West Africa.

The Enterprise West Africa News Agency website has been established to encourage people in West Africa to become ‘Citizen Reporters’ and provide a news gathering platform for current and relevant news.

The EWAN Agency aims to represent the stories and photographs received in a professional and unbiased way, and to accurately portray the West Africa region to the international community.

Through the truthful portrayal of the people and locations reported we shall endeavour to dispel some of the international ignorance that surrounds West Africa.

We welcome comments from all the ‘Citizens of West Africa’.

What are you waiting for?

John C

With the current political atmosphere in The Gambia, which is characterised by arrests, threats, unlawful detentions, closures and burning of media houses, eavesdropping by security agents, suppression of information and a general sense of fear, the Dakar-based journalists, with their counter-parts in Banjul, felt it necessary to initiate an online media with the sole objective of providing the Gambian people with an alternative means of accessing impartial and independent information. Access to such information, according to these journalists, will enable the citizens of The Gambia to make informed choices on the political, economic, social and cultural wellbeing of their country.

In order to reach out to the larger Gambian communities especially those without internet access or facilities, programmes will be relayed by local radio stations in Senegal whose signals reach The Gambia. The programmes will also be downloaded onto CDs and tapes for free distribution across The Gambia and elsewhere.

For more information about AVG please contact:

Amie Joof
FAMEDEV
Telephone: +221 33 867 55 98
Email: Famedev@gmail.com

Please note that ABYZ News Links does not contain actual news content but only links to other news sources.

ABYZ News Links

OSIWA promotes open societies where democracy, good governance, the rule of law, basic freedoms and widespread civic participation prevail.

With a geographic program coverage area spanning 18 countries, which include the 15 members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), as well as Cameroon, Chad, and Mauritania, OSIWA supports civil society communities and advocates to governments on issues of governance; law, justice and human rights; public health and development; information, communication technology, and media.

OSIWA also seeks a greater commitment to West Africa from wealthier nations.