Gillies C KasongoRelay Programme Officergillies@panos.org.zmt: +260 211 263 258www.panos.org.zm

Panos Institute Southern Africa (PSAf) Relay Programme Success stories in Swaziland and Zambia Reflections and conclusions

A regional organisation that utilise information to stimulate public debates and facilitate development by amplifying the voices of the poor and the marginalised

PSAf recognises that for information to be effectively generated, there is need for poor and marginalised people to participate in a two-way communication

Thereby, subsequent decisions, development plans and policies are not only meaningful but relevant to them these communities

A Southern Africa community that drives its own development

We work to ensure that info is effectively used to foster development by empowering communities to shape their own agenda. We particularly focus on amplifying voices of the poor and marginalised. We do this through:

1. innovative communication approaches2. working with mainstream and alternative

media3. interfacing development actors and local

communities 4. providing platforms for informed debate

founded in Lusaka in 1996 by Panos London (PL)

domesticated and operated within the vision and mission of PL, which was considered as the global vision and mission for Panos

gained autonomy from Panos London in May 2005

covers 12 Southern African countries which include Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe

Stimulating and facilitating debate in development issues Developing capacity investigative and development

reporting Building capacity of national and community media Providing enabling environment for meaningful and

mutually exchange of knowledge between local and global development actors

Working as broker in development dialogue among civil society, the media, academics, policymakers, and other key actors

Conducting research, disseminating research products and linking researchers with the media

Facilitating inclusion of the voices and aspirations of the poor and the marginalised in decision-making

Providing a channels for ‘southern’ perspectives in the ‘North’

Effective science and research communication is crucial to informed, inclusive & participatory policymaking, especially in developing countries

(i.e. informed because of engagement with development research, and inclusive because the debate includes a range of voices including those not ordinarily heard).

The Relay project falls directly under the Media Development & ICTs programme in PSAf

The programme strategic goal (2007 – 2011) is to increase access to development information by poor and marginalised communities

In Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland and Zambia:

Production of quality media products based on research

Increase capacity of research institutions in research dissemination

Build media capacity to report on key development issues raised by research

Foster networks and linkages between media and research

Increased capacity of research institutes Emerging practical linkages between

media houses and research institutes in Malawi, Swaziland and Zambia

Slow and steady update of research in the media in content development

Motivated by programme recommendations:

That PSAf facilitates the development of a pilot project which will bring researchers and journalists together to undertake editorial production of research material

That PSAf considers Swaziland as the venue for a production-based intervention

• Whereas the University of Swaziland (UNISWA) and PANOS Institute Southern Africa …recognize the need to engage in partnerships and to share human and material resources with the aim of fostering international understanding, contribute to the pool of global knowledge and advance the development of the respective countries and other Southern African countries… 

• Whereas, at several workshops held on various occasions in Zambia and Swaziland, by the members of the parties concerned, the terms stipulated in the following Articles of the collaboration were agreed upon

ARTICLE 1 - establishes a long term Link Programme for co-operation

ARTICLE 2 (aims): a. to support production of research based

media content relevant to the SADC region b. to increase the capacity of researchers to

engage the media in disseminating research

c. to increase sustainable links between the media and researchers

ARTICLE 3 – discusses four objectives (interface, joint initiatives with media, media skills acquisition, ethics)

ARTICLE 4 – numerates anticipated benefits ARTICLE 5 – describes framework and

activities ARTICLE 6 – deals with infrastructural issues ARTICLE 9 – highlights fundraising initiatives

individually or collaboratively

More capacity building for UNISWA in disseminating research through the media

Practical joint funding initiatives Ease access of journalists to research

information Media content enhanced by issues raised

by research Increased access to development

information by poor and marginalised communities

Unanimously formed by participants in a training workshop by PSAf in July 2007

These participants came from University of Zambia School of Agriculture, Institute of Economic and Social Research (INESOR), National Institute for Scientific and Industrial Research (NISIR), Zambia Agriculture Research Institute (ZARI), and Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU)

Fishing industry is main stay of majority of people of Western Province of Zambia

Several reports from all districts, where the barbel fish and breams are dying en masse, the disease is re-occurring the past two years, 2006-8

Clinical manifestation of the disease condition

No report regarding economic losses due to fish disease done since outbreak in 2006

Fisheries department though, has done a random sampling of some traders and processor to get their views on the economic effects if any

Outbreak destroyed high quality fish types of economic importance such as cat fish and bream with unestimated economic losses for the sector and socio-economic impact to fishing community, fish traders and fish related communities.

As the outbreak continued to spread to new areas, it is assumed the socio-economic impact due to the diseases escalated.

Many respondents depend on fish for their livelihood which occupation is the only source of income for the majority (89%) of them.

Although more than 65% did not see any diseased fish, more than 72% reported a decline in business turn-over, attributed mainly to reduced profits and apparent increase in turn-around time for disposing of the fish – The Socio-Economic Effects of the Fish Disease Affecting the Zambezi Drainage System in the Western Province of Zambia, PSAf 2008, p.2

The majority of respondents (75.8%) either did not know anything or were not near the source of problem to have any opinion about what caused the disease.

Amazingly enough, the scientific study by government’s experts last year reads in part:

3)…In terms of causation significance …evidence so far seems to be overwhelmingly in favour of environmental changes outlined … as the predecessor of the disease outbreak.

4) The risk to public health from eating infected fish, drinking water from water bodies in which infected fishes live or bathing in such water bodies is either minimal or unlikely…Thus until the disease condition is more fully understood, people should avoid as much as possible from consuming visibly infected fish and drinking water from infected waters should be boiled first – Report on a Field Expedition to assess the Possible Causes of the General Mass Fish Kill in Western Province 18th September – 1st October, 2007, UNZA

Swaziland: 1. URC is funding a training of all its

university researcher in August2. Joint funding proposal

1. Joint funding proposal2. hold a press briefing on the finding of the study

soon3. facilitate the production of electronic discussion

programmes around the fish disease using some funds under content development and media fellowships

4. document press and media coverage of the same and share with the network

5. follow up with the team of scientists and researchers that the government of Zambia commissioned last year to find the cause of the disease – Here, PSAf is interested in lobbying and stimulating aggressive action in the right direction by various stakeholders and policy makers involved – fisheries department, health, consumers.

Gillies C KasongoRelay Programme Officergillies@panos.org.zmt: +260 211 263 258www.panos.org.zm