| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
Newfy
Western Samoa
462 Posts |
|
|
somita
United Kingdom
163 Posts |
 Posted - 07 Jul 2006 : 08:43:57
|
A valid point however too often adminstrators use this phrased as the SOS with the hope that the media would be favourable to them.
I have to say i was surprise by the lack of coverage by international media like BBC, ITV and the like, i only hope that i missed it because last year there was huge hype because of the Sudan issue (nagative) on chairmanship.
|
 |
|
|
jambo
3300 Posts |
Posted - 07 Jul 2006 : 14:41:20
|
| it was not covered because international media were not allowed access, press release, agenda and other paperwork was late in arriving. they were all scramble for the same short stories. Press calls were cancelled at last minute. |
|
|
|
MADIBA
United Kingdom
1275 Posts |
Posted - 07 Jul 2006 : 15:39:19
|
quote:
Originally posted by jambo
it was not covered because international media were not allowed access, press release, agenda and other paperwork was late in arriving. they were all scramble for the same short stories. Press calls were cancelled at last minute.
WHAT WAS ELIZABETH BLUNT AND THE BBC THINKING
By PATRICIA J. NGOZIE
Jul 5, 2006, 11:45
Email this article
Printer friendly page
Just when Africa had concluded a very succesful gathering Elizabeth Blunt and the BBC thought the best way to annalsye what unfolded in the Gambian capital was headlining an article on the summit thus; " AFRICAN SUMMIT- ALL TALK NO ACTION." To say the least this is not just tasteless, it has outrageous racist connotations. For a mammouth and reputable organisation like the BBC allowing itself to slander Africa is totally disgraceful and they ought to apologise to the African Union and the people of Africa.
For Elizabeth Blunt to come up with that kind of headline one must wonder her state of mind when she thougth of such a headline because no sober minded person who was in Banjul will insunuate that kind of nonesense. What can only come to mind for such hatred could be that Elizabeth Blunt is taking issues with Africa because of England"s unceremonius exodus from Germany by way of the penalty spot. If that is the case, what she did not know is that English football does have a a heavy following in Africa and more so, Africa had nothing to do with her sorrow or the BBC"s. They can get it right in Joburg come 2010.
She wrote, "since the hotel at the new conference centre wasn't ready in time,the heads of state were lodged in a surbuban housing estate on the other side of the -52 identical surbuban red roofed bungalows which will now go on sale to the public, allowing them to buy a little bit of history and say "Thabo Mbeki and Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf slept here."That was a cheap shot. Instead of giving credit to Africa for constructing a villa in five months under African supervision, she decided to go negative. Who cares who slept there? She also decided to take her story to another level by deliberating paraphrasing Iran's Ahmdinejad on where he said the Holocaust was given more attention than slavery just to start a controversy. What is so untrue about that?
No action! Are you joking? What plannet is Elizabeth Blunt from? To set the record straigth Elizabeth needs to know that Africa is an action continent. When Liberia was blazing , ECOMOG was front and centre whilst the people of Liberia still wait for the British ten years later. African Peacekeeping Forces alongside peacekeepers from the UN took on Foday Sanko and his rebel groups, brought them down and as recent as a few weeks ago arrested Charles Taylor and flew him into Lungi. Liberia and Sierra Leone are two countries taken back by Africa because it belongs to Africa......................That is enough action Madame Blunt. Get it right and stop the hate!
If Elizabeth Blunt and the BBC think Africa cannot manage herself, they are in for a rude awakening. The leadership of two decades ago are a thing of the past. The continent has freed herself from imperialist manipulation and is moving in the right direction. A journalist is expected to report objectively and not take cheap shots. See you in South Africa,2010.........where lots of African action awaits you all!
Culled from ProgressiveAfricans Newspaper online.
MAYBE THIS WOULD GIVE SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT |
madiss |
|
|
|
gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 07 Jul 2006 : 18:39:31
|
The hotel wasnt finished on time. She was stating a fact.
All talk and no action seems to be what many Gambians on here have said about the summit. SO once again it is ok for a Gambian to say it, but not anyone else!
Seriously I DO HOPE some action does come from the summit. What were the concluding statements and what action is to be taken as a result of them? |
|
|
|
MADIBA
United Kingdom
1275 Posts |
Posted - 07 Jul 2006 : 18:57:36
|
quote:
Originally posted by gambiabev
The hotel wasnt finished on time. She was stating a fact.
All talk and no action seems to be what many Gambians on here have said about the summit. SO once again it is ok for a Gambian to say it, but not anyone else!
Seriously I DO HOPE some action does come from the summit. What were the concluding statements and what action is to be taken as a result of them?
THE AUTHOR OF THIS ARTICLE IS NOT GAMBIAN GOING BY HER NAME |
madiss |
|
|
|
somita
United Kingdom
163 Posts |
Posted - 07 Jul 2006 : 19:42:07
|
No action is very inaccurate reporting to say the least. Of course there is some movement in Africa, its disappointingly slow, however that is not an execuse for negative reporting. Its disgraceful and not helpful.
Elizabeth's reporting has all the negativity of the west towards Africa, hence Blair highjack last year's and this year's submit by forming unproductive, irrelevant and white elephant commissions before the Union's meeting.
Gambiabev with all due respect, blaming African leaders for every single problem is very simplistist, with farming subsidies directly linked to low productivity in Africa yet no Western leader is bold enough to take action, WTO policies completely unfair and unjust yet its all ok because it benefits the west. |
|
|
|
sab
United Kingdom
912 Posts |
Posted - 07 Jul 2006 : 19:48:18
|
After reading your first posting I looked up Elizabeth Blunt former West Africa correspondent on Google and was surprised that she had been reporting in Africa since 1979…including Liberia.
I hope that her previous reporting was more mature and of better judgement.
regards, |
The world would be a poorer place if it was peopled by children whose parents risked nothing in the cause of social justice, for fear of personal loss. (Joe Slovo - African revolutionary) |
|
|
|
gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 07 Jul 2006 : 22:56:22
|
I have never blamed Africas leaders for all of Africas problems.
All I asked is what has come out of the summit.
|
|
|
|
somita
United Kingdom
163 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jul 2006 : 02:43:46
|
| I'm sure you dont blame them but what is your regarding WTO, farm subsidies and white elephant commissions set up Blair. Isnt it disgraceful that each time western leaders find themselves in hot soup in the polls they restore to media catching headlines like increasing aid to Africa. Toy with the suffering of the ordinary people. |
|
|
|
jambo
3300 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jul 2006 : 11:27:59
|
elizabeth is a middle class white lady who reported what she saw, but i would hope she would print some good interviews she had access in her capacity as the European rep for BBC radio to heads of states who were willing to give interviews. the bbc had a rep from Sudan and Senegal to cover the french speaking and arabic speaking countries what did there stories cover.
|
|
|
|
gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jul 2006 : 11:35:49
|
I wasnt refering to Elizabeth Blunt. I was refering to the fact that MANY Gambians on this site have said the au summit achieved nothing in concrete terms and they werent critised BUT as soon as a white person says the same things they are criticised for being negative. SO only AFRCIANS are allowed to criticise Africa? If the same rule applies NO GAMBIAN should be allowed to criticise G BUSH or Tony Blair!!!
What positive things have come out of it? I hope there are some or it is such a waste of money! |
|
|
|
jambo
3300 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jul 2006 : 16:20:16
|
okay, but the au would have been a waste of time regardless of the location, and i get what you mean about e blunt.
somita, look at some of the african press, allafrica, they were just as critical.
which part of the report from miss blunt was inaccurate!!,
would members of the bantaba like to see a copy of the final recommendations!!.
so many were on the table but have been put until another meeting!!. These heads of states new the issues before they came to gambia, Darfur, Hiv/Aids, migration, post conflict solutions, hunger, debt. they are not new, but the could not agree on anything. Who in their rights minds would think that Chad and Sudan would shake hands on anything!!
|
|
|
|
njucks
Gambia
1131 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jul 2006 : 18:33:44
|
thanks Madiba for the text from PATRICIA J. NGOZIE. i have said it before the BBC is simply negative about Africa.nothing positive is reported.when positive things are reported it is done unseriously anyone who visits the news website on Africa on a daily basic will not fail to notice this passive attitude. its jounalist only focus on Hunger,war etc. whilst these things are in reality happening i think they have to be fair by showing the efforts being made locally with little resources to address them.
Gambiabev, E Blunt was not stating a FACT. what she said was not true and is misleading.
First the Hotel is a Sheraton being built by a Kuwaiti Billionaire as a private investment for the tourism industry not specifically for the AU. it was a project even before gambia was awarded the honour to host the AU. his name is Al-Kharafi and he owns the Al-Kharafi group.
secondly the villas where the presidents stayed was contructed preciesly for that. even if the hotel was ready the presidents were not going to stay there.
if that was the case the effort and money used to built them would be focuesd on the hotel and it would have been ready.
after all she is writing for a european audience who are not on the ground to verify her stories. very poor.
one thing she did write about was an apparent walk -out by European observer invited from the EU.
''President Ahmadinejad also complained that the death chambers of the Jews were given more importance than the rooms where thousands of African slaves died before being shipped to the Americas - which did provoke a walkout, but only from the European diplomatic observers.''
i knew he would say something controversial
|
|
|
|
Newfy
Western Samoa
462 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jul 2006 : 22:57:35
|
I am ok with criticism as long as it is constructive.
When we get into to this hating mode of people or groups, it is not objective and we get no where.
For me, what works best is if we can make a statement, objectively as much as possible and then come up with recommendations for the future.
Maligning any groups whether they be white, green, purple is not going to get us anywhere, because groups are made up of individuals and they are not all the same. You can not judge a book by its cover.
Peace to all. Blessings.
|
|
|
|
Newfy
Western Samoa
462 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jul 2006 : 23:07:11
|
it must be because of all the cold medicine im taking.
i think im off topic, since i read all the different threads at once this time. sorry if its confusing. this is an interesting dialogue on the Bantaba and Im appreciative of the hospitality...:) |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
Topic Locked
