“Jasmine Revolution”
Symbol of peace: Flowers placed on the barrel of a tank
in very much calmer protests than in recent days in Tunisia

'The Protester' - Time Person of the Year 2011

'The Protester' - Time Person of the Year 2011
Mannoubia Bouazizi, the mother of Tunisian street vendor Mohammed Bouazizi. "Mohammed suffered a lot. He worked hard. but when he set fire to himself, it wasn’t about his scales being confiscated. It was about his dignity." (Peter Hapak for TIME)

1 - TUNISIA Democratic Change / Freedom of Speech (In Transition)


How eyepatches became a symbol of Egypt's revolution - Graffiti depicting a high ranking army officer with an eye patch Photograph: Nasser Nasser/ASSOCIATED PRESS

2 - EGYPT Democratic Change / Freedom of Speech (In Transition)


''17 February Revolution"

3 - LIBYA Democratic Change / Freedom of Speech (In Transition)

5 - SYRIA Democratic Change / Freedom of Speech (In Transition)

"25 January Youth Revolution"
Muslim and Christian shoulder-to-shoulder in Tahrir Square
"A Summary" – Apr 2, 2011 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Religion, Shift of Human Consciousness, 2012, Intelligent/Benevolent Design, EU, South America, 5 Currencies, Water Cycle (Heat up, Mini Ice Ace, Oceans, Fish, Earthquakes ..), Middle East, Internet, Israel, Dictators, Palestine, US, Japan (Quake/Tsunami Disasters , People, Society ...), Nuclear Power Revealed, Hydro Power, Geothermal Power, Moon, Financial Institutes (Recession, Realign integrity values ..) , China, North Korea, Global Unity,..... etc.) -
(Subjects: Egypt Uprising, Iran/Persia Uprising, Peace in Middle East without Israel actively involved, Muhammad, "Conceptual" Youth Revolution, "Conceptual" (without a manager hierarchy) managed Businesses, Internet, Social Media, News Media, Google, Bankers, Global Unity,..... etc.)
"The End of History" – Nov 20, 2010 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll)
(Subjects:Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, Muhammad, Jesus, God, Jews, Arabs, EU, US, Israel, Iran, Russia, Africa, South America, Global Unity,..... etc.) (Text version)

"If an Arab and a Jew can look at one another and see the Akashic lineage and see the one family, there is hope. If they can see that their differences no longer require that they kill one another, then there is a beginning of a change in history. And that's what is happening now. All of humanity, no matter what the spiritual belief, has been guilty of falling into the historic trap of separating instead of unifying. Now it's starting to change. There's a shift happening."


“ … Here is another one. A change in what Human nature will allow for government. "Careful, Kryon, don't talk about politics. You'll get in trouble." I won't get in trouble. I'm going to tell you to watch for leadership that cares about you. "You mean politics is going to change?" It already has. It's beginning. Watch for it. You're going to see a total phase-out of old energy dictatorships eventually. The potential is that you're going to see that before 2013.

They're going to fall over, you know, because the energy of the population will not sustain an old energy leader ..."



African Union (AU)

African Union (AU)
African Heads of State pose for a group photo ahead of the start of the 28th African Union summit in Addis Ababa on January 30, 2017 (AFP Photo/ Zacharias ABUBEKER)

Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela
Few words can describe Nelson Mandela, so we let him speak for himself. Happy birthday, Madiba.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Press freedom still struggles in Southern Sudan

Deutsche Welle, 6 July 2011 

Southern Sudan is expected delcare
independence on Saturday
As Southern Sudan prepares to declare independence, some press freedom experts question if the new country will improve journalists' working conditions. The situation doesn't look good, says Reporters Without Borders.

A few months ago, Betty Tidio left her job with the state-owned South Sudan Radio journalist to work for Radio Miraya.

"The government didn't want stories that about it that were negative," she told Deutsche Welle, noting that her working environment has improved since she joined Radio Miraya, which is run by the United Nations Mission in Sudan and Swiss charity Fondation Hirondelle.

But the press system has undergone some changes in the months leading up to the declaration of independence, Tidio said. A system that lets journalists report officials to the Ministry of Information if they refuse to give interviews has generally eased reporters' work, she added.

The government of Southern Sudan, which rules the autonomous region ahead of its expected independence on July 9, has also recently formally registered the South Sudan Union of Journalists, which will lobby on behalf of those working in the media.

The union helps out when a journalist is accused of something by carrying a formal investigation on who did what and when, Tidio said.

Still, the extent to which the journalist lobby "makes a difference depends on whether it is willing to go to bed with the Government of Southern Sudan," Henry Maina, Director of Article 19 in East Africa, told Deutsche Welle.

Some troubling signs

Press freedom indicators in Southern Sudan do not look good so far. Reporters Without Borders in June sent a letter to the Southern Sudanese government expressing its concern on press freedom in the region.

The Sudanese public gets little in
terms of investigative journalism
The Paris-based organization wouldn't share the letter with Deutsche Welle, but Ambroise Pierre, who heads the group's Africa desk, said "there are signs that aren't encouraging," citing the seizure of 2,500 copies of the bi-weekly Juba Post by security forces in March.

The March 31 edition of Juba Post, which is published in Khartoum, contained an article on militia leader Gen. George Athor's plans to attack Juba before Southern Sudan declares independence.

"This is an indication that the state security thinks that all media must air the voice of the government," Maina told Deutsche Welle.

Press freedom groups were also concerned about the situation of Sudan Radio Service journalist Mohammed Arkou Adiebou Ali who was detained in May for taking photos without government permission. Ali, who is believed to have been tortured during his detention, left Southern Sudan after his release and now lives in Nairobi, Kenya.

This shows that "authorities in South Sudan are not difference from [the ones] in Khartoum," Pierre said, noting that it is too early to say "how the government [in Southern Sudan] will deal with press freedom."

Independence won't help press

The declaration of independence of Southern Sudan won't bring about major changes to the situation for journalists, Maina told Deutsche Welle.

Few expect press freedom to increase
in an independent Southern Sudan
Prior to the general elections in April last year, 20 journalists in Southern Sudan were arrested from January to March, he said. During the same period radio networks Liberty and Bakhita were closed for over one and half hours and other stations were forced to broadcast information favorable to the Sudan People's Liberation Movement. SPLM is a political party that began as an army fighting to control the southern region of Sudan.

"News that is reported is mainly factual," Maina said, adding that "critical and investigative journalism hardly exist in South Sudan."

Germany to give a helping hand 

"The work [in Southern Sudan] starts on July 9," said German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle while on a June visit to Juba. 

Westerwelle pledged that Germany would help with the building of administration and security structures in Southern Sudan.

For now, all eyes will be watching to see if independence allows Southern Sudan to build up press freedom and the other structures necessary for democracy and the rule of law.

Author: Chiponda Chimbelu
Editor: Sean Sinico

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.