Dear journalist  friends and readers,

I can not forget the days of Berlin which were full of fun and learning about new media- online.

I have got an e-mail from International Institute for Journalism  (IIJ), Germany.

The IIJ of InWEnt organises again a two-month training course on “Multimedia and Online Journalism I” which will be held in Berlin/ Germany, from February 1th to April 1th, 2010.

The course will be open to journalists working for online editions of print media and pure online media. The course is open to journalists from: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Pakistan, Philippines, Senegal, Tanzania, Vietnam, Zimbabwe.

Complete application files should be received to the German Embassy by October 30th, 2009.

Please apply for this course and do not for get about the date-line.

If you want to know about the course please down load the course brochure and application form.

You will also get the information at the website of German Embassy, Dhaka.

Give a fight to attend the course and enjoy the winter in Berlin.

Cheers

Mahadi Hasan

By Sylvio Combey

Summer Academy, Particpants

One issue that rises in developing countries that are going or have gone through crisis, especially in Africa is how to deal with the past. Media practitioners have been encouraged to always tell the truth when referring to the past, in order not to renew unhealed wound. This was said during a 2 weeks workshop they have undergone in Ghana, Accra.

Some African countries, indeed, are going through various crises like violence during elections, civil war, conflicts and others have also gone through. Now the thought is how to look for reconciliation in order to settle or maintain peace. Here comes, the issue of how to deal with the past. The role of journalists in society is not to be left out; they have a huge role to play when it comes to peacekeeping, building democracy or development.

Stating the case of Liberia, Massa Washington, a commissioner of the Liberian truth and Reconciliation Commission, urged media practitioners to be mindful of the words they are using when dealing with the past. Giving an example, she said “it will be better to say survivors instead of victims”. Madam Theresa once, said “just for one word, you kill the spirit of the one you love” just to show the power of words. Madam Washington encouraged journalists therefore, to exercise care and sensitivity in seeking, publishing and broadcasting information about people who are personally grieved and distressed.

Talking at the workshop, organized by the International institute for Journalism (IIJ) of InWent, capacity Building International based in Germany, Yasmin Sooka an ex member of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa and Sierra Leone, emphasized on this particular point, saying that media practitioners should report accurately and avoid misleading and sensational headlines.

According to the General Manager of Graphic Communications in Accra, Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh, journalists have to be as much  as objective they can, when dealing with the past. He argued that, the aim of reconciliation was achieved in Ghana with workshops and seminar that have been organized for journalists by the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA). “The purpose was to access the role media have to play” he stated.

Regards to all that have been said, it is obvious that journalists can deal with the past, but this should be done according to the code of conduct. Media practitioners have to ensure that their reports are without distortions, and tell the truth.

]]> http://jofrem.wordpress.com/2009/10/09/truth-defense-for-journalists-reporting-the-past/ Fri, 09 Oct 2009 22:14:28 +0000 jofrem http://jofrem.wordpress.com/2009/10/09/truth-defense-for-journalists-reporting-the-past/

By Cecilia Ologunagba, Nigeria

Participants

Truth is simply a fact that has been verified. It is conformity to the reality or actuality. But for a journalist reporting the past it means accuracy, objectivity, fairness and lot more.

Many Journalists from the West Africa Countries, especially from the conflict prone countries have always being faced with the dilemma of reporting the past without opening fresh wounds to the survivors  as well as not being biased.

To help address this dilemma, International Institute for Journalism (IIJ) of Inwent, German organized a two-week training programme in Accra, Ghana to help West Africa journalists make ethnical decisions while reporting the past.

Ms Massa Washington of the guest speakers at training a veterant Journalist from Liberia said journalists reporting the past should first and foremost see the profession as a moral conscience of the society.

Washington, who covered the Liberia civil war for 15 years, also a Commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in the country said that journalists must assume the role of helping the society to heal the past wounds.

“You should not compromise by collecting money or involve in corrupt practices, don’t be on the side of political leaders and shun bias in your reports, if you do that ,truth will be your defense at all times’’ she said.

Ms Yasmin Sooka, Director of the Foundation for Human Rights in South Africa, said for journalists to report the past accurately they must be familiar with the truth and reconciliation process.

“The process of reconciliation will help the survivors to deal with their past as well as making the nation to learn from their mistakes and work toward national unity and peace.

“The challenge of impunity, the question of corruption and the way in which political leaders lead make accountability difficult must be addressed to implement the process,’’ she said.

The director however urged journalists to use their position to fight against violation of human rights and to work towards the attainment of reconciliation in the sub-region.

In the same vein, Mr Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh, General Manager, Daily Graphic, a Ghanaian Newspaper, advised journalists covering the past to uphold high level of professionalism.

Boadu-Ayeboafoh, who has spent 26 years practising journalism, noted that commitment to human rights issues would help to be objective while reporting, adding that journalists should be mindful of their words.

“Be mindful of your choice of language because you can heal with your language and the same time destroy. We should also admit when we make mistakes and correct them’’ he said.

Experts in journalism however noted that reporting the past involves a whole lot of processes starting from the process of familiarization with the code and ethics in journalism, as well as the code developed for journalists covering TRCs.

Irina Chasowa (zweite v.r., stehend) mit ihrer Gruppe in Saarbrücken

Seit Anfang September und noch bis Anfang Dezember ist Irina Chasowa, die Geschäftsführerin des Erlangen-Hauses, Stipendiatin der gemeinnützigen GmbH “Inwent”, die im Auftrag des Ministeriums für Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung jungen Führungskräften aus Transformations- und Schwellenländern in den Bereichen Wirtschaft, Technik, Verwaltung und Nichtregierungsorganisationen Praktika in Deutschland ermöglicht. Nun hat sie sich eingelebt und eingearbeitet und schickt aus Saarbrücken ein erstes Lebenszeichen mit Gruß an alle Erlanger:

Mir geht es hier sehr gut. Das Seminar ist anspruchsvoll, das Kulturprogramm vollgepackt. So unternahmen wir beispielsweise schon Fahrten nach Luxemburg und Brüssel. Die ersten zwei Wochen sind wie ein Tag verflogen. Die ersten vier Wochen durchlaufen wir einen Vorlesungszyklus zu Fragen von Management und Marketing. In der fünften Woche werden wir alle in hiesige Unternehmen eingeführt, und dann folgen fünf Wochen individuelles Praktikum. Mich erwarten zwei Stellen, ein Hotel und ein Reisebüro. Unsere Gruppe besteht aus vierzehn Teilnehmern, von denen aber nur zwei aus Rußland kommen, ein Architekt aus Irkutsk und ich. Rußland gehört ja nicht mehr zu den Entwicklungsländern… Zu uns gehören noch sechs Ukrainer, vier Litauer, ein Pole und ein Kasache. Im Einreisezentrum Carl-Duisberg-Haus, wo wir untergebracht sind, geht es international zu. Recht lautstark verabschiedeten sich in der letzten Woche Ingenieure aus Brasilien, die hier vier Monate Deutsch lernten und jetzt zum Praktikum nach Leipzig aufgebrochen sind. Auf meiner Etage waren nur Brasilianer untergebracht, mit denen ich mich anfreundete. Schade, daß sie weg sind. Sie sind so offen und fröhlich. Eine Gruppe Vitnamesen, ebenfalls Techniker, machte sich am vergangenen Mittwoch auf den Weg nach Mannheim. Sehr viele Chinesen sind hier, aber sie sprechen schlecht Deutsch, weshalb es für mich schwierig ist, mich mit ihnen zu unterhalten. Und dann kann ich mir ihre Namen nicht merken. Heute hatten die Afrikaner ihren Anreisetag. Die Gruppe aus Kenia auf meiner Etage wirkt bisher recht zurückhaltend, aber ihr Deutsch ist nicht schlecht, und so konnte ich mich bereits mit ihnen bekannt machen. Die Unterbringung hier ist ausgezeichnet. Ich war angenehm überrascht. Mir steht ein Zimmer mit 20 m² zur Verfügung, Naßzelle, eine kleine Kochstelle. In der Empfangshalle haben wir WiFi, einmal in der Woche werden Bettwäsche und Handtücher gewechselt, und zweimal die Woche kommt die Putzfrau. Ein Wohnheim kann man das deshalb kaum nennen, und so haben wir uns spaßeshalber die Bezeichung “Ein-Stern-Hotel” ausgedacht.

Fortsetzung folgt.

Dozentinnen des Erlangen-Hauses mit Geschäftsführerin Irina Chasowa, 2. v.r.

In Bayern endeten gestern die Sommerferien, und im Erlangen-Haus begannen die Deutschkurse. Wenn das keine konzertierte Aktion ist! Bienenfleißig waren sie wieder und emsig wie die Eichhörnchen, Irina Chasowa und Swetlana Schelesowa, den ganzen Sommer lang und haben zwölf Gruppen zusammengestellt. Eine weitere soll in Kürze noch folgen. Das ist nur eine Gruppe weniger als im vorigen Kursjahr und damit viel mehr, als angesichts der Krise zu erwarten war. Mit etwa 170 Teilnehmern sind damit die Deutsch-Kurse am Erlangen-Haus weiterhin mit großem Abstand die erfolgreichsten Angebote in Wladimir für Fremdsprachen.

Unterdessen tritt Irina Chasowa dieser Tage ein dreimonatiges Praktikum für russische Führungskräfte aus Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft an, finanziert und ausgeschrieben von “Inwent”, ein Akronym für Internationale Weiterbildung und Entwicklung. Die gemeinnützige GmbH mit Sitz in Bonn und Filialen in der ganzen Welt arbeitet im Auftrag des Ministeriums für Entwicklung und Zusammenarbeit auch in den sogenannten Transformationsländern, zu denen Rußland gezählt wird, und achtet bei ihren Projekten auf die Zusammenführung von sozialen, wirtschaftlichen und ökologischen Zielen. Doch davon wird Irina Chasowa sicher demnächst exklusiv für den Blog aus Saarbrücken berichten, wo sie ihre Fortbildung erhält.

Swetlana Schelesowa

Da kommt viel Arbeit auf Swetlana Schelesowa zu, denn sie trägt nun ganz alleine die Verantwortung für die Geschäftsführung, sprich für die Vermietung der Gästezimmer und Büros, die Deutsch-Kurse -und vor allem die laufenden Projekte der Städtepartnerschaft. Aber da muß einem nicht bange sein. Sie hat seit dem Frühjahr eindrucksvoll bewiesen, daß sie die richtige Frau am richtigen Ort ist.

A satellite session at the Global NGO Forum, entitled ‘Population Dynamics, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights and CLIMATE CHANGE:  Why Do Linkages Matter?’, takes place  September 1st 2009, 18:00-19:30 at Estrel Hotel Berlin, Sonnenallee 225, 12057 Berlin, Conference Wing, Estrel Room A. The session is hosted by the German Theme Group on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) – of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) , Kreditanstalt fuer Wiederaufbau (KfW), German Foundation for World Population (DSW) , InWent, and German Development Service (DED).

The satellite session aims to provide a general overview of the current discussion on the complex relationship between population dynamics and climate change. Participants will discuss a number of findings on the relevance of population dynamics, SRHR and climate change for civil society.

Specifically the satellite session seeks to:

• Strengthen the understanding of the potential impacts of demographic change (such as ageing, urbanisation, change of household size and composition) on GHG emissions and climate change;
• Identify the effects of climate change on women, men and children, particularly in developing countries as well as adaptation options;
• Discuss how population policies and programmes that aim at universal access to SRHR could be tied into climate change mitigation and adaptation;
• Share and discuss examples of good practice that link population and the environment/climate andidentify existing opportunities and challenges for civil society.

Registration for the satellite session does NOT include the ‘NGO Forum on Sexual and
Reproductive Health and Development’, 2-4 September 2009 in Berlin, Germany. The
satellite session will be held in English and is open to participants to the Global NGO
Forum as well as other interested organisations.

For more information read the invitation letter.

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Mein Nachbar nach Rechts

The thing about this blog is that it is a result of an-InWEnt (www.inwent.org) pro-blogging module. Our lecturer gave us a first assignment: write a blog entry on your neighbor to the right.

And so without further ado, let me introduce the neighbor to my right ( drumroll please) – FLORANTS!

He is a pretty interesting fellow. He is currently Managing IT Consultant for IT Advocates Asia in Cebu. Yes, he’s a techie!

He was in Stuttgart for a three-year course on Advanced Electronic Data Processing (auf deutsch: Elektronische Datenverarbeitungs Kaufmann). Yes, definitely a techie. 

This is also a scholarship program of the then CDG, which later on evolved into InWEnt. So that is our deutsche Erhfahrung connection!

He seems a kind of fellow, quiet, not speaking much with other seminar attendees. I asked to interview him for this blog entry but instead he gave me a 6-page resume. I was just reading it and I have to say I’m impressed. I would hire him. But maybe I cannot pay him.

Florants adds to the statistics of people and friends that share a common trait: inside every techie, programmer, geek and starwars fan is… a rockstar. I think thats cool.

Read more about this guy at www.pinoygothicmusic.wordpress.com.

By James Ratemo, in Berlin, Germany.

Today I attended an International conference on ‘Politics:Harnessing the power of new media’ organised by Inwent and Frankfurter Allgemaine Zeitung, and the interaction with great minds from across the globe was enlightening.

It emerges that politics has been invaded by technology and seemingly it will never be business as usual.

As Prof Harry Dugmore, one of the keynote speakers from South Africa put it, In Africa more people now have access to mobile phones than they have access to networked computers.

Prof Harry Dugmore In Berlin discussing future of new media in africa

With the mobile phones, the masses have been empowered to share information during campaigns and even monitor the elections, leaving minimal chances for politicians to rig elections.

“Technology will allow people in Africa to leapfrog so that they can catch up with the world without all those stages of development,” said Dugmore, adding that by June 2009, people using cell phones would outstrip those using internet.”

Nancy Scola, an associate editor of Tech President, the awrd winning online publication, revealed extensively how Us President Barrack Obama utilised the Internet to win the elections.

Nancy Scola relays the American experience during 2008 Presidential elections

In her presentation dubbed “Ballot casters to collaborators”, she demystified the Obama campaign illustrating how he used the Internet motto of “don’t wait for people to come to you, go where people are”, to win the election.

See news story here

Other experts and attendants seemed to agree that the new media trend is irreversible and nations need to tap on its potential to enhance democracy and empower masses.

However,  there are still concerns on the extent to which media houses can trust citizenry reports especially during campaigns and elections.

“Despite the growth of citizen journalism, we still need professional journalists to put issues into perspectives and countercheck on reports citizens blog about,” argued Dele Olojede, a pulitzer prize winner from Nigeria.

Citizens empowered

Olojede, who is also a CEO of Timbuktu Media, Nigeria, argued  that new media can empower citizens but in the case of Nigeria and Africa as a whole, there is a need to educate the people first.

“Unlike in the US, where new media was used extensively in the 2008 elections, the situation in the developing world is certainly different in that, the impact is not that high since traditional or conventional media still holds sway,” he said.

The Indian example

He gave the example of India where in 2006 alone 6,000 newspapers were launched. He contrasted this trend to that in North America, where printed newspapers were folding at an alarming rate.

The case of Kenya’s violence after the 2007 General Elections was replayed. Kenya stands as a perfect example of how politicians can misuse the internet and mobile phones into igniting people to violence. Read more on this here

“Communication through the Internet must be counterchecked to ensure credibility…journalists are still key in providing objective and tested information but they should embrace new modes of disbursing the information,” argued Scola.

Campaigns revolutionalised

Prof Faizulla Jan, a lecturer from Pakistan said the media has drastically evolved and affecting way politicians handle campaigns.

“The media can be hydra-headed in critical times, in a way that when it is killed in one place, it springs up in another, the case of Pakistan is typical of this,” argued Jan.

Jan said the broadcast laws were clearly rendered useless when an Opposition politician, apparently under house arrest, addressed his followers by giving a speech through his mobile phone, the receiving cellphone was plugged into a megaphone and the message was broadcast to listening crowds. Amazing how censorship can be countered by technology!

Premesh Chandran, CEO of Malaysiakini, provided more examples to demonstrate how new media has opened up the democratic space. In Malaysia, he said, political videos were put into VCDs and distributed to supporters, to be watched at their convenience, cutting out the need for politicians to seek out supporters.

Careers made on the Internet

He argued that to date, political careers are made on the Internet, in that, although only with limited following, those considered to be Internet-savvy are regarded highly by the opinion shapers and the movers and shakers of society. And it is this group that influences the politics in the country.

See more here

As an alumnus of the large family network of the International Institute for Journalism (IIJ) based in Germany, I had the chance to meet the participants of the just ended ECOWAS reporting course in Accra, Ghana.

My mission with them was simple – to give an hour presentation on blogging. As the 12 participants from different ECOWAS countries fixed their curious and expectant gaze on me, I recalled exactly same time and month in 2007 when I was in one of the seats in the same course at the same venue – Ghana International Press Centre. How time flies.

This video encapsulates the impression of the participants of the course.

Please note that application deadline for this course is 06 Feb 2009

The goal of the course is to enhance the capacity of local decision-makers to make the most efficient and pro-poor choices and investments in urban sanitation. The course provides analytical tools to understand the financial and institutional framework of the sanitation sector, creating the ability to assess specific situations and make recommendations to design and implement financial and institutional reforms in the sector.

The first session of the course is primarily intended for candidates affiliated with organizations from Asia and the Pacific dedicated to training and capacity building in their country or region. They should have prior understanding of urban sanitation and/or environmental issues and possess a university degree in a relevant area.

The course consists of 4 modules:

• Module 1 – Introduction to Sanitation
• Module 2 – Economics, Pricing and Financing of the Sanitation Sector
• Module 3 – Institutional Aspects of the Sanitation Sector
• Module 4 – Sanitation and Poverty

The course is implemented by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in collaboration with the Programme “Water and Sanitation in Developing Countries” of the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Sandec/EAWAG). The contents of the modules are based on the original materials jointly developed by UNITAR and Capacity Building International, Germany (InWent).

For more information and to register for this course go to the UNITAR web site or contact sanitation [at] unitar.org

It was all fun and revealing to attend the maiden alumni advanced course in online journalism and multimedia. It was organised by the Berlin based International Institute for Journalism of InWent.

Herta Berlin got the better of Stuttgart on Saturday with a goal from Gojko Kacar two minutes before full time, a victory that leap -frogged the home side to fourth in the Bundesliga table.

Kacar scored the winner two minutes from full-time to give Hertha Berlin a 2-1 victory over Stuttgart. Hertha Berlin survived a scare when Stuttgart’s Cacau had cancelled Maximilian Nicu’s opener after 29 minutes.

This was Hertha Berlin’s third win in four games and leaves them two points behind leaders Hoffenheim.

What I liked most was the environment in the build up to the match. Travelling to Olympiastadion was always going to be difficult as most fans bid to find their way into the giant stadium.

At the stadium, we were allowed in through the VIP entrance point and sat side by side with local journalists, an arrangement made by the International Institute for Journalism (Inwent/IIJ).

From that vantage point, we got full view of the stadium and obviously the players. The music by the fans made the day an outstanding one.

It was also a privilege to be offered lunch during the half time break. By the time we resumed the second half, my day was already sealed by the hospitality.

This was my third match at the giant stadium, the first being in 2005 and the second, was last year.

Working on the project

What is it like to work in a German-speaking environment? How free is the press? Has gender balancing contributed to German’s economy? Fourteen journalists from eight countries across the world took on these issues of Press Freedom, Emigration and Gender in Germany. The findings are as captivating as there are revealing.

At the beginning of the course, Peter and Jan had hinted about the big project but nothing prepared me for the stress I had to face during the project.

I had thought when I left Nigeria it was going to be some form of holiday for me but Peter and Jan ensured that never happened.

I can’t believe the production of the big project will stop me from window shopping or going to places of interest but it did.

During the visit to the German Parliament, my colleagues were shocked when at the end of the tour I said I was rushing to keep an appointment in connection with the big story. They choroused “No neeeeeeeeeeeeeed”, this has become the common phrase curtesy of the Vietnamese.

Shocking

Jan and Peter during training

Peter had drummed it into our ears to ensure we gather enough materials and pictures during the tour. We never knew in Germany you must get a written permission from someone you interview to use his picture or comment for a story else you will be sued. Shocking! Back home in Nigeria, anybody you interview expects to see it in the papers as soon as possible (publicity craze).

The Group

My group made up of Sid, Grace, Thuy, Jalal and myself handled Emigration issues in Germany.

Peter, Tobias, Julie & Jan during the coffe break

The first stress we had was getting the authorities to talk to us. We thought it will be easy in Hamburg but those guys there never picked up the phone the entire time I called. It was a big headache all the while touring the four cities in Germany. I for one was torn between having fun and looking for sources to interview. At the end, we never got the immigration authorities to comment.

Another big headache was getting illegal emigrants to divulge their secrets on how they survive in Germany without documents.

Roadwin, Lihn, Julie and Vanahn close pals all through

Is no secret that the short cut to getting permanent residence is either getting married or having a child. But the emigrants were willing to speak off record while those who have already attend the permanent residence status had no qualms talking.

But the story is interesting and more authentic when the illegal emigrants speaking on record. That would have made producing slideshow, video or podcast more fun and authentic.

It is amazing to see the fear that grips emigrants the moment you mention the test on German customs and history for would-be citizens beginning September 1, 2008. Dejection envelops them and they immediately take you down memory lane on how they managed to escape their poverty stricken country in search of a secured future.

The new immigration policy approved by Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cabinet in July had been a subject of debate among foreigners and Germans. Many foreigners and Germans are divided over the test designed by academics at Berlin’s Humboldt University.

Those yet to become citizens described it as a “trap to get rid of foreigners”.

The test stresses that people applying to become German nationals will have to answer at least 17 out of 33 questions correct. To pass the sample test, you will need to get at least four out of the seven questions right.

Those who designed the test came up with 1,000 questions, which after being tested on 5,000 people were reduced to around 300.

The sample questions include such teasers as: What’s the job of the opposition in the German parliament? When was the Federal Republic of Germany founded? Why did former Chancellor Willy Brandt kneel down in the former Warsaw Ghetto in 1970? Who is required to serve in the military in Germany? Which other country has a large German-speaking population?

Those in support of the test feel is a way to get emigrants to respect values, culture and language. “If you seek to become a citizen of a country that gives you security both social and economic you must adapt by their rules and regulations”, says Sabina Klien of tagessauchu.de.

Foreigners seeking asylum in Germany in 2007 according to official records, were 19,164. Iraq had the highest number of 4,327, followed by Serbia with 1,996, Turkey 1,437, Vietnam 987, Russia Federation 772, Syria 634, Iran 631, Lebanon 592, Nigeria 503, India 413 and 6,872 came from other nationalities not identified.

Short Cuts

There are various reasons why foreigners seek German citizenship. Some asylum seekers left their countries fleeing from war; violence and oppression like in Sudan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Palestinian and Zimbabwe but majority do so for economic reasons.

Most immigrants in Germany are involved in casual labour cleaning the streets, stewards in restaurants, cooks or cleaners in hotels,  selling at flea markets etc. No matter how demeaning the job is, to some, it is better than going back home. Yet, they are those who regret living their countries but the shame of what people will say have kept them in Germany.

The introduction of the test is forcing alot of illegal emigrants to rethink their continous stay in Germany. Many are thinking of relocating to other countries with no stringent laws that will enable them continue their search for a better living.

But what may possibly be the driving force behind the increase in interracial relationships in Germany? Is it love? A need for family? Or a swift fix to a permanent residence?

“What other options do I have to get the right to remain here? I’m in a relationship with a German citizen since 4 years, but not married” an emigrant asked. “Well then marry your partner! It’s been 4 years. Don’t you know by now if you want to stay with them?” another answered.

Illegal Immigrants in Germany are continuing with the age old arranged marriages with citizens to avoid a test on German customs and history for would-be citizens scheduled to begin in September.

While very few frown at the practice of marrying for residential permits or giving birth to children with no strings attached, others actually relish the practice. It is not uncommon to see emigrants discussing on how to get someone to marry for the sake of attending the permanent resident status. Some have had to settle for junkies, drunkards, the mentally deranged and to people old enough to be their parents or grand parents.

Emigrant in German Institutions

Despite being home for 50 years to over 14 million people with migration background, it is easier for a horse to pass through the eye of a needle than for foreigners to gain meaningful employment in Germany.

For a foreigner, that you are educated in Germany is no immunity against discrimination while seeking employment or fighting to keep one.

But for those I have spoken to, they fight to keep their jobs, fight to be promoted, fight to get a raise in salary.

“Your qualifications determines what you can do and what you can do determines what you will be paid. You have to bear in mind that there are other Germans who will be at competition with you because in the first place, they do not think you deserve to be there.

You have to work twice as hard as well as become more vigilant and not leave things to chance. Somebody is watching you constantly because is that aspect that determines how long you will last in that organization.
“Your skin colour does not matter theoretically but in the end you will see it creep up. But there are also good Germans even at the place of work. There are those who feel your pain when you are being terrorized and fight for you so is not all a bad story”, one of the emigrant told me.

We are finally done producing our website. It is not so bad afterall. With the finish product steering me in the face, I think the stress was worth it. Though the website will not be up and running for that same legal reasons (damn! all that efforts in vain), I am it would have given CNN, BBC and the likes a run for their money.

Finished Product

Is finally over.  We survived and the result is fantastic.

Strained relationship

Jolly pariticipants with Christian Radler

At the beginning when we arrived, we were all together and did things in common. We had fun going to institute together in the morning but as the days turned into weeks, we formed clicks, quarreled, kept malice and the relationship strained. Towards the end though, perhaps  bearing in mind we will not be seeing each other again (is a small world so you never know, which was why the incident saddened me), few managed to settle their quabbles. But at least we settled.

Thanks to InWEnt, IIJ, the trainers (Peter, Jan, Ulf and Christian, Regina and Line). It was not fun producing podcast, making a video, producing a slideshow but after seeing the final work, every stress was worth it.

The ball now is in my court.

Participative Learning Method

Team of Trainers:

1. Niniek L Gyatt.

2. Thia Jasmina.

3. Fauziah.

4. Shauqie.

5. Widyanti.

6. Isfandiarni.

Außenminister Frank-Walter Steinmeier und ASEAN Secretary-General Dr. Surin Pitsuwan haben am 27.02.08 eine zwei Millionen Euro schwere German-ASEAN Kooperation für die Weiterbildung des ASEAN Sekretariats abgeschlossen, berichtet das Auswäritge Amt in seinem Newsletter.

Diese Zusammenarbeit sei die Fortführung der langwährenden Beziehung Deutschlands und des ASEAN. Ferner realisiere dies die Nürnberger Erklärung vom 16.03.2007 des 16. EU-ASEAN-Treffens. Der Weg führe hin zu einem “EU-ASEAN Enhanced Partnership”.

Das globale Networking auf der Wissensebene zielt auf die weitere Institutionalisierung von Integration durch den Ausbau der ASEAN und insbesondere seines Sekretariats ab.

Internationales Networking formt hierbei durch Schulungen das Zusammenrücken entfernter Regionen. Schwerpunkte dabei sind “human resources management, organisational management and administration, legal matters, public affairs”. Des Weiteren soll der freundliche Kontakt beider Seiten forciert werden, um etwa ASEAN in Deutschland zu promoten.

Dreh- und Angelpunkt dieser Vernetzung wird die gemeinnützige GmbH InWEnt.