The
54th media training session organized by The Union of African Journalists (UAJ)
for young African journalists, last Friday concluded in the Egyptian capital,
Cairo.
The
three-weeks training brought together 25 media personnel from across the
continent who participated in various topics that promote the enhancement of
Africa through tackling issues faced by African journalists and the continent
and finding solutions.
Participants
came from The Gambia, Senegal, Kenya, Nigeria, Lesotho, Namibia, Botswana,
South Africa, Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda, Morocco, Niger, Cameroon, Angola,
Ivory Coast, Djibouti, and Egypt.
Spearheaded
by the Union of African Journalists (UAJ), the training was also meant to train
media practitioners on how to report on unionizing and strengthening the
collaboration between African countries towards a common goal.
Ambassdor Maher Eladwy,
representative of the Egyptian Foreign Affairs Ministry expressed delights for
the partnership between Egypt and the rest of the African countries, saying
that the training is important as it highlights the corporation and security
matters amongst African countries and beyond.
He
told participants that as young African journalists representing their
continent, the most important thing is the need for them to have African media
narrative that would collaborate and promote the ambitions and interests of
African continent.
“We all know that we depend on outside sources
for our media. During my tour as Ambassador in Liberia and Malawi, the major
source of all of our African journalists will report from the UK, USA, France
and other places,” he said.
According to him, what they are trying to do
together is using the programme that started in 1977, to develop a common
narrative for African journalists and the African region as a whole.
Mahfouz Al-Ansary, President of the Union of
African Journalists (UAJ) said the annual training is meant to bring together
Africans towards their common goal. “This kind of training will help to exchange
experience and culture from different African countries,” he said, adding that
it is also meant to solve the problems faced by African countries.
According to him, they are trying to
collaborate with all the African countries to work towards the development of
the continent.
Diaa Rashwan, head of Egypt Journalists
Syndicate, also expressed hope that the training will give the participants the
opportunity to engage their countries’ journalist unions to partner with UAJ
for the promotion and development of the African media and the continent at
large.
