Prepared by Abubakar Kar san E xe c utive Dir e c tor Union - - PDF document

ACP CONGRE SS OF PRE SS CL UBS 2016 KIGAL I RWANDA 20 – 22 OCT OBE R, 2016

T HE E ST ABL ISHME NT OF PRE SS CL UBS AND IT S UNION IN T ANZANIA

Prepared by

Abubakar Kar san E xe c utive Dir e c tor Union of T anzania Pr e ss Clubs Bale wa Road, Isamilo Ar e a

P.O. Bo x 314 T e l: +255 28 2540243 F a x: +255 28 2502188 Mo b : 255 0767-399994/ 0788-399995 E

• ma il: utpc tz@ ya ho o .c o .uk/ utpc @ utpc .o r.tz

We b site : www.utpc .o r.tz

• 1. INT

R ODUCT ION 1.1. Br ie f Histor y

T he Unio n o f T a nza nia Pre ss Club s (UT PC) wa s e sta b lishe d b y 12 pre ss c lub s, unde r the suppo rt o f the Unite d Sta te s o f I nfo rma tio n Se rvic e (USIS), in 1996. It wa s re g iste re d in 1997 a nd g ive n a Ce rtific a te o f re g istra tio n No . SO 8976.

1.2. Vision

A de mo c ra tic T a nza nia fully e mb ra c ing to a fre e , inde pe nde nt a nd ro b ust me dia

1.3. Mission

T

• c re a te a n e nviro nme nt tha t e na b le s stro ng e ffic ie nt a nd e ffe c tive Pre ss Club s in T

a nza nia whic h e ve ntua lly c o ntrib ute to wa rds a de mo c ra tic a nd just so c ie ty.

1.4. Obje c tive s

i) T

• fa c ilita te the o pe ra tio ns o f the Pre ss Club s to e nsure e ffic ie nc y a nd

unifo rmity in the c o nd uc t o f the b usine ss o f its me mb e r pre ss c lub s b y ha rmo nizing the ir o p e ra tio na l se t up; ii) T

• re pre se nt me mb e r c lub s in c o lle c tive b a rg a ining ;

iii) T

• b uild the c a pa c ity a nd a b ility o f ind ivid ual jo urnalists, who a re me mb e rs o f

pre ss c lub s thro ug h tra ining , re se a rc h, stud y to urs a nd me e ting s; iv) T

• pro mo te a nd ma inta in c o d e o f e thic s fo r me d ia pra c titio ne rs in pro mo ting

e thic a l re po rta g e ; v) T

• print a nd publish ne wsle tte rs o r a ny o the r public a tio n a nd e sta b lish a ny

e le c tro nic me d ia , with the a im o f fo ste ring the o b je c ts o f the Unio n a nd tha t

• f the me mb e r pre ss c lub s;

vi) T

• lia ise with o the r o rg a niza tio ns (lo c al a nd inte rna tio na l), invo lve d in

ma rshalling pre ss fre e d o m, fig ht a g a inst c o rrup tio n, p o ve rty HIV a nd AI DS, vio la tio n o f huma n rig hts a nd re la te d ma tte rs; vii) T

• mo b ilize Pre ss Club s me mb e rs, me d ia a nd no n-me d ia o rg a niza tio ns a nd

the pub lic , a g a inst pra c tic e s, re g ula tio ns a nd laws tha t infring e o n the fre e d o m o f the pre ss; viii) T

• me d ia te a nd re so lve d ispute s a nd c o nflic ts o f me mb e rs pre ss c lub s;

ix) T

• c o nd uc t re se a rc h with the a im o f pro mo ting me d ia ’ s ro le in c a ta lysing

d e ve lo pme nt; x) T

• pro vid e a ny o the r se rvic e s tha t is no t inc lud e d in this Co nstitutio n.

1.5. Gove r na nc e

T he g o ve rna nc e struc ture o f the Unio n is b a se d o n the fo llo wing struc ture s:-

1.5.1. Me mbe r s Ge ne r al Me e ting

T his is supre me po lic y ma king b o d y c o mprising o f thre e (3) le a de rs fro m all 27 pre ss c lub s. It me e ts e ve ry ye a r a nd a t e ve ry thre e (3) ye a rs e le c ts a ne w Bo a rd o f Dire c to rs.

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1.5.2. T he Boar d of Dir e c tor s

T his is a supe rviso ry b o d y, whic h o ve rse e ns the Se c re ta ria t o n the imple me nta tio n o f a c tivitie s. It is c o mprise d o f:-

• De o Nso ko lo

: Pre sid e nt

• Ja ne Miha nji

: Vic e Pre sid e nt

• Ab d alla h Ab d ulra hma n Mfa ume

: Me mb e r

• Ha b e l Chid a wali

: Me mb e r

• Ste lla Ib e ng we

: Me mb e r

• Salma Ab dul

: Me mb e r

• Anna Ma ka ng e

: Me mb e r

• And re w K

uc ho njo ma : Me mb e r

• F

ra nk L e o na rd : Me mb e r

• Pe nd o Mwa kye mb e

: Me mb e r T

• b e a Bo a rd me mb e r yo u must b e a pre ss c lub le a d e r in the fo llo wing c a te g o rie s:

a Cha ir, a Se c re ta ry Ge ne ra l o r a T re a sure r.

1.5.3. T he Se c r e tar iat

T his is the imple me nta tio n b o d y, in c ha rg e o f the d a y to d a y o pe ra tio ns, c o mprising :-

• Ab ub a ka r K

a rsa n : E xe c utive Dire c to r

• Ja c kso n Uiso

: F ina nc e Offic e r

• Vic to r Male ko

: Pro g ra m Offic e r: T ra ining , Re se a rc h a nd Public a tio n

• Hild a K

ile o : Pro g ra m Offic e r: Pre ss Club s De ve lo pme nt a nd Administra tio n

• Winfrid a Ma d e ni

: Ac c o unta nt

• Ma ry Ng o b o ko

: Offic e Ma na g e me nt Se c re ta ry

• Gra c e a na Mic ha e l :

Offic e Assista nt

• Ha ssa n Zub e ri

: Drive r At the mo me nt, we a re in the pro c e ss o f e mplo ying a Pro c ure me nt o ffic e r a nd Pro g ra m o ffic e r: Re so urc e Mo b iliza tio n

• 2. PRE

SS CL UBS

Pre ss Club s a re a sso c ia tio ns b e lo ng ing to the jo urna lists who a re o pe ra ting fro m re g io ns. So fa r we ha ve o ur pre ss c lub s in all re g io ns in T a nza nia Ma inla nd a nd Za nzib a r.

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• 3. WHY F

ORM PRE SS CL UBS

T he re we re spe c ific re a so ns a s to why we fo rme d pre ss c lub s. T he ma jo r re a so ns we re

• Vast ge ogr

aphic al ar e a

Our c o untry is ve ry va st with 947,303km 2. At tha t time the re we re 20 re g io ns, o f whic h a lo t o f a c tivitie s we re d o ne in the c a pita l Da r e s Sala am.

• Mar

ginalization of jour nalists ope r ating fr

• m r

e gions.

Altho ug h it wa s no t purpo se fully d o ne , jo urnalists o pe ra ting fro m the re g io ns we re no t invo lve d in tra ining o r a ny o the r a c tivitie s, c o mpa re d to tho se living in Da r e s Sala a m

• 4. COL

L APSE OF UT PC AND PRE SS CL UBS

UT PC c o lla pse d in 1997 d ue to la c k o f fund ing a fte r, USIS Dire c to r wa s tra nsfe rre d to a no the r c o untry a nd the ne w o ne re fuse d to suppo rt UT

• PC. Auto ma tic a lly the pre ss

c lub s, e xc e pt tha t o f Mwa nza Pre ss Club .

• 5. WHY COL

L APSE

T he c o lla pse o f UT PC wa s c a use d b y its la c k o f visio n in its struc ture . Pre ss Club s c o lla pse d b e c a use the ir fo rma tio n wa s just fo r a me e ting po int fo r jo urna lists who a re just wa iting fo r the Big Unc le to c o me , to b ring tra ining .

• 6. PRE

SS CL UBS RE ORGANIZE D

I n 1998 o n my c a pa c ity a s the Cha ir o f Mwa nza Pre ss Club , I supe rvise d the lo ng jo urne y to re o rg a nize pre ss c lub s a nd UT PC.

6.1. Pr e ss Clubs’ r e sponsibilitie s

• Pro mo ting pro fe ssio nalism to me mb e rs
• Pro vid e so c ia l inte ra c tio n to me mb e rs
• Pro vid e e c o no mic o ppo rtunitie s to me mb e rs
• Co nd uc t a rb itra tio n b e twe e n jo urna lists a nd the ir sta ke ho ld e rs
• Cre a te a wa re ne ss o n the rig ht to info rma tio n to the pub lic
• Suppo rt re g io na l d e ve lo pme nt

We b uilt Mwa nza Pre ss Club alo ng the ne w pre ss c lub s visio n to the po int, it wa s the b e st in the c o untry b y the ye a r 2000. Slo wly we ste e re d the re viva l o f pre ss c lub s in the c o untry. By the ye a r 2001 the re we re 19 pre ss c lub s.

• 7. PRE

SS CL UBS SUPPORT PROJE CT

I n the ye a r 2001, I a ppro a c he d the Swe d ish E mb a ssy in T a nza nia , with the pro po sa l Pre ss Club s suppo rt p ro je c t. T he e mb a ssy a g re e d to suppo rt us, thro ug h the MCT , fo r a t tha t time I wa s a me mb e r o f the Me d ia Co unc il o f T a nza nia . T he ma jo r c o mpo ne nts o f the pro je c ts we re :-

• T

ra ining to pre ss c lubs me mb e rs

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• E

q uipme nt suppo rt to pre ss c lub

• Ad vo c a c y wo rk fo r p re ss c lub s
• 8. RE

VIVAL OF UT PC

T he re viva l o f UT PC, sta rte d in 2001 whe re b y I wa s e le c te d to b e a n inte rim Se c re ta ry Ge ne ra l o f UT PC, a lo ng with six (6) o the r jo urna lists, who we re c ha rg e d with the re spo nsib ility o f re viving UT PC. By 2003 o ur c o mmitte e a c hie ve d the fo llo wing :-

• Pro d uc e d a ne w c o nstitutio n
• Re g iste re d a d d itio na l me mb e rs
• Pro d uc e d the first UT

PC Stra te g ic Pla n. I n tha t ye a r, we he ld the first Me mb e rs Ge ne ral Me e ting whic h a d o p te d the fo llo wing :-

• A ne w UT

PC c o nstitutio n

• Ad o p te d the first Stra te g ic Pla n
• E

le c te d the first Bo a rd o f Dire c to rs It wa s tha t Bo a rd tha t a pp o inte d me to b e the first UT PC E xe c utive Dire c to r. At tha t time we ha d no funds so the Bo a rd d ire c te d me to lo o k fo r fund s to p a y fo r my salary. T he re st is histo ry a s I a m he re to d a y sha ring with yo u wha t we d id .

• 9. HOW DID WE

BUIL D UT PC 9.1. Gove r nanc e

• We pro d uc e d a ve ry g o o d c o nstitutio n
• We pro d uc e d va rio us o pe ra tio na l ma nuals
• We put up a n a c c o unting syste m
• We pro d uc e d a ve ry g o o d Stra te g ic Pla n 2011 – 2013 wo rth US Do lla rs 5millio ns fo r

T hre e (3) ye a rs, a nd the c urre nt 2016 – 2020 wo rth 10 b il

• We e mplo ye d ve ry g o o d sta ffs.

9.2. Inte nsive fundr aising

• Ord ina ry pro po sa l to d o no rs
• Applying fo r va rio us me d ia a c tivitie s
• Pa rtne rship with va rio us na tio na l a nd inte rna tio na l o rg a niza tio ns
• I

nve stig a tive jo urna lism a c tivitie s

10. IMPACT S OF UT PC/ PRE SS CL UBS ACT IVIT IE S 10.1.

27 func tio na l pre ss c lub s all o ve r the c o untry.

10.2.

I nc re a se d c o ve ra g e o f rura l a re a s a nd re g io na l a re a s.

10.3.

Our me mb e rs pro vid e 80% o f sto rie s/ fe a ture s, T V a nd ra d io pro g ra ms.

10.4.

Re la tio nship a mo ng jo urna lists a nd the ir sta ke ho ld e rs ha ve impro ve d sig nific a ntly.

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• Co nflic ts a re b e ing a rb itra te d / a d jud ic a te d a t pre ss c lub s le ve l
• Sta ke ho ld e rs re q ue st jo urna lists thro ug h the ir pre ss c lub s
• Pre ss c lub s ra ise funds thro ug h hiring e q uipme nt, whic h we pro vid e the m
• UT

PC link va rio us sta ke ho ld e rs with pre ss c lub s

11.

CHAL

L E NGE S 11.1. F

und ing in o ur Stra te g ic Pla n 2016-2020, we ha ve a d e fic it o f 5M US Do lla rs

11.2. I

n o ur c o untry the re is no T ra d e Unio n fo r Jo urna lists

11.3. Me d ia o rg a niza tio ns a re c o lla psing d ue to g o ve rna nc e issue s. 11.4. Dra c o nia n Me d ia laws.

• 12. OPPORT

UNIT IE S 12.1.

E sta b lishme nt o f Da ud Mwa ng o si Me d ia De ve lo pme nt F und . We ne e d yo ur e xpe rtise to e sta b lish a nd ma inta in suc h a fund . Da ud Mwa ng o si is the first jo urna list to b e kille d o n d uty in T a nza nia . At the time o f his killing he wa s the Cha ir o f Iring a Pre ss Club . We a lso ne e d fund s to e ng a g e c o mpe te nt la wye rs to file a c ivil suit, a g a inst the Go ve rnme nt o f T a nza nia , a s Mwa ng o si wa s kille d b y a Go ve rnme nt

• ffic ia l.

12.2. L

e t us fund ra ise to g e the r to e sta b lish a pro je c t o n Susta ina b le De ve lo pme nt Go a ls. I n the pa st d uring the Mille nnium De ve lo pme nt Go a ls, the me d ia wa s no t pro pe rly use d . It is o ur o ppo rtunity no w to e xe rt pre ssure , so tha t we will b e invo lve d in the pro mo tio n o f SDGs.

• 13. CONCL

USION

I am ha ppy to b e he re to d a y, it wa s my dre a m tha t a d a y wo uld c o me , I wo uld sta nd b e fo re my c o lle a g ue s so tha t I c a n sha re with yo u wha t we ha ve d o ne in T a nza nia . I wo uld like to e xte nd a n invita tio n to a ll o f yo u, to c o me to T a nza nia to witne ss wha t we ha ve d o ne . L e t us sha re the le sso ns fo r o ur mutua l b e ne fit a nd d e ve lo pme nt. T ha nk yo u so muc h

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