Introduction

"There is no substitute for Refresher Programmes that are the best occasions for learning in all ways. Refresher Programmes empower people to know, to question, to study, to debate and to form ideas and realise highly useful actions for humanity at large." Participants from across Africa and outside Africa were unanimous in their judgement on the Pan African Conference on "Globalisation in Africa: Challenges to journalists" held at Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania from 3 to 10 September 2006.

The greatest attraction of the event consisted in the fact that there have been no other equivalent events for Refresher programme in these last decades. The event held in Dar Es Salaam made an update analysis of all the major issues Africa needs to be addressed and redressed immediately. We are happy to bring to you a glance at the programme through this brief report:

Karibu

Karibu is more than welcome in Swahili language. And the Tanzanians knew how to make participants from all parts of Africa and outside the continent feel at home. They blended grace, elegance and strength of Tanzanian culture together with the keynote addresses of highest quality on the theme from the very beginning. Participants and organisers were highly grateful to the local organisers, Stephen Rweikiza and his team.

Keynote Speakers

The keynote speakers represented all major walks of life. They included Honourable Seif Khatib, Minister of Information; Dr Reginald Mengi, Chairman of Media Owners' Association; Dr Haji Semoboja, professor at University of Dar Es Salaam; Auxiliary Bishop Method Kilaini of Dar Es Salaam; Dr Camilius Kasala, Professor at Institute of Finance Management; Honourable Joseph Sinde Warioba, former Prime Minister of Tanzania; Dr Ben Nnamdi Emenyenou, Professor at University of Muscat; Dr Mary Mwingira, Executive Director of Tanzanian Non-Governmental Organisations; Dr Jeneral Ulimwengu, Chairman Habari Corporation; Dr Bennett Fimbo of Ministry of Health; and Prince Bagenda, Chairman of Poris Open Forum.

The keynote speakers explored the theme from various angles: Globalisation and press freedom in Africa, religion and its role in Africa and modern world, economy, how corruption has affected African economies and the media, African journalists and challenges of globalisation, governance in the light of globalisation, consequences of globalisation and poverty alleviation, women in the media, HIV/AIDS and its challenges, and conflict management in Africa.

This report brings you the major findings from the keynote addresses, debates, discussions and workshops:

Impacts of Globalisation on Economy and Living Standards

All the experts whether they are from the right, left or centre, or supporters of Africa or other continents affirm that the African economy is totally dependent on foreign nations especially their former and present colonial regimes. Racism is reflected in many ways in treaties and agreements especially economic ones with African nations, groups and individuals.

In theory Africa has "all" the advantages of globalisation": Pizza Huts in big capitals, European and American shops. And an African can hold a share in Japan!!! A tribesperson can watch football in Germany or USA. But these so-called "advantages" have only helped to accelerate the flow of resources from Africa to other parts of the world and get wastes from other parts of the world to Africa and onto its shores.

African economies are more and more dependent and vulnerable to policies outside in these days, because it is no more Africa that decides on African economy and living standards but powerful nations mainly in Europe and North America.

Africa practically has no possibility to fix value of their currencies. Most of the currencies lost their values and Africans were ridiculed by international banking, monetary and economic institutions such as International Monetary Fund and World Bank. A cruel example is the Zambian currency kwacha: In 1991, US$ 1 bought 11 kwachas, in 1997, 750 kwachas and in 2006, more than 4'500 kwachas. It is impossible for Zambia to even think of economic independence. This is the situation of many other African countries.

In early 1970s, Tanzania like many other African nations had profit making public companies under some mixed system of socialism and capitalism. But as it began to look good, investors put all their money to get them privatised, and once they were privatised, they took all the benefits outside Africa and left the waste on the continent.

In this period of globalisation, child mortality has decreased worldwide but not in Africa. GDP has grown, but majority population have become poorer. In Swaziland 40 per cent of the populations between 15 and 49 years became HIV positive.

In an oil rich country like Nigeria, unemployment has grown and life expectancy went down while in oil rich countries outside Africa, things began to get better. Oil boom has become oil doom as prices were fixed outside the continent and corruption became the order of the day. Nigeria went on borrowing at the cost of farmers and peasants, and when some money returned, it was for the rich, a typical globalisation approach.

Today there are more poor people in the delta area of Nigeria from where 2.4 million barrels of oil are extracted a day that brings 40 million US dollars a day to Nigerian economy. There is no portable water. People are becoming blind. There are no schools, no hospitals, no welfare centres. Agents of globalisation masters first tried to make their leader a government minister, and when he refused and continued to speak for the fundamental rights of delta inhabitants, they assassinated him. Frustration, disappointment and anger created by promoters of globalisation produce militants who break oil pipes, abduct foreign workers and bring obstacles to oil production.

Our young people flock to big cities, go away, or die at the straits between Morocco and Europe. 95% of South Africa's wealth is still in the hands of its colonisers, which constitutes only 5 % of the national population. As Nelson Mandela did not succeed, he was awarded Nobel Prize and made a hero by colonisers. Less than 5000 colonial farmers (or 1800 of their families) own 50 percent of land in Zimbabwe, and 7 million Zimbabweans share the other 50 percent. And all the fertile land is with the colonisers' half. Despite the fact that Zimbabwe is "independent" and "sovereign" for more than 25 years, the colonisers constitute 4% and they still own the majority of the key mining, urban and mineral resources and properties.

Corporate Dictatorship

Most of the powerful companies and enterprises are foreign-owned and oriented and their only aim is to make money; after all today's international business ethics has been reduced to money making!!

They dictate the why and how of education, healthcare in view of capitalistic profits. All over Africa, there is power cut. But big companies wherever they are cannot afford to have power cuts. There are countries where power cuts are as frequent as 2 to 5 days a week. Soon it can be seven days a week globalising poverty throughout Africa. Thus one foreign company alone based in Tanzania earned in a few months the money to pay all debts of Tanzania since its independence a few decades ago.

The corporate dictatorships managed to get lifetime contracts for mining at 0% tax perception. They change names and owners frequently to avoid lawsuits and financial liabilities.

In Kenya, a mobile phone and connection cost US$ 3600 in the year 2001. Today it costs US$ 2, and the companies still make a lot of profit. It is the same problems with airlines. Monopolies, bureaucracy and unjust market rules set by powerful investors continue to destroy African economy and living standards.

Though globalisation is not only about economy, its impacts are mainly due to economic and trade policies that are omnipresent in all walks of life. No profession or domain, even religion does not escape from the impacts of decisions that are made for trade and economy.

And when it comes to trade and economic growth of today's rich world, the colonial regimes of yesterday and today traded human persons in Africa as slaves, stole raw materials, culture and human resources. Africa is poor not because it lacks resources and wealth, but because it was not able to defend itself against the violent aggressions of all types: military, religious, economic, ideological and racist.

The grave impacts of globalisation are also in its approach. Today economic growth is measured as outcome. Only that produces an economic result, which is purely profit or money, is considered good or to be desired. Besides foreign private enterprises with approval from their governments can dictate anything: they need young people, fresh from university and with 10 years of experience!! Policies for training or self-employed activities are all eliminated under outcome-based approach.

Now the invaders want to legalise globalisation so that they can stay away and at the same time make sure that money and resources come from far away.

Simple formula of giving advice to Africans and getting the best out of Africa

Today the same colonial governments and their allies have declared a permanent war on Africa. It consists of a simple formula: get the Africans to follow all types of developmental programmes and give advices and propose solutions that Africa can "develop" herself, and on the other side loot the continent in all ways possible. Thus, they make sure that they get the best out of Africa as always: gold, water, fish, coltan, black timber which is hard as iron, metal, minerals, oil and other raw materials. As vast areas of land and forests are given in contract to foreign companies for mining, wood and other business, even local people are not allowed to collect wood for their subsistence.

Thus there are millions of advisers, social and religious activists from abroad visiting Africa, elaborating poverty reduction strategies with the planned results of keeping Africans more dependent and poorer socially and income-wise. In the process some made some money, some were appointed at international institutions in Europe or North America for being a good boy or girl in this eternal school for becoming poor and dependent. In this process of internationalising development issues, poor nations worldwide especially in Africa were called in different names: developing countries, third world, poor nations, highly indebted countries (HIC) and so on. And Africa as continent was made more and more the "black continent" by her invaders. It proved that there is no way to get away with problems, as the colonisers aims have been to perpetuate these problems.

By this formula, elaborating poverty reduction policy documents became routine. Many new words were introduced on all levels to confuse people such as empowerment, policy action, and debt relief. And all these are written in scientific form so that common people can have no grasp of anything. All these became part of the new economic religion in our globalised world. It has become a fashion. It is global. It is globalisation!!

The other side of this formula gives extra stress to African countries when they are asked to compete to find investors. It is especially the case in the field of mines and industry: "Ghana plays better than Tanzania the game of attracting capitalists and investors."

This formula has also some fashion: Wives of big bosses and ministers making charity shows. And many Africans think that they are "empowering" people. They make sure only less than one dollar goes to the real beneficiaries when 100 dollars go to the so-called saviour- investors.

And all these "development shows, strategies and concrete actions" have a youth side. It is a fashion and takes away all respect for young people. But it is global. It is globalisation!!

Religion in Globalisation

The main role of religion in the globalisation would be to demonstrate that human person is more worthy than what he or she looks like from outside.

Religion should not submit themselves to the signs of time, but take the lead. It is an enterprise of peace building and campaign for peace. It is deeply rooted in the sacred. It unites peoples, does not divide in any pretext or under any difference or circumstance. And belief is not a sign of underdevelopment.

Africa had mainly traditional religions. Islam and Christianity grow in the fishing grounds that are African Traditional Religions (ATR). In 1900, ATR represented more than 58 percent of the African population. In 1950, it went down to 29%, in 2000 ATR was reduced to 11% and predictions show that in 2025, ATR will be only 9 percent. But ATR is deep rooted in African people, so it mingles with other religions especially with Christianity, which is open to some inculturation.

Islam is the second oldest religion on the continent. Islam represented 32 per cent of the African population in 1900, 37 percent in 1950 and 40 percent in the year 2000.

Christianity is the newest and fast growing religion. It represented 10 percent in 1900, 25 per cent in 1950 and 46 per cent in the year 2000. Christianity is majority in southern African countries and it helps tribalism disappear. But it did not stop massacre in Rwanda and Burundi.

The major problems of these religions are cooking their recipes in an African pot especially in the age of globalisation. Their major challenge is being the conscience of people. Religions should help them to find one's own identity instead of mimicking what comes from the so-called west: not only used clothes, cars, computers, but also used culture and even terrorism. The new trend in terrorism comes also from the Arab countries.

Religion is still the main organiser of people in Africa, agent of development, especially in the rural areas. Religion should ask the governments why people are not developed.

As the religions do not play their role, they are treated as useless things. Though they do not have firearms, their fire tongues initiate wars in the name of religions. Religions has to find its place in the centre of the society, in the centre of the village understanding very well that religion is institutional and faith is personal. Thus one can avoid riots and other conflicts between religious groups that are found in the two sides of conflicts. For example the so-called religious riots in Nigeria had nothing to do with religion when they began. It was the problem of access to land. Cattle raisers are Muslims and landowners are Christians. That was enough to give the riot a religious character.

Corruption

Corruption is the most successful "religion" that was brought to Africa together with colonisation, and continued occupation of land for centuries. And it spreads faster than any other religion in this era of globalisation.

Corruption is simply absence of moral values and any civilisation dies when moral values disappear. Corruption weakens governess and retards ability. Higher prices and lower quality are consequences of corruption. Corruption denies justice to the poor (especially at police and judiciary). It brings injustice and concentration of wealth. In Africa like in the west, the construction projects are the most corrupt. Corruption does not help nations to grow. And it is in this context some politicians try to legalise corruption. For Africa, corruption is a foreign word. It was not understood in Africa some centuries ago. Now some of them have become experts at it.

However, it is highly important to underline that like in all other sectors, Africans are not their own masters. They are still bound by the same economic chains with which they have been taken as slaves. And the colonial, political, economic, religious and corruption masters from abroad command them with greater ease in the globalised world.

In Africa many know that Africans are still considered second class and they still remember some reactions from the colonisers when television was invented: TV would help us watch the fruits of our policies: conflicts, wars and scandals worldwide.

The globalisation initiatives in the past decades have revealed that the ultimate aim of globalisation is loot the world and legalise it. In these days, corruption is practised by using some typical African expressions such as traditional African hospitality and caring.

Africa cannot practice corruption without the involvement of European and American nations who are the ones really benefiting from corruption in Africa. Out of 450 billion US dollars Nigeria earned between 1970 and 2004 from oil, 412 billion were deposited in Europe and North America with the help of rulers, especially military rulers. As Africa has the same immunity provisions like in the west, the rulers or governors cannot be prosecuted. And all these are done when two thirds of population are in abject poverty. This majority population is taken care by charities and religions so that they do not protest against the gross violations against existence.

Globalisation is global way of amassing wealth

The keynote speakers and participants found that globalisation is global way of amassing wealth. It strengthened notions such as wealth is simply money and not education, health, love and respect for all and joyful and decent living.

In this wild era of globalisation, women are the most marginalized though gender issue is not only about women. With globalisation, trafficking children and women have grown more than 1'000 times. Globalisation exploited labour especially women labour. It destroyed cultures and social fabrics.

Many conflicts in Africa are not ethnic, as media portrays them worldwide. They are the intended results of greed for resources of the multinational companies and foreign governments. And this greed is being legalised in the names of investor friendly policies, development and globalisation.

In the same way, wars and terrorism are globalised in the name of the so-called "international community" which often consists of one or two nations or one or two men.

Governance and growth in the era of globalisation

African governance and growth in general and in the time of globalisation are better understood by exploring the origins and foundations of political and economic institutions in Africa.

Congo was private property of some one called Leopold in Brussels. From private property the invaders shifted to colonialism for the benefit of their own people back in home. In the neo colonisation era, Africa was divided into nations, territories and countries with a president or prime minister, a flag and a national anthem. In other words all the ingredients are set for the show of who is the best, for conflicts and for wars. Where else do people need national flag and anthem?

And what is the use of having presidents when they go to Washington, London, Paris, Brussels, Lisbon or Madrid to take instructions and make sure that they can continue to serve their colonial masters and not their people? If anyone dare challenge the agenda or status quo, they can be easily thrown out from power or labelled as dictators.

The governance and growth in Africa are understood from the methods of owning private property, colonisation, neo-colonisation and globalisation. There are clear and distinct players such as the globalised and the globaliser.

The globalised or formerly owned by some one in Europe and later colonised can not escape consensus at Washington, World Bank or International Monetary Fund. Globalisation is therefore clearly an oppressive system.

When concepts of ownership evolved from private property to colonies and to globalisation, unfortunately institutionalised religions followed to "bless, sanctify, forgive and legalise".

In today's concept of governance in Africa, the governors are those who are completely taken over especially psychologically by the rich nations. If they have followed all the instructions from abroad they are considered a good boy of Africa. So they are set as best instruments to get all the resources from Africa to outside.

Then the African governors and rulers have to standardise and uniformise everything according to the wishes of the dictators abroad, otherwise Africa is not at all on the road to development, less on the road map for peace!! The standardisation rush of globalisation excludes ethnic groups, women, the poor, youth, disabled. They do not count even if they are intelligent.

The rules of governing in Africa such as constitutions of African countries are hammered out in London, Brussels, Paris and Lisbon at Marlborough house, Lancaster house or Elysée. And the Africans are held responsible for everything that goes wrong and they are taught to praise charities from the west that are crime.

Though many African countries celebrate their independence, Africa has not reached independence. Practically few countries in sub-Saharan Africa manages its own budget. All is done from outside: thinking, culture and sports. This is the collective imbecilisation in Africa today. In this process of "governance in the time of globalisation", money is not spent on education and health that are considered "unproductive".

Healthy education is the foundation stone for good governance. Only it can bring together the two tribal groups in Africa: the majority poor and the minority rich. Therefore, there is a great need to invest in good public education system.

It is important to get young people to take responsibilities. Julius Nyrere was 39 when he took over. He was already the oldest in the cabinet.

The new trend from the west especially USA and Scandinavian countries adore multiparty system. And they love to make elections huge bureaucratic procedures in the name of good governance. All these become shows without any meaningful discussion with or participation of people.

And like in colonial times, president appoints all regional governors and the state is governed like in the time the colonisers. The success of private proprietors and colonisers in globalisation era is that they managed to get local "talents" educated, formed and brain-washed to replace them and serve them forever.

Therefore, elections do not guarantee democratic governance. Besides now with the connections abroad, sons take charge when fathers go or had to go. And this is done through "highly respected democratic elections" with permanent observers from abroad. Making nations private properties, colonisation and globalisation bring only democratic deficiency.

In today's world, multiparty politics does not help while children are already party members while they are in the womb of their mother, for example MPR in Congo, it is difficult to be a politician and at the same time honest and sane.

Civil society seems to be the only real solution to represent people. It is civil society that helped to bring down the former President Moi of Kenya. Its job is to civilize the government and listen to people so that people can say exactly what they think.

Good governance is giving the courage to present one's own convictions on all levels; no prison can hold ideas, but individuals. Good governance is sustaining quality education, decentralisation, guarantee representation of all especially the young ones and women; women can be excellent examples of good governance.

Refresher programmes like these are and offer unlimited possibilities to learn, improve and enlighten. It is education and healthy thinking.

Good governance does not demand too much of respect which is dangerous. This comes from colonial education system that makes people subordinates and produces clerks; it does help do business, agriculture or simply think.

Media in the age of Globalisation

In the cold war era, the superpowers were the so-called western bloc and eastern bloc with their respective leaders USA and USSR. Today in the globalised world, there is only one superpower. It is the media. Whoever uses it, media can change the world and journalists are key players in the game.

And the media has its own culture. With that media culture, it can make or break families, children, governments and societies.

Though media is the superpower and it can change the course of events, its primary role is to be at the service of peoples worldwide. Media should be the first one to promote corporation of people is more important than the corporation leaders or the media. And journalists who have to show the way should not be succumbed to silly temptations and incentives; no one can and will save the world if the journalists are lost?

Therefore journalists in the age of globalisation have to accept some fundamental principles such as: (1) respect of God, human persons, and nature; (2) Poverty is not a problem but a challenge; (3) There are no problems but only challenges; problems pull peoples down, challenges are put in front. If they are not solved, people can put them away and sleep; (4) when you think that it is possible, your mind goes an extra mile to realise it; when you think that it is impossible, your mind finds reasons to justify that it is impossible; (5) bribed media is silent media; low salary is not a justification for bribery, rich people do take bribes;

Only after firmly rooted in these principles, journalists can become the agenda setters. They can promote national integration; develop more what journalists can do for example permanent campaign against military rule and corruption.

Journalists should take initiatives to express solidarity with common people. They can bring words and pictures to the public that they can get informed of issues and solutions.

Journalists have to show the world that politics is money-making. They can stop people going to politics by selling everything to get back 100 fold in three months.

Journalists are the ones to take initiatives to demonstrate that national economies have no insulations under globalisation, media have to enlighten people on all fields and help stop diseases like HIV, malaria that are easily transported in the era of globalisation.

Initiatives and events for Africa need to depict the dynamic and dignified face of Africa, which we seldom see in the media worldwide, and to some extent not even in Africa! Precisely because the powerful media in Africa are mostly foreign-owned! The journalists and other media professionals should tell the story of Africa from times beyond the so-called colonial world history.

Slave Trade

Probably it is through slavery Africa was forced to globalisation. Various coastal towns and islands adjacent to Africa today tells us the horrible stories of slave trade that has cast eternal shame on the face of humanity and several institutionalised religions.

In east Africa the major slave trade centres are Bagamoyo on Tanzanian coast and Zanzibar Island. Europeans and Arabs practised slave trade here in a "legal" way. Traditional chiefs were paid to recruit slaves and to find the strong ones.

Bagamoyo literally means lay off your hearts. It is a sad port in many ways. Men not women were castrated in Bagomoyo, before they were sent mainly to Saudi Arabia. Some European and American nations also wanted castrated men so that they do not reproduce. Most of the European and American buyers did not want to castrate thinking that it will weaken slaves and they may die on the way or early, thus losing their money. Some thought it is good to "invest" in not castrated men and women slaves who will produce children who will become stronger slaves, thus they get greater benefit for their investment and boost the stock markets.

The sad story of the slave trade in the age of globalisation is that people will jump in happily if the boats of slavery came back to the same shores. And some of them even construct their own boats to become slaves in modern Europe or die en route in the seas.

Bagamoyo is a sad port also in respect to religion especially Christianity. During the slave trade, the Holy Ghost priests, a Catholic entity tried to bring together future slaves. The slave masters forced the priests to "buy" the "weak" and "non-exportable" slaves at a cheaper rate. And the church was founded and the first parish was built in Eastern Africa by these salves. The ruling Sultan gave them land for missionary work with a view of Islamic Dominance on Christians pretending "it is the church of slaves". It was the first parish in East Africa.

Slave trade is one of the most horrible forms of making money. Banks, governments, individuals, nations, religions in the west and Middle East made simply money at the destruction of humanity at large.

People-oriented globalisation

The people-oriented globalisation has its origins and natures in the eastern civilisations especially on the Indian continent, as they spread concepts of religion, rituals, customs, conventions, art, culture, policies, language, law, economy, mathematics, philosophy, elegance of living and reproduction, and so on.

There is real need to invent, initiate and run people-oriented enterprises. Media, religion, governments, public and private entities need to do everything to come for the majority of the peoples in Africa who are indigenous, poor and graduates without jobs. No ethics allow profit making by denying fundamental rights of any people or nation.

There is a need to communicate in people's languages so that participation of peoples at all levels is guaranteed.

Globalisation in its true sense should consider people with disabilities instead of sending the handicapped to beg in the streets and find their "income"! Disabled does not mean poor.

Every one has a duty to make understand peoples and nations that economic programmes and aid packages simply gives a strong assumption that some one else will do the job for you.

It is important to invest in human persons so that men and women advance together, so that they and the governments can have a real motivation to eliminate poverty.

It is important not to fall into the fashion of donors to guarantee male or female representatives at all decision-making levels, one needs to find people with motivation, it doesn't matter whether they are men or women.

All should take interest not fall into traps like fair trade, which is as corrupt as regular trade that is unjust. Very often fair trades are excuses.

People should be educated that because their economic conditions, they should not accept conditions of slavery. And it is better to be poor and dignified than being rich without dignity and despised by people.

Strong efforts must be made that people understand the necessity of refusing aids and money. Economic assistance whether disguised or binding is unnecessary and diversionary. It is useless and dangerous.

Leaders and people have to understand imposed or imported democracy and its weaknesses. It often kills the civil society by taking its leaders to government. Like wise, people should be educated that too much religiosity is bad and it is intolerance. Spirituality is what is we all need for.

And religious journalists should give back to the society what are given to them in such big abundance.

We need to make our people initiators not blind repeaters. With people oriented globalisation we have to form not only teachers of mathematics, history and physics but also create mathematicians, historians and physicians. We need people who can ask "why".

If there is no people oriented globalisation, Burundi and Rwanda can repeat. Cote d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Angola are results bad governance following profit-oriented globalisation.

Nations and peoples should be able to make self-examinations to find where things go wrong so that effective measures are taken in right time. Differences of all types ethnic, religious, tribal and so on must help inclusion and not exclusion so that massacres like Rwanda do not repeat.

In business 1 + 1 = 2, but in people oriented globalisation 1 + 1 = 1 like in the true sense of love between man and woman.

The best way to advance to these higher stages and true sense of globalisation, it is highly necessary to bring education especially to women as they will educate the whole nation. People-oriented globalisation is not saving some women, men or children in the name of gender equality. Masculinity and femininity are in everyone; women should promote masculinity and men should promote femininity.

By giving education at all levels, people will identify global structures that promote hatred and bring conflicts and wars.

Valuing services and resources: There is no other way to do justice in Africa other than recognising the services and resources of Africans. Any amount of charity, debt cancellation or development aid and initiatives will not suffice. They are necessary for emergency but not as replacement for sustainable growth and respect to peoples. If the world economic, political and social decision-makers can do justice to peoples by giving the right value for their services and resources, it would be the first step to build a healthy Africa and the world.

Where to begin: It is evident that all parties should involve in repairing the damage. But those who are powerful and rich are the first concerned, for without changes on their side, even cosmetic changes can not last. It is "better to light a candle" but "without sunshine nothing will grow and blossom"!

Feedback

We thought of bringing some feedbacks in order to show how important is helping journalists to know so that they can take the truth to peoples worldwide:

Tears were coming down when listeners were comparing situations of their own countries with what is said during keynote speeches. . . . . Frankly speaking, there is no better way through which me as a practicing journalist can update my mindset, other than attending the just concluded refresher programme in Dar Es Salaam. . . . In most cases we depend on reading material. But it puts one's understanding into perspective when you learn under an informative, interactive and experimental environment, like the one at the refresher. . . .

Personally, the presentations were down to earth with a cross representation of what is happening, but not limited to, in our African societies. So it helps us to understand better the communities we are working in and what we can contribute in person and professionally to make things healthier. . . . Such information is without doubt a strong foundation for any journalist to enhance his/her professionalism.

Practically we have already started incorporating the thousands of ideas we bagged from the refresher into our reporting. . . . Apart from the several advantages I would like to point out the opportunity to meet other professionals from different parts of the continent and exchanging views. This gave the opportunity to link my challenges and achievements to the global realities. . . . The topics covered were also very informative and the speakers were well informed.

For me it was very educative and an eye opener to the fact that the problems of Africa are the same with similar strategies and modes of implementation. If politicians will be selfless and really address these problems Africa will go far. It also behoves on us the African journalists to work hard to expose the wrong doings of politicians and let them sit up and do what is expected of them. African journalists have a daunting task but with hard work and commitment the myriad of problems will be tackled. . . .

The presentations were well done because the right people were got to do it. The subject matter was expertly dealt with. That is why even when we had five presentations a day we did not get bored. The presenters new their subject matter and dealt with it very well. The exposures were very exciting and educative. The experiences were wonderful and will remain with us forever. It was also wonderful meeting as we could interact with important personalities from the media, government, and so on. They were great source of information for me. . . . I have been inspired to start a media house in future even though it will not be easy. . . .

I had the opportunity to expand my first hand knowledge of yet another part of our wide but shrinking world. There is no experience as enlightening as seeing things on the ground for your self rather than relying on packed images and information. At the personal level also I was able to build new friendships and appreciate new traditions and cultures of our hosts and friends from around the East African region. . . .

On the professional level, the refresher programme offered me the chance to learn about the nature and operations of the media in East Africa as well as their relationship with the government and society in general. Inputs from the various presenters as well as reactions from participants were very instructive. The visits of various establishments, especially media organizations and historic sites in Dar Es Salaam, Bagamoyo and Zanzibar were highly educative. . . .

That was a great programme for me to attend and I do not want to miss any of the up- coming ones. . . . On my part, I got at least over 95% of what I expected at that refresher programme . . . .

The programme enabled me to gain a deep understanding of globalisation and its impact on peoples worldwide, their culture, society and economies. It also enabled me to share experiences with colleagues from Africa drawn from public, religious, secular, private and independent media. Much more it gave me an opportunity to understand, Tanzania as a country, its peoples, cultures, historical sites, politics and economic issues as well as the problems they face in their everyday life. Moreover, I was able to make friends and establish networks from colleagues.