Rachel Yusuf's Augusta Video Story

Here is Rachel Yusuf's video story about the trip to Augusta, Maine:

It's Good Governance, Health and Poverty Reduction

By Deus Ngowi

THE most important themes in Africa now are 'Good Governance'; 'Health' and 'Poverty Reduction.

The three themes were selected out of dozens, in a well interactive session of nine Tanzanian journalists on July 16th, led by Dr. Susan Hunter at The Maine University, where the journalists reside.

The journalists formed opinion that everything should be done to make sure that the three are clearly met in their fullness, if the world is to be a better place to live in. Most of their attention, however, was on African continent, where they hail from.

The journalists are on a four weeks exchange program sponsored by United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The journalists are trained on HIV/AIDS, Democracy and Good Governance.

Earlier on, themes which were selected randomly were HIV/AIDS; Literacy; Poverty Reduction; Cultural Aspects; Democracy; Technology Adaptation; Good Governance; Freedom of Expression; Investment; Corruption; Infrastructure Improvement and Empowering Women.

Others are Civil War; Green Revolution; Entrepreneurship; Environment; Rural Development; Positive Self Image and Economic Integration. However, having chosen the three themes mentioned earlier on, an opinion was formed that there are things which will determine the three.

Those were mentioned and discussed as Super Powers decisions and Neo colonialism. It was so decided because of the fact that many things are decided by few super powers and the emerging neo colonial situation is posed to affect a lot in future.

 

The journalists had time to watch different films, some related to HIV/AIDS, whereby there was a situation of loosing hope among the folks, due to bad health of people living with HIV/AIDS, while parents are thinning up due to lack of proper health care and good food. Communities are shown filled with cemeteries, while other people are washing the sick.

Dr. Hunter, who has worked in Africa and written several books on AIDS in Africa, America and Asia, now has turned to Architecture, wishing to become the most successful one in future. She was of the opinion that AIDS is all about character, which shapes everybody. It was much to consolation of the journalists, that she wrote a book about AIDS in America, because it was proved to be the first of such book in their midst.

She explained that in the big city of New York, there is a place which has as higher rate of AIDS infection as it is in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. Also, she said that in America, there were some women who thought that by using pills for anti pregnancy, they could not contract AIDS.

Why is AIDS so much contracting people around the world? Possible answers offered by the journalists were that in respective ares there are lack of good governance; unfair distribution of resources; effects of cultural values treasured by different societies such as those inheriting widows. Ignorance or lack of education was also mentioned as a great cause.

Dr. Hunter spoke in length about AIDS in America, and led the trainees through perusing and looking at AIDS organizations established in America for different objectives. The unanswered question is if such organizations are actively engaged in fight against the pandemic.

She led her class members to ponder on why they chose to become journalists; what is the biggest story they sought and wrote in their carrier and lastly highlight five goals they aspire to accomplish in their life. The one having the above byline listed the following; more self education; educate his children; help common people; make Tanzania free of HIV/AIDS and himself be a good citizen.

Final day of TZ journalists at University of Maine

Carol Curts of the University of Maine gives final words to nine Tanzanian journalists during the orientation session before flying to Washington DC today July25. 2009 for a one week field trip.

 

The journalists had just completed three working weeks at University of Maine as part of the 2009 USAID/Tanzania journalism exchange project at uMaine.

They also had a luncheon with children from various schools who are in a summer camp under the umbrella of CISV International, among other things they dance and sing with children and their teachers. (All photo: Khalfan Said)

Kivamwo Video

This is Adolph Simon Kivamwo's video story, with audio this time:

Tanzanian Journalists in class (photo credit here)

TZ in Maine News Broadcast

In July, 2009, 9 Tanzanian Journalists came to the University of Maine as participants in the US-Tanzanian Journalism Exchange Project. Of the nine journalists, 7 work in print for newspapers, one is a photojournalist, and one is a broadcaster. The video below is a compilation of the video news packages produced on July 22, 2009. We began work on these at 9am, and only one of the journalists had ever written a broadcast script; none of them had video editing experience. By 3:30pm we had produced these videos:

AIDS CAMPAIGN not relevant to its target populations

HIV/AIDS campaigns in Sub-Saharan Africa fall short of desirable outcome as the result of overlooking crucial components at stages of development.

Though a lot of resources in terms of material and manpower have been directed to behavior change the campaigns do not in most cases appeal to target audience.

The observation of ongoing campaigns in Tanzania clearly indicates the lack of linkage to target population from campaigners agenda resulting to negative impact.

Almost all and most campaigns overlooked the factors that perpetuates AIDS transmission such as poverty, culture and traditions, as well as the coverage of campaigns

In most cases the campaigns target urban populations ignoring the fact that there is close interaction among the majority in rural areas and urban.

Africa has different traditions and culture whereby multiple partners is acceptable and actually regarded as fame.

Some AIDS campaigns, for example 'One Love' did not take into consideration some sensitive issues like traditions, beliefs and culture.

For example, Muslim teachings allow for multiple wives, Africans believe in polygamy, and the inheritance of widows which makes the whose agenda of promoting single partner irrelevant.

Therefore for the campaign such as 'One Love' to be successful campaigners must address some behavioral change fro the root cause of the problems.

In this view, visiting Tanzanian journalists needs assessment studies in order to come up with needs oriented programs and campaigns.

“ Campaigns should aim at encouraging people to abandon bad sexual behavior and traditions,” suggests Simon Kivamwo, one of the visiting journalists and the Chairperson of the association of journalists against AIDS in Tanzania

HIV/AIDS CAMPAIGN PROGRAMS MISSES LINKS WITH TARGET COMMUNITIES

HIV/AIDS campaigns in Sub-Saharan Africa fall short of desirable outcome as the result of overlooking crucial components at stages of development.

Though a lot of resources in terms of material and manpower have been directed to behavior change the campaigns do not in most cases appeal to target audience.

The observation of ongoing campaigns in Tanzania clearly indicates the lack of linkage to target population from campaigners agenda resulting to negative impact.

Almost all and most campaigns overlooked the factors that perpetuates AIDS transmission such as poverty, culture and traditions, as well as the coverage of campaigns

In most cases the campaigns target urban populations ignoring the fact that there is close interaction among the majority in rural areas and urban.

Africa has different traditions and culture whereby multiple partners is acceptable and actually regarded as fame.

Some AIDS campaigns, for example 'One Love' did not take into consideration some sensitive issues like traditions, beliefs and culture.

For example, Muslim teachings allow for multiple wives, Africans believe in polygamy, and the inheritance of widows which makes the whose agenda of promoting single partner irrelevant.

Therefore for the campaign such as 'One Love' to be successful campaigners must address some behavioral change fro the root cause of the problems.

In this view, visiting Tanzanian journalists needs assessment studies in order to come up with needs oriented programs and campaigns.

“ Campaigns should aim at encouraging people to abandon bad sexual behavior and traditions,” suggests Simon Kivamwo, one of the visiting journalists and the Chairperson of the association of journalists against AIDS in Tanzania

Racism in another name

Academicians from different ethnic background at the University of Maine call for the elimination of institutional racism to promote minority groups in the world's leading economy.

The dons with extensive experience in cultural diversity issues agree that racism, today, is embedded in social, justice and economic systems.

Whereas the world around believes racism is no longer a reality in the United States-academicians points out inequality in unemployment rates between the White Americans and non-White Americans as

Blacks, Indians, Latinos and Spanish an outcome of systematic racism.

However, they acknowledge the decline in levels of physical racism following civil rights movement led by Martin Luther King in 1960s.

Americans believe there is more sense of resentment today towards minority communities than the past decades.

As such it is hard to address structural racism, which most people do not acknowledge as the problem today.

To address the new form of racism propose several interventions ranging from education, cross-cultural integration programs and the promotion of different culture.

" Through the education system, all Americans regardless their ethnic origins would understand the treaties, history and different types of stereo types," says Maureen .

It appears that the discrimination has disappeared on the public side but there is a lot of stereotyping about the Black-Americans, Indian-American and Latino originated populations in the US.

" Unemployment rate among Black-Americans, Asian-Americans, Hispanic and Latinos is always higher than the American Whites, the access to quality housing, and education system pose a systemic threat," says Prof. Marwin Squiller, a Black-American Professor at the UMaine

To address the systematic racism, some lecturers at the University did different studies on various perspectives relating to cultural diversity in the US.

For example, Prof. Spiller Marwin did a study on ' Race, Class, and Political Behavior of African-American Young Adults.

Focusing on effects of races and class on patterns of political participation among African-Americans young adults, the findings of the study shows that the effects of social class on political participation declines.

The decline is partly attributable to full understanding of change or the lack of political participation among African-American young adults over the past 30-40 years.

"...needs to take into account changes into their objective circumstances, changes in levels of psychological engagement, and changes in how each of these factors affect political involvement," notes Marwin.

Like Marwin shares concern with Maureen Smith who is well vested in American-Indians studies on question of addressing systematic racism and stereo typing.

She wants students from different ethnic origins be taught the history of American-Indians, culturally relevant assessment of native children, the issues of sovereignty, treaty rights and cultural appropriations in relation to American-Indian nations.

Maureen's experience in teaching the above issues in American schools results coherence and tolerance among students of different ethnic backgrounds.

Despite different attempts geared at addressing systematic racism, he fears it might take some time to eliminate it.

It is not easy to acknowledge that racism exists because it is hidden and some individuals among the minority citizens have made progress.

The achievement made by some few individuals like the current President of the US Barack Obama and the would-be- first Hispanic woman Lady Justice Sonia Sotomayor appears as the blackmail to struggle for promotion of minority's identities.

Some other schools of thought advances scarcity of resources among minority communities as the systematic barrier charting common stand in addressing the situation.

" Unfortunately, minority communities are exposed to internalized racism, which creates a kind of disunity," adds Maureen.

With limited resources, it even more harder as different minority groups fight against other for resources instead of working together.

Groups with less political influence/vote benefits lesser than more influential groups.

United States is a diverse country racially and ethnically. White Americans make up 74 percent of the total population according to American Community Survey (2002). Black Americans constitutes 13.5 percent of the population. Asian Americans compose of 5 percent of the total population.

The journalists had opportunity to discuss with the University of Maine's dons of different racial background and share the experiences on cross-cultural miscues and how the Diaspora adapts to the status quo.

Learning from the experiences of Prof. ............. of Latino America originality, an Africa-American Prof. Maureen.... and Prof. Marwin of an Indian-America it came to the lights of journalists that no longer the minority communities in the US discriminated against physically.

However, the University dons express concern over slight levels of minority discrimination in the structure.

The structural discrimination according to Prof. Squiller Maureen could not be easily address as it is hd to acknowledged.

" One would address the structural racial segregation unless acknowledges its existence, something which is not easy," added Prof. Maureen

To address the situation, which is, rooted in the system, Prof. ... from Lina, Peru trains students at the University of Maine about Latin America.

Students at the university acknowledge minority groups in the country and have changed altitude towards minority communities according to the Professor.

Prof. Squiller

Individual racism no longer exists it still more institutional eg. unemployment rate of black Americans , Latinos is still alive.

So much Afro country is no longer reality

Challenges

Since it is built on sort of ideology, first have to acknowledge it exists, inability to see white Americans consists a large share of political position.

Racism in another name

Academicians from different ethnic background at the University of Maine call for the elimination of institutional racism to promote minority groups in the world's leading economy.

The dons with extensive experience in cultural diversity issues agree that racism, today, is embedded in social, justice and economic systems.

Whereas the world around believes racism is no longer a reality in the United States-academicians points out inequality in unemployment rates between the White Americans and non-White Americans as

Blacks, Indians, Latinos and Spanish an outcome of systematic racism.

However, they acknowledge the decline in levels of physical racism following civil rights movement led by Martin Luther King in 1960s.

Americans believe there is more sense of resentment today towards minority communities than the past decades.

As such it is hard to address structural racism, which most people do not acknowledge as the problem today.

To address the new form of racism propose several interventions ranging from education, cross-cultural integration programs and the promotion of different culture.

" Through the education system, all Americans regardless their ethnic origins would understand the treaties, history and different types of stereo types," says Maureen .

It appears that the discrimination has disappeared on the public side but there is a lot of stereotyping about the Black-Americans, Indian-American and Latino originated populations in the US.

" Unemployment rate among Black-Americans, Asian-Americans, Hispanic and Latinos is always higher than the American Whites, the access to quality housing, and education system pose a systemic threat," says Prof. Marwin Squiller, a Black-American Professor at the UMaine

To address the systematic racism, some lecturers at the University did different studies on various perspectives relating to cultural diversity in the US.

For example, Prof. Spiller Marwin did a study on ' Race, Class, and Political Behavior of African-American Young Adults.

Focusing on effects of races and class on patterns of political participation among African-Americans young adults, the findings of the study shows that the effects of social class on political participation declines.

The decline is partly attributable to full understanding of change or the lack of political participation among African-American young adults over the past 30-40 years.

"...needs to take into account changes into their objective circumstances, changes in levels of psychological engagement, and changes in how each of these factors affect political involvement," notes Marwin.

Like Marwin shares concern with Maureen Smith who is well vested in American-Indians studies on question of addressing systematic racism and stereo typing.

She wants students from different ethnic origins be taught the history of American-Indians, culturally relevant assessment of native children, the issues of sovereignty, treaty rights and cultural appropriations in relation to American-Indian nations.

Maureen's experience in teaching the above issues in American schools results coherence and tolerance among students of different ethnic backgrounds.

Despite different attempts geared at addressing systematic racism, he fears it might take some time to eliminate it.

It is not easy to acknowledge that racism exists because it is hidden and some individuals among the minority citizens have made progress.

The achievement made by some few individuals like the current President of the US Barack Obama and the would-be- first Hispanic woman Lady Justice Sonia Sotomayor appears as the blackmail to struggle for promotion of minority's identities.

Some other schools of thought advances scarcity of resources among minority communities as the systematic barrier charting common stand in addressing the situation.

" Unfortunately, minority communities are exposed to internalized racism, which creates a kind of disunity," adds Maureen.

With limited resources, it even more harder as different minority groups fight against other for resources instead of working together.

Groups with less political influence/vote benefits lesser than more influential groups.

United States is a diverse country racially and ethnically. White Americans make up 74 percent of the total population according to American Community Survey (2002). Black Americans constitutes 13.5 percent of the population. Asian Americans compose of 5 percent of the total population.